Yawn…….Oh! Hello all! It’s me…Paddy…aka Padfoot…aka Sirius Black. Livin’ the good life here in central Mass.

Please excuse me if I don’t get up. This bed is so comfortable… It has a memory foam top and includes a cute blonde woman who seems to want to hug me constantly. It’s a dogs life you know… Also, it’s snowing outside…again… I guess I will have to exercise my “peeps” a little later. They really love to throw that basketball! Gotta keep them exercised, as they get rowdy if they don’t get enough!

Just to keep you updated, I am one happy boy. I eat well, I get plenty of exercise and most of all, I am the “prince” so I get more hugs and kisses than anyone else in our kingdom!

I have settled in to life in the country very well and now my dad is talking about bird hunting! He thinks I am a natural…wooo hooo! I hope they are easier to catch than those chickadees! I saw my first squirrel the other day…. he was at the birdfeeder. Let’s just say that he probably won’t be headed back this was anytime soon! (hahahahaha) It’s a shame I can’t climb trees! (I know I would have caught him !)

Well, just checking in to say hi. Doggy school starts soon. Just one more opportunity to show my mom how SMART I am!
Love from the land of ice and snow.
Paddy

Lucy here. Well it has been about 1 month and I love it here. My parents, Lenny and Dale say I act like I have been here for a year. I definitely have made myself at home. I am a watch dog and they love that about me.

Harley and I enjoy our days. After breakfast, Harley and I wait for daddy to come home. He takes us to play ball in our fenced in backyard and if it is good enough weather, he takes us to the beach.

Daddy and I have started training with a personal trainer. I am learning down, and heal. The trainer says, I am very smart. I learn quickly but don’t always want to cooperate. Daddy and I are working on that. I fit right in with the family and am so tired at night from exercise that I sleep well. Thank you for placing me with a family that loves me.

Bye for now,
Lucy

Well, this is the end of week two for Luke in his new home and he is becoming more and more comfortable and at home. The visit to the vet when well, they felt he was in very good health. We have an app. in April for his Lyme shot. I’m sure you know all his other shots were up to date.

A typical Luke day starts with a half mile walk up my road this includes the requisite stops but he likes to move along briskly. We sometimes encounter other neighbor dogs on our walk. This is all on a lead. Then the morning highlight - breakfast!

After morning snooze we go to the P.O. and do any other errands. He’s very good in the car. When weather and walking conditions permit, we take an off lead walk on a hiking trail closed to vehicles. There are several near here. I walk, he runs and probably covers 3-4 times the distance I do. He is very good about keeping me in sight and always comes when he’s called (he also responds to a whistle.

Afternoons are spent hanging out with me and Ginny snoozing, playing, chewing on his bones. We of course take another long and two or three short walks for potty breaks. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have such an affectionate and well
behaved dog.

Luke is adjusting very well to his new home he is relaxed-right now he’s snoozing on his side next to me.

I haven’t and won’t leave him alone. He is eating and drinking well and his body functions are normal. He plays like a puppy!

We have an appointment with vet on soon per the NEARR agreement.

Archie turned 14 in November of 2010, and this month we celebrate our 6 year adoption anniversary…two very significant milestones! He has slowed down noticeably in the past year, but he will still take off at a run when he gets off leash, and he continues to do best with a 1+ mile walk each day. It’s been pretty amazing to watch him enjoy the (plentiful) snow this winter; he’s been like a puppy playing in it, and runs until he wipes out, then hops up for more.

It’s hard to believe that anyone would say this about a lab, but we’re working with our vet to try and put a bit of weight on him after a recent diagnosis of early kidney disease and a thyroid condition. Fortunately, he’s doing well with his new medicines and diet.

We continue to be grateful to NEARR for bringing such a great dog into our lives!

Max and Missy are laying in front of our fireplace right now with their bones. They both love the fireplace on all these chilly nights and snow days we have been having! Thinking toward the warm weather, I have attached a picture of Max at the beach from this summer. We still go to the beach in the winter, but it’s way better for everyone in the summer!

Maryann - thank you so much for the NEARR calendar - we showed everyone Max’s “Mr. November” pin-up shot.

Max continues to do great with us. He is such a happy, playful, and snuggle-y dog. He and Missy get along great and enjoy each others company. Thank you so much for providing us with the opportunity to adopt him!

Cole has had a good month. He really enjoys the snow and we’re taking him on long walks despite the ice. He’s figured out that I’m fearful of walking on ice and walks very slowly and very close to me when we’re on ice. When we get to the other side, he looks up at me as if to say “are you ok, now?” then resumes his pace. We have not been to PetSmart lately to use the scale, but I think he’s continuing to lose weight.

One issue we were having was around the door, and Cole barking at visitors and delivery men – especially delivery men. I found a super-simple solution: a big rawhide chew. He can’t bark with his mouth full. So, now, any time we’re expecting guests or see a delivery truck coming, we give him his chew. Problem solved.

Cole has been coming lots of places with me. He’s come to my properties to keep me company while I’m working and visited a couple of hardware stores. He’s come to the bank. He has come to campus with me and seen some of the offices. It turns out that a lot of undergrads have left dogs at home and miss them. They love to pat and interact with Cole.

I am writing to let you know that Xena is doing wonderfully! She is a great, independent girl who loves to be near. She gives plenty of kisses and loves her squeaky toys. We go on long walks and she has reached her ideal weight of 67 lbs. Her coat is shiny and she is a happy girl! We love her. She and Honey have adjusted and are doing fine.

All is going well as Tracker is fitting in with the family. He is starting to like having a bath - usually they run the other way. I try to keep a trail open in the woods so we can walk - hard to do these days. Stacy did a great job prepping him for us and we are following her instructions to the letter!

