Chloe continues to do well. We’re learning lots at obedience class (we have week 3 tomorrow of a 6 week class). My parents were up visiting this weekend and spoiled their newest grandchild as only grandparents can! I also have finally gotten the dog walker all settled and she started on Friday so now I’m much relieved knowing someone’s coming in daily to walk her.

Hello NEARR friends!

I can’t believe I’ve been with these crazy people for 5 whole years—but I think they love me and the treats are plentiful too, so I guess I’ll stick around. It’s been a while since I’ve sent you an update, so let’s see what I can tell you…

I turned 11 years young in June—or so they tell me. They also tell me that you’re only as old as you feel, and I’m still feeling like a pup. So I take a few more naps and I’m not quite as crazy when we’re outside, I don’t hear anyone complaining. Mom rather likes this new pace I’m setting, she says it’s just right for her to keep up. She also tells me I’m going to be a big brother sometime in December. I wasn’t so sure about this, but as soon as she explained that I was getting a little sister of the two-legged kind and not the four-legged kind I decided it was alright. The way I see it, the two-legged kind share their food with me, instead of the other way around, and that’s just how I like it.

I’m healthy and fit as ever, maintaining my stunning figure keeps me feeling young. We all know that my parents like to call me the ‘velcro dog’, because wherever they go, I am never far behind. But I figure they’re growing up and I can start to loosen the reigns a bit, I don’t see a need to wait up for them at night. If they want to stay up all hours of the night cheering for those Boston Red Sox, that’s their choice; but I’ll be dreaming of doggie bones and chasing the neighbor’s cat from the comfort of my bed. No matter how sly I’ve become, Mom always knows when I’m slinking off to ‘check up’ on the feline next door…at least a dog can dream.

I hope you’re all enjoying the scents of fall as much as I am—this time of year is the best! Wags and kisses to you all…Chance

Ploy-Sue is improving all the time - accepts that she has to be on Gentle Leader is she wants to go for walk but doesn’t really like wearing it. Doesn’t pull much any more. No problems with food, sleep.

Have had lots of play dates for her in my fenced backyard so she works off lots of energy - a tired dog is a good dog! Also take her to town conservation area where she can explore on retractable lead; she loves sniffing and following scents. Can’t let her off lead yet.

She starts obedience class next Wed. night. So far have been using positive reinforcement and she responds to that. Will see what else I can learn.

She’s incredibly agile; jumps onto the hood of my car without effort. Now have big pawprints on outside of front window. People who see it must think I have a huge cat. Dog slobber on inside of windows. Hair all over. Am picking up new station wagon next week - why do I bother? At least new upholstery will be black to match her hair.

Hello!

I just wanted to check in with you and let you know Chloe’s doing great! We went to the vet last night and she weighed in at a healthy 72 lbs. The results came back and she doesn’t have lime disease or heartworm. I had them update her kennel cough shots and started her on the heartworm medicine.

She’s adjusting just great and it’s like I’ve had her all along.

Just a short note and some super cute pics of the Patch-face. This is our one month anniversary I guess—it seems so short I can’t believe it! Patch and I are settling back into basic home routines these days–my two roommates take him jogging almost every day it seems, and I have taken him to visit both the Tufts field and our little neighborhood park.

He has all the toys he can ever want, except for his newly instituted ban on regular tennis balls, since we had some eating of plastic going on last week. But after seeing how much he wanted to chew on something! anything! I got him some rawhide retriever rolls and tested him to see how he would do at chewing them well enough to be safe. Sure enough, he is all over them! I took some pics of his first roll, and you can tell he is in another doggie heaven world as he is chewing away. When he’s not being a nutcase, he is a regular old lazy bum, and I caught him on tape one morning being overly lazy and boy is he a cutie pie.

Anyhow–enjoy the pics!

After stopping by the Nearr booth at the Pet Rock event, we decided a Skippy update was long overdue. It has been almost 5 years since we first saw Skippy on the Nearr website. At that time, he was also known as Cole. Other than his muzzle turning gray, not much has changed for Skippy. He is a lucky guy that spends an hour each day swimming and running at a local wildlife area. He doesn’t know what to make of the deer he encounters, but did have a good time the day he chased the wild turkeys! Attached are a few pictures of Skip at play. Thanks to everyone at Nearr – you guys do great work!

I have been unbelievably neglectful in updating you about our dog “Boomer.” We adopted him in April of 2001, his name on your web site was “Snoopy.” When we took him home, he was unable to use his left front leg due to severe OCD of his shoulder. Within 3 days of adoption, he had his shoulder repaired and has not looked back since! He is an unbelievably loving boy, not the smartest I’ve met, but a love. He’s wonderful with our 2 children (who have come along post-adoption,) as well as our younger Golden Retriever. Attached is a picture that I like to call “Close to you is where I want to be” because it’s the truth!

I thought it was time for an update on Duckey…

Well, this is one comical dog. What a personality. Everything he does is funny!! Catching bugs, running in the yard, lounging on the pool cover….he is just funny.

The pool turned out not to be a great experience for him. I told you that he lays on the elephant cover and it sinks down about a foot and he lolls around in the water…..well, when we took the cover off in the summer he was confused. He stepped into the pool in the deep end and sunk like a rock. He came up swimming and we guided him to the stairs, but he wouldn’t go near it for the rest of the summer. I ended up getting a kiddie pool for him and he would lay in that. It was easy to dump the water out so it worked out well.

We have new neighbors with a female chocolate lab, Misha, and they get along great. Haven’t seen too much of them since they’re back and forth trying to sell their condo and the dog goes to day-care, but once they get settled Duckey will have dog companionship on the weekends. He’ll be able to work off some extra energy (hopefully). We walk him on a semi- regular basis but more often we throw the stick for him and he races around the yard. I take him for his daily ride in the car, his favorite thing in the world. Even if I don’t go any where, I’ll just drive around for 15 minutes. He loves the car.

The strangest thing….he really seems afraid of small kids and barks and runs away from my two small nephews, and friend’s kids, but I had company one day and a friend has a 3 year old Autistic son and Duckey was fine with him.. He let him pat him and was very calm around him……dogs are something, aren’t they?

He is such a fun dog and he gets loads of attention and is very happy. So far, he’s been very healthy, only one small infection in his ear that we cleared up quickly, though I don’t know how he doesn’t break legs the way he races around. He loves to help me with housework, he follows me everywhere and when I sort laundry he lays right in the middle and chews on socks.

All in all, a wonderful dog and we love him.

Hi everyone,

We are approaching Casey’s third birthday, as well as the official one year anniversary of his adoption. Just over a month ago we moved into a shared house with a wonderful, huge back yard, as well as another golden retriever, Jack. Casey and Jack have become fast friends, and love to play fetch with a red Kong ball in the back yard, while my older dog, Stella, watches the action.

We had a chance to visit Casey’s foster family over the summer, and he was thrilled to see them. He got to swim in their pond with his NEARR buddy Frosty, one of his absolute favorite things to do. We have discovered a new “trick” of Casey’s: he likes to eat tomatoes directly off the plants in the garden. He will sniff around to find the ripest one, then munch way! He will, of course, eat as many as he can before you catch him, but thankfully he has not gotten sick. He can be a handful, but I love him to bits, and I’m so glad to have him. I’m attaching the wonderful portrait that was taken at the picnic in June. Most of my pictures of
him are while he’s sleeping, because otherwise he’s on the move! Casey sends lots of wags and love to all his NEARR buddies.