April 2003 - "...We love her so much and are so very glad Maggie and Willy parented her. She has taken to hunting in the back yard and in the park. Especially, if there is a treat involved. She runs in figure 8's all over the yard until she finds her target and then she trots back to my feet. Natural hunter - retriever we were floored the first time she did that. She has an independent streak, and that is why Len calls her Princess Tess, she is the Princess. Thank you again! We could not have asked for a better pup!"
October 2003 - "Tess is doing so great, she is in class now and taking up swimming. We just love her to pieces and plan to go to gun school with her in the spring. Right now she is in obedience classes and doing extremely well. She entertains while the trainer is working with the rest of the class. She will rolls on to her back and smile at the trainer. I guess she will get class clown award, just as long as we get a qualifying score - I will roll on my back and smile too!"
"Wow! It's hard to believe that it's been 2 weeks
already! I'm still working on trying to transfer files
from the old pc to the new one - I need to take new
pictures. Maybe tonight or tomorrow - I will send you
copies."
"Tigger is doing amazing. Growing like a little weed. I
was noticing this morning that I think he looks bigger
than he did when we went to bed last night. He has a
fabulous, agreeable temperament."
"The big thing we're working on these days is
respecting kitty cats. Each day, he does a little bit
better with that. I've got him to the point where you
can see the struggle in his little brain as he walks
past them without chasing them. It's very very hard
for him, and once in a while he succumbs to his inner
urge to chase. But, really truly, for only being 10
weeks old, he's doing very well."
"The Shih Tzu are very funny with him. If they know
that my mom and I are watching, they let him know that
they don't want anything to do with him. If they think
we're not watching, we'll I've caught both of them
playing with him more than once. So I think we're well
on the way to positive, lasting bonds."
"He's doing much better with his crate training. I
noticed this past weekend, when I would stick him in
his crate for short periods when I couldn't watch him
(like to take a shower), he was back to screaming. I
finally asked my mom if he did that all week when I
was at work. lol, she said no, the second you walk out
the door, he lays down and goes to sleep. So it turns
out he's just like any baby - when mom's around, he's
going to try to make her feel bad for not playing with
him every second. On the other hand, most of my time
these days is spent playing with Tigger. He is in his
crate when I'm working, but I'm home at lunch and we
go outside and potty and play a quick little game of
chase, fetch or just investigate. (I never knew we had
so many ants in our yard. ;-) ) Then, after work, the
entire evening is usually devoted to Tigger and
playing Tigger games. In addition to just "fun" games,
we are working on walking nicely on a leash. We work
on baby games like come and sit. I put the teeter
board flat on the ground and we're learning to walk on
strange surfaces - and in a straight line. We run
between the jump uprights - no bars. (I want him to be
able to walk when he's older, so jumping will be
extremely limited until his growth plates close.) We
do the tunnel. He would like to do the dogwalk, but I
have not encouraged it - he's still not great with
walking in a straight line, and I don't want him to
fall. Lots and lots of just running around. That
little tail goes just non-stop and there's always a
grin plastered on his face."
"I think things are going really well. We go tomorrow
evening for our second set of shots."
August 2006 - "We have a new trick at our house. Run and jump into Polly’s chair. Then sit like a perfect gentleman, and beg her to pick us up and cuddle and play. He’s a good boy. J This picture is from early this morning. Isn’t he handsome?"
"Hope to get pictures of him tomorrow with one of his pigeons. He is SO cute. Ever since he met "real" birds, when we go for our walks, he wants to pounce on anything that moves. Tonight, we stalked, chased and hunted a grasshopper. I can’t remember the last time that I had so much silly fun. Looks like Bird Lesson #2 will be next week. Need to get a whistle ordered."
