Tika continues to be a wonderful dog. She had a check up at the vet recently and she is down to her ‘goal weight’ of 79 pounds! She looks great but when she rolls over you can see all her extra skin from when she was considerably heavier. She gets out everyday for a long walk.

We recently camped out in the yard in a tent and she slept out with us! She is happiest when she is with one of her pack members! She has had no symptoms of epilepsy and is on no medication. She still loves the great ‘fish’ food food that Donna started her on and her coat looks amazing (except when I am vacuuming it up from the floor!). She gives us lots of love and is really such a treasure.

We really hit the jackpot with this amazing animal.

Sophie and I have been in each others lives for 1.5 years now and she is a light of my life. Unfortunately, Sophie was diagnosed with early onset hip dysplasia last November, but we are working on her diet to alleviate any discomfort as well as taking glucosamine/salmon oil. About 6 months ago, she also stopped sucking on her paws and the yeast infections in between her paw pads has gone away entirely. What a relief for both of us!

I am also happy to report that Sophie *loves* the water. We go for long walks along the Intracoastal waterway on Palm Beach and she jumps up on the sea wall to watch the water and the birds. This summer, I plan to take her up to our family’s little island home in Ontario , Canada . I know she will love being there with my family - who all love Goldens!

Again, it is so wonderful to have Sophie in my life! Thank you again and again NEARR for creating a great match.

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying the summer. Max is doing absolutely fantastic and loving his life with us! We take daily walks at the beach and he loves running in the ocean, chasing the birds, playing with other dogs, and playing fetch with a tennis ball. He is so much better about not tearing off the fuzz anymore and not barking for people to throw it. We use “leave it” from school for him to drop the ball so we can throw it again. Cuddling is still his favorite activity. As you can see from the attached picture, Missy and Max are quite fond of each other and enjoy their resting time just as much as play time. Max really loves being with people, and we love having him in our family!

Time flies when you’re having fun. We can’t believe Cooper’s been a part of our family for 1 year! He is enjoying the summer now where he can wade into the waterholes when we go for walks in the park and chase the chipmunks and squirrels. He also loves hanging out at the beach. It never fails that he promptly rolls around in the mud or sand after he’s completely wet.

At this point, we think we’ve seen all of his true personality shine through. He really is a big love - with a lot of lazy couch potato and stubbornness mixed in.

We love bringing him with us everywhere we go. He brings a smile to the face of everyone he sees.

We can’t thank you enough for bringing Cooper into our lives!

Hello,

Is it week 8 already?! It seems like Onyx has always been a part of our family!! We bought a gentle leader at the advice of our dog trainer to help him walk on the leash. It seems to be working great. We’ve noticed he does experience some restlessness a few times a week when he won’t relax & sit down throughout the night, but for the most part he sleeps on his dog bed next to our bed. And we’ve noticed he likes something over his head; he puts his head in the closet or under the bed. I’ll try & send a picture next time.

Hi Everyone!

So, here we are…I turned 10 yesterday and this weekend was also the 4th anniversary of my arrival here in my forever home. I’ll start by saying, I’m an old fella who doesn’t like the whole “fast-paced, new-fangled, techie” lifestyle…so I apologize for not writing in more frequently over the past 4 years. I may not move as fast as I used to, but I am still as excited to be in my forever home as I was in 6/2006.

My parents took me 4 years ago, day before my 6th birthday – what a GREAT birthday present…I couldn’t ask for anything more. For anyone who knew me “way back when”, you’ll remember that I was over 110lbs and very slow…I’m now 84lbs and hot to trot. I am kind of stiff in the hips and one of my elbows can be a little sore, all that weight didn’t do me any favors. I still like to play keep away with toys outside and wrestle inside, and when they let me go to daycare I have so much fun, but am always sore for a few days…guess I get carried away and over-do it. I am also the best snuggler ever (at least that’s what my mom says). Dallas and Lucy are great siblings; they are more than a little crazy (Dallas eats anything that isn’t nailed down), but we have a lot of fun. They accepted me the day I came home as if I’d been here forever; I love them.

Last year in April, Dad brought home a ridiculously cute fluffy yellow ball of fur…turns out it was a puppy for me and his name is Winston. Winston is my best friend ever…he is now as big and strong as I am, but he plays with me, and wrestles the way I like to (and is always careful not to hurt me and my sore bones), and sometimes he even snuggles with me to sleep. Winston is a Golden Retriever, so he looks a little funny with that long, hippy hair…but he’s a good puppy…I taught him all the good stuff he knows. (Dallas is trying to teach him all his bad habits…big surprise there!)

Well, I have to go nap, that darn puppy is going to want to play soon and I want to be ready for him. Just wanted to let you all know that I’m having a great time and am well-loved by Mom, Dad, and Grandma, as well as Dallas, Lucy, and my puppy Winston…and everyone else who meets me.

Thank you NEARR for my family; I have a better life than an old man like me could ever dream of.

Zoey is doing awesome. She is the perfect dog for our family. We love her so much! : )

We wanted to let you know that after 6 ½ wonderful years, we have lost our Maggie. She lived to be just shy of 15 ½ years. We took her home in January of 2004 from her foster home in Rye NH . She was a wonderful and funny girl. She gave us lots of laughs over the years. She was tall and lean and very spry for her age. She could still tuck her back legs under all the way even as they got weaker on her. She still wanted to go for walks and play although we had to limit her because she would keep going until she couldn’t walk if we let her. Last year when she was 14, we had our 6 month old granddaughter move in with us. Maggie was the most gentle with her. She would let the baby pet her and even lay down on her to give her hugs! We will miss her, but are very grateful that NEAAR brought her into our lives. Thank You!!!

