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Trix

Toby (Caper)

7/25/2005 The boys are doing great...They have been playing most of the day. Jenny, my younger daughter stayed with the guys today (for the last day at the Mart). She is animal savvy. Her husband had to work overtime this morning so I told her she could bring Jordan with caution because Caper had been so easy going. He was great with Jordan, so much so that she had a fit because she had to go to the sitters. Caper had been lifting his leg and watches everything that Indy does. Right now they are running up and down the hall chasing each other having a grand time. They have just started wresting and very nicely I might add. Indy seems to regard Caper as his younger buddy and waits for him to figure out what is going on.

Caper slept all night without a sound.. He has been for several walks and a very smart little guy. He is starting to learn how to heel.

So to recap the last 24 hours: The guys road very nicely home The went for a nice walk and did their business. No accidents so far. Slept through the night Gets along great with kids supervised Caper just did the snapping turtle with Indy and Indy turned his head and got a ball as a distraction (don't you just love animals, they seem to know what to do to train behavior with the young animals. ) I think they are going to be great friends and buddies.. I'm sure they will have some issues along the way but they have had a great start.

Thank so much for letting Caper get some security and comfort before going to his forever home. He is a wonderful little dog.

7/30/2005 Just wanted to send you a quick note. Everything is going great. Caper went Wed. to see Dr. Kleven and had his check up and kennel cough dose (he made the doctor laugh because he is so mild mannered). He has a new name Toby. Ollie didn't seem to fit his little personality. He's just such a cutie no matter what his name is. He slept outside the cage last night with no problem. He and Indy stayed at the house for 3 hours today without any incidents. They go for a long run first so I guess they are glad for the rest. If Toby is not by my side I know where he is. He is fixated by the cats. They just sit and stare at each other. So cute. There is a pet shop down the street that carries the canidae food. I think I am going to switch Indy over to that food. He has his moments of insecurity but he is easily reassured. I have miles to go before I sleep.......

09/05/2005 Here's a note to tell you about some of Louie's farm experiences this past week. I think we can officially consider him a farm dog now. Louie rolled in cow poop and then ate some. (This is obviously not encouraged, but he likes it A LOT). Louie stood nicely while Dustin held him around the neck in a gentle hug because two wayward cows were crashing through the fence and into the yard. (GOOD DOG!) Louie stepped off the Tomorrow River Trail (an old railroad bed turned hiking/biking trail) briefly and when I called him back, he had ever-so-faint eau-de-skunk on his head. (Close call). Louie and Sam walked right up to a big badger (!) and literally smelled it last night just before dark. I was so scared I sweated, but I called both dogs off and there was no trouble. (Badgers smell musky). Louie has a new trick of dancing and sort of howling when we come home. It's his "Good to see you" greeting. (Cute dog).

People in town are starting to comment on what a beautiful dog Louie is, how good those two dogs are, and what a nice young man (Dustin) that is who walks those two dogs. (Makes a mom proud, and a little teary-eyed too). This information comes second-hand through a friend of a friend of... etc. It's a small town and people like to talk. I'm now known as "that girl who walks the dogs."

On the not-so-cute front, Louie gets really worked up about spots of sunlight on the floor and wall. He whimpers and paws and bites the floor and even barks at it. It's kind of entertaining, but I feel bad that he gets so frustrated about it and now he has managed to bite holes in the carpet. I'm not worried about the carpet, as it is old and gross and needs to come out anyway, but I don't want him to eat it. He tries to eat the toys he rips up, so we have stopped giving him soft toys. But ....

Things that Louie likes to eat that are good for him are bananas, melon, grapes and carrots! Sam is insulted when offered fruit as a treat, but Louie thinks it's great. I'll be taking carrots and grapes for reward treats when we go to obedience classes coming up soon. Low-cal treats for the big dog. Sometimes I fondly call Louie "Fat Dog," just like I sometimes, with affection, call Sam "Dumb Dumb." Dustin would always get mad when I called Sam dumb, and now he is defending Louie when I call him fat. Dustin says, "He's not fat, he's normal. Sam's just skinny because he worries about YOU too much." The underlying meaning here is, Dustin is pleased that Louie is affectionate with him and not so reliant on me, as Sam is. Sam was supposed to be Dustin's dog, but Sam glued himself to me from day one, even though I tried at first to discourage it. Now Dustin has the dog he didn't get with Sam. Louie lies at Dustin's feet when he's on the computer, playing his guitar, playing video games, whatever.

We are roofing the house this weekend. What a rotten job. I doubt that I'll have time, but I'll try to get video of the dogs running in the field. Louie tries to herd us. Sam got a little tired of the herding the other day and side-checked Louie. He actually rolled him over. Louie was fine, other than his pride was a little hurt. He had been too aggressive with Sam, and Sam let him know. So Louie got up and decided to herd me instead. I let him. He only wants to do this in the field, so he must have been a working dog in his original home. Anyway, when we get into the big field where we walk sometimes, I always run with the dogs and Louie barks and circles and cuts and has a high-old time. The first time he did this was the first time that I thought he was really showing his exuberance for being a dog. I'm still working on that sheep idea with Mark.

Click HERE for a wonderful story about how Louie's forever home found him.