Paddy arrived home just in time for some snow! He is doing fabulously! His best new toys are a basketball which he fetches in 4+ feet of snow in the backyard and a BIG blue ball that squeaks like nothing you have ever heard before!

We are all in love with him and believe that the feeling is mutual. He heels on a leash, will “wait” for his dinner until a release and almost always comes to his name (this might take a while).

He has his first appointment with the vet on Monday and we are working on “doggy-be-good school” enrollment. Everyone should be as lucky as we are! His foster mom did a GREAT job with him!

More next week! (Paddy says HE will write the next one!)

It’s hard to believe another week has past. All is fine here. Harley and I still are having fun playing ball and especially playing tug.

I met cousin Max (a 1 ½ yr chocolate Lab). Boy, did we have fun. He has more energy than me, if you can believe that. Daddy bought me a new bed and it is on the floor, in the bedroom, right next to Harley’s bed. Sometimes in the middle of the night we switch. I enjoy eating marrowbones and am showing that I am a good watchdog, by barking at strangers. Well, that is all for now.

Love to my old friends both people and dogs. I send special thanks to all my previous foster parents, who took such good care of me.

Bye for now,
Lucy

Rocco visited the nursing home again this week, and this time he was a confident and affectionate guy. He nuzzled mom when we arrived, and he sat quietly as we had our coffee and snack — one for Rocco too. When he is lying down and attentive, Rocco crosses his front legs like the well-mannered dog that he is. Very cute.

Today we walked at Alden Labs and found a confined area where we dared to let Rocco off leash. He did great, staying with us, and then coming when called. Good dog. He loves to be brushed and seems at ease when we brush his teeth too. And this weekend we began his monthly flea and tick and heartworm meds. Handsome and healthy Rocco.

Last night we marveled with Rocco that two weeks had passed so quickly, and that it feels like he’s always been with us. We still have plenty to learn, of course, but he’s still our great companion. This week we visited Rocco’s new vet, Dr. Downes, who checked him out from head to tail and gave him shots and took his blood — and he was ever so good about these things. His doctor called us last night to let us know that his blood work is perfect. We stopped on the way home from the vet’s to get his dog tag.

Rocco had a play date with our neighbor dog, Doyle. They ran the trails in the back yard made by the snow blower, then came in the house while their people visited. very nice

Rocco is a really nice dog. Today when strangers (Craigslist buyers and furniture refinishers) were in and out of the house all morning, he stayed in the laundry room watching us quietly through the baby gate. No barking or whining, just interest. He barks appropriately at the neighbor dogs on the other side of our fence. “Yes, I’m new here and I belong.”

We received Rocco’s medical information this week in the mail, just in time for his vet’s appointment next week. Then, with papers in hand, he’ll be able to get his dog tag in town. Very exciting. My mother wanted to hear every detail about Rocco and is happy to know that he can visit her at the nursing home. As suggested, we bought an EZ Walker harness, but we’ve not tried it yet. The roads are too narrow because of the snow to be safe, so he’ll get his exercise in the yard for a day or two. I’ll call next week to set up some training for us.

I got to my new home on Monday. My new friend, Harley, and I love running and playing in the back yard. We have been to the beach to play ball 4 times. We have taken walks on the bike trail, which conveniently is just a little way back behind our house. We love rides in our Jeep and Love playing ball. I am sleeping well because I am so tired from playing. I’ve been to the Vet and she says I am healthy (no ear infection) and beautiful. I can tell my new family loves me, and I love them too.

It’s update time again and Daisy and I apologize for missing her 4 month update. We’ve just been so busy having fun that the time has flown by. The dogs are getting along well. No problems other than Frosty occasionally barking at Daisy if he thinks she’s getting too much attention. Somehow he knows that Daisy is here to stay, not just another foster dog passing through.

Daisy is a nine year old whirlwind. She also loves her woods walks, and especially loves to run her agility course in the back yard. She is doing great off leash, coming when called and has learned to return and nudge my hand whenever I remind her to “check in”. Of course she gets a treat for doing it. Like most labs, she’ll do anything for a small treat. This fall was her first time camping with us, and she had a great time. She discovered that she could sneak up on the bed with me when her daddy got up early, and took advantage of that every morning. She also had her first trip to the beach, as you see in the pictures, and was so excited she just started racing in giant circles. She didn’t cuddle much at first, but now she’s a first class love bug. She’s very sweet and loving, and we can’t image life without her.

Kia and I are doing quite well. She still is whining when she’s alone but she’s doing much better. My neighbor will take her some days while she is adjusting so she isn’t alone very often. She seems more perky as well, more energetic and alert. I think she is adjusting to her new home and enjoying it. I’m feeling more relaxed and confident as well.

We started obedience training last week at the MSPCA and have had 2 classes together. Kia is very trainable and doing so well. She loves walking and already knows how to walk on a leash so we are ahead of the game. She learned very quickly to “touch” my hand and “look” toward me so I can keep her attention at the park when there are other small dogs/animals around. She is a very sweet and great pet.

Tracker is doing very well. Likes to ride in the truck seat, smell the woods and bushes. Still a little itchy but treatment works. Do not need a leash away from roads as he looks for permission to venture places he has not been before.

Cole did great while we were away. He got lots of attention from his Cole-sitters. They all commented on what a good boy he is and how much fun they had walking with him and playing with him. I thought I’d have the hardest time leaving him, but it was actually Evan who could not resist emailing and texting to check on him every day.

I am happy with how our efforts are paying off. I remember a day when he first moved in with us when Cole ran into the street and wouldn’t come back inside and I thought “oh no! What have we gotten ourselves into?!” but now, he’s really a dream and we love him very much.