So, it’s June. We missed Casey’s six year update. We were reminded yesterday, when we found his food bin with his name on it when we cleaned the basement. Casey is a complete love. He wakes up with an agenda as long as his leg, and works on the list all day. You can see it from the pictures - there’s the twinkle of “what’s next” is in his eye. “What’s it going to be, Mom, a swim? Trip to the beach? Run in the woods to the lake? Walk around the block?” He hates the car, but he loves where it takes him, even the vet! Truthfully, I’d like to reincarnate as Casey.

He’s learned a lot over the six years. (And don’t you just want to kiss that mug?) I never have to worry about getting lost on a hard- to-follow trail - Casey should have been a rescue dog. He’s that good with his nose. He will spend hours at the edge of the lake finding waterlogged tennis balls, sticks and the occasional frog. He loves being near us, getting hugged (and taking all the attention for himself). Early on, we have pictures of our two year-old cousin riding him - he loves kids of all sizes. I guess what I’m getting at is LOVE. He does everything with gusto. We just got back from visiting a friend who has two dogs. He lured both dogs outside, then took himself for a tour of the house, bringing out choice morsels: bone, toys, etc. It took a couple of years of hard (loving and gentle and consistent) work, but Casey is a wonderful companion. Eight? For the first time I found him tired and a little beat up (ten mile bushwhack over rough terrain). Sigh. I’d like to grow old with this guy.

So, six years later, I still thank the family who cared enough to give him up.

Daisy is doing great. She just loves being able to wander in and out of the house all day whenever she pleases as long as someone is home. Her favorite spot is out on the deck in the shade where she can keep an eye on her realm. She’s chased away a turkey that had the nerve to come in to her yard, and tried to chase away the big turtle that lives in the pond, but it just sat there until she lost interest.

She’s met most of the neighborhood dogs on our walks, and is very polite when she meets them. She likes to have their owners pet her and tell her what a beautiful girl she is. The little girls next door have become her good friends. They come over to play with her in the afternoon. She is very polite, even when playing tug with me. I can’t get over what a sweet, gentle girl she is. We just love her!

We’ve signed up for Clicker Unleashed class which starts next week.

It’s finally summer for Koal. Here is a picture of him chilling out. He just had all his annual shots and checkup yesterday and the vet was very impressed on how healthy he was and his muscle tone and body weight was perfect. You can see that we are so happy to be together. He makes my life so much fuller and I do the same for him.

I’m pleased to report Onyx is doing great. We’ve gone through two sessions of obedience school @ the MSPCA so far & its been fun & informative. Onyx is the oldest boy in the class but he is catching on very quickly.

He likes to go on walks with his brother, Sullie, down the beach. He even attempted swimming @ the beach the other day :) Onyx has an appointment @ our the vet Thursday so they can write him a prescription for HeartWorm Preventative & so our vet gets to meet him.

Daisy is doing great! She’s a joy to walk, both on and off leash; sweet tempered, obedient, loves everyone. She likes to wade in the pond, but hasn’t tried swimming in it yet. She’s not sure what to make of Frosty, who keeps trying to get her to play. I don’t think she knows how to play with another dog, but she gets along fine with him. She’s a daddy’s girl already, follows her daddy everywhere. I’m looking into what kind of obedience training we should take because a regular class would be a waste of time she’s so well trained already. We just love her.

It’s hard for me to believe that I have been living the good life at the lake in New Hampshire for SIX years now.

I still remember jumping out of my foster dad’s car six years ago and running around in giant circles to impress my new forever family when they came to visit me for the first time. Mom says now that as soon as she saw me in action she thought that she had perhaps made a mistake in adopting me. My dad, Big Boss, loved me at first sight. It was a guy thing. Mom says men are easily impressed by such shows of macho behavior. I had already learned that by the time I got here. Mom soon came around and now she loves me almost as much as the granddaughter. Big Boss says he comes in a distant third but is OK with that.

It’s been an interesting year for me and my family. You might remember that I blew out a cruciate ligament three years ago and required TPLO surgery. I recovered quite nicely from that but then I decided to be wild and crazy and blow out the opposite hind leg last fall. Back to my favorite doc in Waltham at Vet Cision and he repaired my latest blown out knee. Another TPLO surgery! A tough recovery but now I’m healed and I’m better and faster than ever! I feel like I’m three years old again and can run circles around most dogs half my age. Mom and Big Boss keep telling me how thankful they are that they had something called “pet insurance” to help with my medical bills or we all would be living in the poor house, where ever that is.

I still love my new playmate, mom and Big Boss’s granddaughter who is 2 1/2 now. She brings her blind Beagle to play with me when she comes to visit. We have a great time together. I still love rides in Big Boss’s pickup truck when we go to Home Depot or to the trail by the brook where the beavers hang out. I always stick close to the old guy as he usually has treats in his pockets. I also love fishing in the lake and have nearly caught a couple of largemouth bass. Just today I chased off a family of geese with six little ones. They’ve got to know I’m a retriever and not somebody they should mess with. I demand respect on my own waterfront!

Thanks to everyone at NEARR, my original first family, my foster dad and for all those who have taken care of me over the years. I love you all and am so grateful to be in my Forever Home.

Duke Skywalker