Hi NEARR. It’s Deacon ! March 15th was my 5th year anniversary in my forever home. I’m around 11ish and am looking pretty distinguished with my gray muzzle. I need help getting into the SUV and it’s harder to counter surf but I’ll put in that extra effort for something really yummy. Mom and Dad say I’m the most agreeable one in the family.

Just wanted to give you another update. Ruby is doing GREAT! We love her so much. She is a great little sister to Jett – she seems to draw a lot of confidence from her big brother and she insists that whatever toy he is playing with must be better than the one she is using so she steals them all. It’s good for Jett too – being a single child until the age of four.

My husband took her hunting with him and Jett this season. We were a bit leery about frightening her but that didn’t happen at all. She loved the new experience and the exercise. As a result she has become more confident, and more independent. Now she gets so excited if she thinks she’s going. We still watch her closely and monitor her progress especially with new people and in surroundings. She is still a bit freaked out around certain things like someone carrying a laundry basket or anything tall and so she ducks and runs. Other than that I see very little of the behavioral issues that were identified with her in the past. She is extremely obedient, very smart and intuitive and she picks things up really quick.

She has had no health issues. She loves her food and cookies and often steals what Jett doesn’t eat. She also responds to my husband’s name for her “Baby Cakes.” The other night when he called her that she actually squinted her eyes at him and laying on her belly crawled across the floor to him – she’s a bit of a flirt!

Dont let those sad eyes fool you!! This is one happy and playful dog!! I cannot believe it is already time for a one month update on Biskit! But in some ways it seems like he has been in our family forever and we cannot imagine days without him. We have grown so very fond of our buddy!

The boys are wonderful with Biskit and the admiration is returned ten fold! Our favorite thing to do is announce “Daddy’s Home!!” when we see my husband pull up out front. No matter what Biskit is doing (including dead sleep), he emerges from his bed or wherever he may be with his tail wagging and his head shaking back and forth. He then proceeds to jump up and down in the window of the screen door so all you see is eyes and ears! It is too cute and its now a ritual and quite a home coming I must say!

Biskit is in his third week of Obedience Class and anyone who knows him knows it goes without saying that he is “head of the class”! He is doing so well and learning new commands every week. We are definitely getting a lot out of having him in our family. Biskit enjoys walking with my oldest son to the park after school and coming into our bedroom in the early morning and laying right next to our bed. Of course after he has gone into the boys room to sniff and make sure they are still nestled in their beds. Thank you so much for bringing this gentleman into our lives!!

We adopted our Molly from NEARR 2 years ago. She is an adorable dog and fits in perfectly with our family. Our other dog Aaron is a retired guide dog (1/2 golden and 1/2 yellow lab). We adopted him from the Freedom Guide Dog Association 6 years ago. They absolutely love each other.

We check your website from time to time just to admire the photos. We’ve attached a photo for you. Isn’t life wonderful?!

This is a late two year update for Ringo and a slightly early 1 year update for Roxy and some pictures for your pleasure.

Good lord, where to begin….first, life is blast with these two pups. Both have past the corner of 5 and are approaching six but you’d never know it - still full of energy. We live for the weekends when we can go for long walks in the woods.

Ringo continues to be a prince despite having life in his palace change when we brought Roxy home. As you know, at first he really shut down on us but eventually he came around. He has displayed profound patience with Roxy. Giving her a wide berth at first then slowly engaging her a little at a time. It’s been a joy to watch him teach her how to be a dog. Ringo is a gentleman’s gentleman but with Roxy around he’s learning to speak up a little louder for the things he wants.

Roxy is still a bull in a china shop but she’s our bull in a china shop. She has a jealous streak that runs a mile wide but she is slowly (very slowly) learning that she has to share our attention and she’s learning how to play with toys. At first she would take a toy (actually her attitude was almost like she was stealing the toy), run and hide with it. Over time she’d return with it but then leave immediately (then come back and leave again) and now 12 months later she is finally bringing US a toy and asking us to play. She doesn’t always let us HAVE the toy but then that’s part of the game. The best thing is that she will stay in the room (which she never did before) with her toy while we play with Ringo.

Her immediate reaction to other dogs is still to bark but she’s not pulling on the leash quite as much and almost immediately she looks back over her should at me to check, as if to see if she should stop, which of course is what I want her to do.

It is fair to say that Ringo and Roxy are like oil and vinegar. They don’t always mix together but they do balance each other very well.

Hello Nearr!!

I apoligize for the late update. It is March, and we have now gotten past the cold weather. Although Henry did not mind it at all. When the snow had fallen and we would go for walks, Henry loved to run and catch the snow in his mouth.

Henry has now become very spolied. Everytime we go out we bring him home a present. When we bring home bags he comes right for us and takes a peak into them to look for a his new toy. Henry is becoming very smart. He address us when he wants something and if you ask him a name of a toy. He
will bring us the right one.

Henry’s ear infection has also cleared up and he is back to his old self again. He is getting plenty of exercise. Every day we take him for two or three long walks around the neighborhood. On most days we go to the park to play with the ball and run around. Many people love to come over and
complimented on how beautiful and behaved he is. We have had so much fun since we had received our new family member in November. We are definitley looking forward to the upcoming months with our loved one.

We have taken many new pictures of Henry, and they will be on their way shortly.

Thank you again. You have made our family a lot brighter !

It’s been just over two years since we brought Archie home. Time does fly! Archie continues to be a great love.

