Happy Thanksgiving!

Poppy blog 11.24.09

http://www.friendshiptails.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-tips.html

Schroeder 11.22.09

Latest on Cheetah

Just want to make sure you all saw this:

Lisa & Brian said...

Current update on Cheetah... she has her forever home! My husband and I are very smitten by her and she isn't going anywhere. My husband had an Australian Shepherd named Elvis for many years when he lived in NY. So, he's familiar with the breed. I went last night and bought her her very own dogbed for the living room so she'll also have some place comfortable to lie down on. She also loved the new toys I got her. I had no idea I'd take to her so quickly! We will send Melanie photos and updates for sure!

November 19, 2009 9:12 AM

Lisa and Brian said...

FYI, she already had a bed up in our room, the second one is to keep her off the new couch.

November 19, 2009 9:19 AM

Belle 11.18.09

Mouse update 11.14.09

He's gorgeous! Cheetah clearly mated with something BIG.

Thought we would send you some recent Mouse photos. He was at the vet the other day and he’s a little under 50 pounds. Obviously we don’t know if he’s done growing but we don’t think he’s going to be too much bigger.

His personality is still very big however! He’s all about fun and play and being happy. He loves to play catch in the backyard and the kids have even taught him some agility tricks. He jumps through hula hoops and tries to play soccer. All said and done though he’s just a big baby because he’s also perfectly happy snuggling on the couch or bed watching television.

The whole family recently had some training (I say the whole family because the humans needed as much training as Mouse). Mouse is walking better on the leash and [daughter], who just turned 10, is actually able to walk him. He’s so strong I swear if we put a sled behind him he could probably pull the whole family! He’s also more comfortable around other dogs. Some dogs he likes, some dogs he tolerates and some dogs he flatout isn’t happy with. I don’t think he’ll ever be a dog that likes everybody but if he learns to tolerate most dogs it will be good. Humans, however, are never a problem – any shape and size – and that’s a great thing. We just had [daughter]’s birthday party and the house was full of little, loud, giggly girls and Mouse was in heaven. “Look at all the people who want to scratch my ears and rub my tummy!”

I’ll end on a funny story. One day Mouse was in the backyard and the boys had just come in from playing with him but Mouse wasn’t ready to come in yet. I looked out and he was out there running around throwing his ball up in the air and chasing after it himself (he does this when he’s not done and there’s no one to throw the ball to him). A couple of minutes later I saw him doing the same thing but he looked like he was having even more fun. I went to the door but didn’t see his green ball anymore and I couldn’t tell what was being thrown around. I opened the door and called his name and he stopped and gave me a look that only a mother knows. One that says “uh, oh – BUSTED”. He came running to me whimpering and then he stopped just short of the garden and gave a look toward a giant whole where my new flowering Camillia bush had been planted. Not only was there no bush, there was no remnant of a bush either. It was in hundreds of pieces all over the yard. I had to step away from the door so he didn’t see me laughing because the look on his face was priceless. I didn’t want him to think that he made me happy but it was hard to be mad at him because he knew he did wrong. He just got caught up in a moment and went a little wild and crazy – like he is. Meanwhile, a new bush has been planted and Mouse ignores it! He rarely destroys anything that’s not his so we’re very lucky.

Belle 11.10.09

Minor Cheetah update

I don't have much information but after visiting multiple homes on Foster-To-Adopt and being returned every time, it appears that Cheetah is about to have an adoption finalized. She has not been with me in a couple of months and in the last few weeks I have been letting the Rescue handle it. So I don't know much except it is a couple nearby and they have grown "very attached" to her and it sounds like a two-way street. I will wait to contact them until a final decision is made. This is a huge relief to me as I wake up worrying about her every day.

Schroeder update 11.5.09

Schroeder has grown to a nice size, still long and lean. Not sure if he is finished growing. He has good days and annoying days. He likes to eat deer, rabbit, and goose poop any chance he gets. He also has discovered that rolling on anything that smells is great fun. Like a typical teenager some days he listens to commands( like come )and other days I call him he will stop and look at me think about it a second , and then decide. He loves going to the dog park to see his friends. Schroeder likes to wrestle when he plays, I think he is finally learning that not all dogs want to play rough. He still is not sure about children, he is a little afraid of them but is getting better. I started using the the gentle walker on him because he was pulling alot, and he is very strong. When the harness is on he will not pull. He still will grab the leash and want to play tug of war, he also picks up every stick, plastic bottle, trash along the way. Schroeder has also discovered squirrels. Schroeder seems to find joy in everything and thinks life is a big game, he seems to have a sense of humor.

announcement

So I have a little announcement to make.

This is the reason I have been feeling so craptastic and haven't been posting much.

Note: if you are friends with me on facebook, please do not mention in that forum yet.