Louie

Louie met the pig next door today and went bananas. He did not like the pig. He was barking and snarling and pulling on his leash. I made him sit and then told him "all the way down" which he has responded to a couple other times when he was doing something unacceptable (like wanting to chase a car). He did not respond this time because he was so worked up about the pig. I had to push him down by the back of his neck. He didn't get snippy with me about it, and he stayed down until I verbally released him. So I think that's a major success. No big deal if he doesn't like the pig. It's in a pen that he can't get at, and we can avoid the pig when we go next door to visit.

We played "flashlight" last night. Louie LOVES to chase the flashlight beam. It's really funny to watch him. He also is really fascinated with the water drops he slops on the floor when he drinks out of his dish. He cocks his head and gives them the big BC stare. He stared at a patch of sunlight on the wall for 10 minutes this morning.

He has been good with the chickens. I won't be able to trust him in the yard loose with them without constant monitoring, but we can handle that. He actually spooked today when one chicken decided to fly a little. Dustin said it was pretty comical. Louie has been sleeping on his pillows next to the bed and seems very content with that. He puts his chin on the bed in the morning to wake me up. It's nice to wake up a warm fuzzy face! Sam has been sleeping on the bed and there haven't been any turf wars, so that's a relief.

Friday there is Relay For Life walk for cancer fundraising at the school in town. I had signed up to be a walker, so I'm going to take the dogs in the evening when it's cool. If there are too many other dogs and Louie doesn't like it, I can always run him home.

Keeley

8/2/2005 I just received a phone call telling me that Keeley is doing just great! Like I predicted, Keeley is 100% her dog and doesn't want to have anything to do with anybody else. She sleeps in the bed with her and listens perfectly. She learned to leave the ducks alone after she chased them thru the pond the first day, and even knows how to really herd the sheep. Just today, Lisa's five sheep were scattered in her pasture, and Keeley, without any instructions, circled them and brought them back to the barn. Awesome! I'm so glad that I waited until the special somebody with sheep applied for her. I knew she would be happy doing that.

Twylah

02/12/2007 I am Ms. Twylah. My life was not always a box of Valentine's Day chocolates until the day I was spared by the loving folks at GLBCR. I will always love you and never forget you. My life here in Chelsea since 2005 has been a perfect blend of town and country to suit my tastes. I love to visit friends at parks, the farm supply stores, the local pet store, and the post office. Everywhere I go my gentle spirit and beauty are praised. I carry my tail up high like a parasol, so one could say with all modesty, that I am the most elegant lady dog around and about Chelsea, a small 1800s midwestern town, population 4,000.

At home I prefer to be with my Mom, Rachel, above anything else...even treats and good food. I have her trained to transport me in style almost every time she goes out. This way I get to see what's going on in the world. Ian and Brian both walk me at various times of the day through the countryside. Now and then I am allowed to run free, but I tend to get curious...I like to go over to visit animals on other farms 1/4 mile away rather than hanging in on my own 15 acres or the 60 acres across the road minding my own business. One of my favorite things is to go to this salon in Saline for an all day beautification...honestly, I love it there. Since I tend to become filled with the joy of life and roll in the burrs, usually my forays of freedom are limited.

I tried some border collie stuff, but not sure if its for me. We went to an agility contest and afterwards I followed Rachel's suggestion and went through a tunnel, then made a beeline for the only opening in the fence and made my escape. Not my cup of tea. We went out to meet a lady named Becky on her farm and she asked me to chase her sheep for awhile, which I did until my tongue was practically on the ground. I swear...I never ran so fast in my life...exhausting! We decided I don't have the hips for it. But, one time I saved the day at our farm. A hot air balloon flew too low over the pasture and our sheep, Fannie, bolted over the top of the fence and she was loose. The adults were rushing around trying to figure out what to do. Rachel, on the inside of the house in her nightgown, turned me loose and I spotted Fannie heading down the hill. Well, I marched her right up to the top of the hill to her pasture. When she tried to stray away I held her in. Finally she gave up and went back in through the gate...so, yeah, I guess its in my DNA, but I hate to ruin my nails with this stuff.

Every year I go to family reunions. One of my favorite things to do is to go on the Michigan Southern Railroad Fall Color Tour with the family in an open box car. Children gather around me petting me and there parents trust me to give them little kisses.

Speaking of kisses, in honor of the holiday of love, I hope that you can post my Valentine's Day wish picture for you here, my dear friends. I hope to be able to see you some time again. If you would like to write, our email address is: rachroun@yahoo.com

Much Love, Twylah

Linus

Piper

Cole

Update: 11/11/05 We just moved, with Jade, to a property surrounded by seven acres of woods. Our old yard was fenced. This is not. Jade is a very, very good girl, but her recall is imperfect. With woods full of deer we're afraid the temptation might be too much for her, so we haven't let her run out there yet. The yard is multi-level, so fencing it is almost impossible.

12/27/05 Jade's recall is really improving. I don't know exactly what did it, though I have been trying Patricia McConnell's play-bow technique. We worked on it at the dog park three or four times over the course of about 10 days and Jade just seemed to "get it." Or maybe I "got it."

Jade (Jamie)

History: Jade was originally adopted from a shelter, by a family who allowed her to roam. It wasn't long before Jade was bumped by a car, though she didn't suffer any injuries. She spent most of her time wandering a state park. After several calls to the owner with no response, she was considered abandoned, and taken into a private rescue. The foster had Jade vetted and learned she was positive for heartworms. Although the foster was willing to help fund the heartworm treatment, she was unable to provide the care needed during recovery. GLBCR was contacted and Jade received the medical care and attention needed.

Keefe