2006 was a year of adjustment in our family as we welcomed our first child. Archie was surrendered by his previous family due to nervousness around their 4-year-old child, so we had some concerns about how he would react to our daughter. So far, he is largely disinterested in her, but she has gotten a few random licks for which he is always praised. She, on the other hand, is completely smitten with him and gets a huge smile on her face whenever he walks in her line of vision.

Over the next few months, he’ll likely learn that she is a good source of food that ends up on the floor by her highchair, so maybe then she’ll get more attention from him. I anticipate that once she is mobile, we’ll have to do some refereeing to ensure she isn’t always chasing him down, but both she and Archie are worth the effort!

We recently saw a new vet in our doctor’s office that recommended Archie lose some weight. So Archie is trying to slim down and get ready for swimsuit season.

We all look forward to seeing everyone at the picnic in June!

I wanted to send along a quick note to let you know about Jake’s first week in his new home, and a picture of the boy in his new home. Things are going really well. He’s everything we wanted in a dog, and I think he’s getting used to us, too…especially since we started providing rawhide bones for his enjoyment!

We’re walking in the mornings and he’s doing very well with it. The kids love having him here. Our daughter wakes up and as soon as she sees him she starts smiling and reaching out to pat him. This evening she was trying to share her new toys with him (we just had a family birthday for her first birthday - Jake is wiped out from all of the company!!). She scooted right over to his crate where he was hanging out to observe all the kids running around and put one of her new toys onto his bed and waited for him to play with it. She has the attention span of a gnat at the moment, so she left soon after, but she’s definitely gotten used to Jake being here!

As for our son, he just wants to play with Jake…and help feed him, and get his water, and help hold the leash when we go for our weekend walks, and give him cookies. Hi is is loving having a dog around! :) Jake is really good about playing with and around the kids - he hasn’t stepped on or knocked over either one of them, and he hasn’t so much as twitched when one or the
other of the kids has pushed, bumped or tripped into him. Such a good dog, can’t say it enough!

Jake isn’t crying anymore at night, which is good (not that he was ever bad about it). We’re just trying to give him lots of love and attention, lots of praise and reassurance, and he seems to be getting the idea that this is a good place to be. He and Gracie our cat are also making some progress towards tolerant cohabitation, which is really all we can ask for…I don’t think Gracie will ever think it’s a good idea to be friends with a dog of all things!

Thank you for sending out Jake’s records so quickly. Now that we’ve got his history, I’m going to get the vet appointment set up during this next week - Gracie is due for her annual visit, so it’s good timing! I’m hoping that Jake still thinks we’re nice people after we get home from the doctor! ;)

We’re all looking forward to spring, so that we can spend more time outside throwing tennis balls and frisbees and the like. We’ll keep you posted and keep the pictures coming!

It’s time for the annual Sadie and Skyler update. Endearing photos attached.

Sadie has been with me almost 6 years! I realized that she’d been with me more than half her life which is wonderful. I don’t think she remembers the pain that she endured before she came to live with me. As for teaching an old dog new tricks? Well, Sadie has disproved that statement. She was 5+ years old when she came here and she’s learned a lot of new things in 6 years. The most rewarding is that she’s become a cuddly, snuggly dog. She was so afraid of affection, posed for a beating every time someone put out a hand to her. Now she pesters me for loving, sleeps on the bed snuggled up against me, and gives lots of dog nudges. She has also learned to play with bones, balls, and toys - something that was foreign to her. She also knows every car and person who belongs in the neighborhood and will let us all know if a stranger appears.

Sadie has adjusted to Skyler’s presence and tolerates his nuttiness. However, she rules the house - and Skyler. Quite gently, she is the Alpha dog. She’s full of energy, loves to really run on the beach, and hates the dog park!

Skyler??? Well, he might be a relative of Marley, (Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog). Sky is just goofy and very smart. In the last year he has acquired a police record as he loves to catch that split second when he can bolt and run all over the town. He doesn’t harm anything -unless trash is left outside. He can disassemble a trash pile in seconds. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Skyler. He is happiest when running full speed at the beach or searching for tennis balls at the dog park. He has the dog park record of prancing around with four tennis balls in his mouth (simultaneously). He is hysterical! Giving them back is another story. Possession is 9/10ths of the law, eh? He’s beautiful, playful, snuggly, and would prefer to sleep on top of me.

Both dogs are very healthy. All of their medical problems are non-existent (except Skyler’s thyroid inactivity). They have healthy, beautiful coats, eat well, behave in the car, have lots of energy, and have great visual memories. They know the way to the dog park and the beach by sight!

I love them both dearly, as do my neighbors. Thank you, NEARR, for two wonderful dogs.

Hi everyone,

It’s been almost a year and a half since we adopted Mort, so we thought we’d send an update. He is still doing just great, and has become such a part of our family. He is our constant companion, and we suspect he thinks he’s human at times. He takes his place each night at the dinner table, makes himself comfortable on his TV chair, and stakes out his bed at night. Whenever we load the car up with some sort of packages or cargo, he assumes he’s in for a great adventure, and thinks he’s going along for the ride. Even if we’re loading the car up for the dump, he’ll jump inside, tail wagging, waiting for the next adventure.

He’s done lots of snowshoeing with us tup north this winter, and enjoys digging tunnels in the snow as he tries to fetch sticks and balls in 3 feet of snow. We recently purchased an HD television, and he gets so excited when he watches Animal Planet on TV, since the animals appear so real. He looks behind the TV for them, expecting them to jump out. It’s really funny to watch!

As you can see by the pictures, he still thinks he’s a lap dog, despite his 95 pound frame. He and Heidi the dachshund continue to be best buddies, and follow each other everywhere.

Thanks again for choosing us as his “forever family”.