It’s me, Duke Skywalker, checking in with my one-year report. When I came to my Forever Home my name was Duece but evidently my new Boss is a Star Wars fan so that’s how the name change came about. I think he’s about as old as the planets but that’s another story. I can’t believe that a whole year has gone by since I came to my new home on a lake in New Hampshire. I remember my first day here on Memorial Day weekend when my foster dad let me out of the car. There were tons of people here to see me and welcome me to the place. I put on a big show for them and ran around like a wild man. The first thing they did here was throw stuff in the lake for me to retrieve. I swam my heart out for them, and I know they were impressed. In fact, I heard my new mom say something like “doesn’t he ever just rest?”. The answer, as they soon found out, was “no.” I’m a perpetual motion machine and I love to run and act crazy. My new boss is an old guy and I think he’s like 420 in dog years! . But he acts like a kid and plays with me all the time. We go hiking nearly every day for a couple hours. This trail follows a nice brook for about two miles through the woods and I can drink and swim whenever I want. There’s a beaver dam where the boss throws sticks for me to retrieve. There’s something about being in the water that kicks my jet engines in, and I have to run like crazy up and down the trail when I get out. Boss man always carries a pocketful of treats when we hike. It’s like he rewards me just for having fun. Talk about a racket. Some folks think labs are dumb, but we know how to play our adults like musical instruments. I get what I want when I want it. I think the boss suspects I do this but he goes along with it.

I love my Forever Home and all of my family and friends, and I know they love me by the way they take care of me. I do have a few hangups such as being somewhat of a finicky eater. The boss’ wife buys me this healthy stuff to eat but in my mind it’s like eating Wheaties for breakfast every day without milk. So now I’ve managed to get them to pour on some no-fat beef gravy to give the chow a little pizzaz. I also like to sleep in late in the morning. Party all night and sleep late is my thing. I’m a teenager…it’s what we do. I had a big family reunion over Memorial Day to celebrate my first anniversary and all my friends who were here last year showed up again to see me. They were impressed with how handsome I was and how much I had grown. I had so much fun that I about wore myself out. One of the families had a three-year old little girl who was my new best friend. We played together for two days, and she even let me play with her in her Barbie tent. I love it when I get a chance to play with little kids.

Well, Skyler has completed obedience classes and did quite well. He responds well to discipline. A strong word and a stare in the eyes work wonders!

Not only is he off the prednisone, his coat is gorgeous! He has no bare spots and no funky skin growths. Even the large bare spot on his chest is growing new hair. His barking is almost non-existent unless someone comes to the house.

He seems to be happy with a routine, a lot of love, good food, and limits. He loves the beach and will chase a tennis ball forever! He’s learned that he can wash the sand off the ball if he takes it into the ocean. Sky is an intelligent dog with a great sense of humor. He loves dragging his blanket around the house, snuggling at 6:00 AM, and sunning himself on the deck. He’s a sweet dog!

The calendar says it’s time for a Ringo update but having just attended the picnic I think everyone knows that he’s doing great. He is a positively gorgeous, well behaved, bundle of joy. He makes us smile and laugh everyday. We feel truly lucky to share our life and home with this superstar.

We’ve had lots of visits with our nieces and nephews these past few months and they have all grown to love him. It took a little while because he is enthusiastic about playtime which can be a little frightening to the younger ones but they have learn to trust him and he has learn to be more gentle. In fact Ringo gets more calls these days for play dates then I do.

We are looking forward to summer on the cape beaches. He’s a wader not a swimmer but I’m hoping that if I’m in the water that he’ll come in and realize it’s pretty cool. Keep your fingers crossed!

Still doing great in my forever home…I’ve got my parents trained so well! I just celebrated my 9th birthday (complete with ice cream), but you know they say you’re only as old as you feel—and I’ve gotta tell you, I feel like a pup (and act like one too)! Sure I might slow down a bit on a long hike, but let’s face it—it’s an excuse to let my parents catch up. I’m still up for a great game of fetch any day of the week. And yes, tennis balls are STILL my all time favorite toy—never leave home without one!

I am loving the country life up here in Vermont. I get to go for long walks every day and I’ve become a permanent fixture in my front yard and porch. Whenever Mom works in her flowers or Dad mows the lawn, I like to sit out front and greet the neighbors and passersby. I’ve got some great neighbors, including a distinguished chocolate lab across the street—she’s my girlfriend ;) I have a sixth sense for knowing when she’s heading down her driveway for a walk—I stand in the window and whine and wag my tail whenever she heads out…and wait patiently for her to return safely before I head back to my nap.

I make my parents laugh, because even after 2 ½ years I’m still the Velcro dog; wherever they go, I’m never far behind….inside, outside, the bathroom…I’m there. And if they split up and go in separate rooms, I can always find a good middle ground or I wander back and forth. Hey, someone has to look after them, they’re bound to wander off and get lost. Mom calls me her ‘co-pilot’ because I go with her everywhere—life doesn’t get any better than riding in the car with the windows down while chewing on a tennis ball!

We’re heading back to Bar Harbor and Acadia this fall—I’ll be sure to send you some pics of my adventures…pats and wags to everyone!

Casey’s settling in great. He’s such a cuddler. He gets along great with our other dogs. Sometimes he wants to play when they don’t (he is still a puppy after all) but he gets the message from them. We can’t believe how calm he is. We’ve had to barricade the kitchen because he countersurfs. I think as he gets more used to being here and really feels like this is his forever home that this will all improve. Already we see that he is bonding more and more with us. Right now he’s sleeping on the library rug as I type. He is usually in the same room as one of us. Monday night I was ill, and he spent the whole night lying with me.

He’s doing very well. He’s especially excited to have figured out how to get on the bed even with his hips. He’s becoming even more cuddly as he settles in.

Maggie is so special to us and definitely “Daddy’s little girl” when it comes to playing…they have such a good time! She has settled into our routine and her “Brother” Rusty’s. She knows Time for bed means go out to pee, then get medicine and then upstairs to the bedroom where her and Rusty each have a bed to sleep on. They switch beds sometimes or share one bed which is so cute! She is still the happiest when she gets to go for a walk or playing or eating! She loves getting her meal and will immediately after go into the living room and lay on her side and back on the rug and kick her legs like she is swimming……….so funny and she makes growly noises while doing it. Of course we think it is so funny and we egg her on saying “Are you swimming!” over and over…….. She also always thanks us after a walk in the woods by coming over and rubbing against us while looking up at us, so sweet! When she is chewing her Nylabone she seems to be in her own world and doesn’t hear a word you say to her….What focus! We would love to know what she is thinking sometimes…..

She is a source of constant entertainment for us and Rusty just watches her antics sometimes and seems to be saying “Whatever makes you happy Maggie, you go Girl! They get along so well and keep each other company when Mom and Dad have to be out. Maggie turned 10 in December and still acts like a puppy most of the time although she does slow down on the way home from a long hike. She always finds even the smallest puddle to lay down in so usually needs a rinse with the hose when we get back.

She seems to be really happy and has a lot of love to give. We love her so much and are so glad we took her home with us.