Hello from Biskit and family!!!

If I start talking about how much we love Biskit I wont stop gushing about how he is the best, most friendly, lovable, intelligent and loyal dog! Biskit is especially loving our 8yr old son, especially when he drops food for him! Our son plays with Biskit as though he is another human talking to him, asking him questions etc. Biskit looks as though he is listening but I know he is really wondering when the next treat may drop!! Our oldest son wrote a report about Biskit at the end of the year. He wrote about how Biskit is his best friend and how much he loves him and enjoys his time spent with him.

My husband has started doing Pet Therapy visits with Biskit and they both enjoy it so much! Biskit loves all the attention and the silly tennis balls underneath all the walkers. What fun!! The seniors absolutely love the visit from this ole’ gentleman. This weekend we are all going camping!! We are excited to see Biskit try swimming. It sounds like he likes swimming a lot by reading his paperwork from his previous owner but we haven’t had a chance to see him in action just yet. He still enjoys his walks to the park and running after the tennis balls. He only gets in a few laps before he starts heading his way home, that’s when we know he’s DONE! Thank you so much for bringing this love into our home. We absolutely love him!

Thought everyone at NEARR would be happy to know that we are celebrating Allagash’s 14th Birthday this Sunday! Our Doggie Day Care provider is hosting a party for her with all her old friends. We don’t bring her there too much anymore, she can only handle a few hours, but she still loves seeing everyone.

At her last visit to the vet they were amazed at how great she’s doing and surprised for how old she is. Of course she has bad arthritis throughout her back, mostly deaf and more medications than anyone I know, but she still loves to play ball, even if it’s only rolling it to her down the hall. She has an iron will and is not taking growing old laying down!! Her coat is still as beautiful as ever thanks to monthly grooming, most people still think she’s nine.

We enjoy every day we have with her and feel so lucky to still be able to enjoy her company! She has brightened both our lives!

Roxie is quite healthy, and still has a lot of energy. Now that my husband is retired they head out every morning for a 2-3 mile walk in our neighborhood bordering the reservation. Then of course there are at least 4-6 games of chasing the ball with the chuck-it, and she loves to jump up and catch her treats afterwards (she never misses !! ). She still is quite the counter-surfer, so we put anything we don’t want to disappear behind closed doors, and that seems to work for all of us.

Roxie has become quite the celebrity. Several years ago my husband and I became quite involved with the local Alzheimer’s Association after he was diagnosed with the disease. We took several courses, did alot of research, and started a clinical trial at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital.

Last fall the Alzheimer’s Assoc. called us and asked if we would allow NBC Today Show into our home to film a family living with AD. No one else would do it on such a short notice, but we felt strongly about getting the message out there so we said yes. All went well, and Roxie was quite the star. Then this spring, they called again and asked if we would allow CBS Evening News into our home, and again Roxie was the highlight catching her treats (and of course not missing one). She was a hot with all of the crew members. She also was highlighted in the AA Annual Report–who knows where her next adventure will be!! Seriously, having her with us during the filming sessions felt right, as she is a very important part of our life.

She has also had several great vacations with us on Cape Cod, and she loves jumping into the lake in NH. She and my husband visit a small island (she loves the boat ride), and our friend has a beautiful golden retriever. There are about 8 dogs on the island, and they all must get along, so the men go to each house and practice Caesar’s Way socialization, and last year they all became best of friends. I almost forgot to tell you that she was the most loved “visiting dog” when my Dad was in the rehab/nursing facility. They welcomed all animals, and she was always in high demand–so patient with everyone and showing off catching her treats.

As you can see, we all have a good time, and we are so grateful to have her in our life. Our son has a 9 month old yellow lab, and if we are traveling, she stays with them. She is a very good “big sister” to his dog, but I think the two of them exhaust my son and his wife.

Week 1:

We have changed Sitka’s name to Finn. We thought the primary command “SIT” and Sitka might be a little confusing. So Finn has been to our veterinarian and had a DHP -PV (booster), Lyme, and Leptospirosis shots. We also got some Frontline and Interceptor (Heartworm). We will start training classes with Finn on June 21. Finn is settling in and has been to the waterfront as well as the beach for walks.

Week 2:

Another week has passed and Finn has been as busy as ever. He started training class last night. It seems like it is a good program. We worked on getting him to respond to his name by looking at us last night. The focus of the program is positive reinforcement - no pinches or chokes, etc.

The neighbors have a dog that Finn has had a few play dates with and they seem to like each other. We have been walking Finn at the beach. There are always dogs there. I think it is one of the few beaches in the area that allows dogs. He has met other Goldens, retrievers and a very interesting cattle dog, who just circled us while we talked to her owner. Finn has also been to down to the harbor, which has a nice walk through the woods before you get to the ocean. Finn is definitely a beach dog and enjoys a swim in the ocean and retrieving sticks.