November 2006 - "We’re starting to get busy with training. Hopefully, we’ll keep his mind as busy as his body. J We will start a beginning obedience class Tuesday. Then, in probably December, a friend of mine who has conformation springers and is an obedience judge, is offering an introductory competitive obedience class. Sandy has a soft spot for my boy. (I keep trying to convince that she should get a “real” springer. ;-) ) She’s limiting the class to 3-4 dogs, by invitation only. She asked if Tigger would like to participate. I said of course we would. We went yesterday for our first real Agility lesson. He did very well. He’s still very much a puppy, so we’ve got a lot to learn. We’re going to go to Gerianne’s the day after Thanksgiving for Obedience and Agility."
We’ll start an Agility class in January. We’re going to be very busy this winter!
"More importantly, Tigger is a good boy. He’s well-behaved in the house. Always agreeable and willing, happy and good-natured. Never met a stranger. He’s goofy and funny and entertaining. He never fails to make me laugh. We have our little routines. When I get home from work, we either go play in the backyard, or go to the park and play. Then, we go in/home and do dinner. After dinner, we do a few minutes of training. Then, comes the fun part (or so Tigger tells me). He makes a mad 100 mph leap for the recliner. He hits it so hard, a few times, he’s nearly tipped it over backwards! He sits in the chair, just as proud and handsome as he could ever be – waiting for me. He gets in my lap – puts his head under my chin, curls up and we cuddle. We say we’re watching tv, but usually, we both fall asleep. I think that’s my favorite time of each day."
"I’m the first to admit that I’m not a particularly religious person, but I have to say that when I think of Tig, the one word that always comes to mind is blessed. I just feel blessed to be able to share my life with him. He is a very special boy. Thank you for giving me the opportunity."
October 2007 - "Tigger and I were entered in our club's TD (Tracking Dog) test this morning. For those that are unfamiliar with tracking, this level involves someone walking a track. (Ours was 450 yards on relative short grass - college campus.) The track must age a minimum of 30 minutes. (Ours was 31 minutes old when we started.) The dog must follow the track and find the glove at the end. I timed us at somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes. (Usually, it would take us 10-12 minutes to do a track of that length. It felt like we were moving more slowly than usual. So I was pretty sure we were out there at least 20 minutes.) The judges timed us at 5 minutes. The gallery timed us closer to 4 minutes. (Speed is not necessarily a good thing in tracking - dogs can get going so fast that they miss things and make mistakes.)
The even more incredible part is that those 4-5 minutes, included a short break to stop and chase birds. (We have worked really hard this summer on trying to control our bird chasing urges, and then there was a whole flock of Canada Geese, just begging to be chased. ;-) ) Amazingly (and several people commented on his ability to refocus, regather himself and get back to work), he did just that - and we went forward. Straight to the glove -and a very clear indication. :-)"
"I feel so incredibly blessed. A year ago today, he was just beginning his recovery from the elbow injury. He was only allowed to walk 1/4 mile - on leash. I didn't really know what we would be able to do, or if there would be any residual lameness. (A death knell for participating in AKC events.) Knock on wood, the elbow is as good as new, and here we are today, training for three different venues - obedience, agility and tracking, and having earned our very first AKC title together. :-) Pretty darned good for a 17-month-old puppy."
December 1998 - "...I purchased a female puppy from your August 97 litter. She turned out to be a wonderful dog. We named her Timber. She listens very well and is an excellent hunter.... She has a wonderful personality. She even smiles when she gets excited..."
August 2002 - "...This past winter we... purchased "puppy #8" from the litter of Jake & Maggie. When we got her home in mid-March she stopped being "puppy #8" and became "Lady Victoria of South Hills" - or "Tory" as we call her."
"We couldn't be happier with her. She is a wonderful dog! I am working with Jeff to train her. My goal is to take her as far as her ability will go. At the ripe old age of seven months, it is way too soon to tell how far that will be. I can tell you, however, that she is a quick learner and a very enjoyable dog to work with. We have a 19 month old springer as well (Lady Virginia of South Hills or "Ginger") and the two of them get along perfectly."
"I hope you don't mind getting a little update on Tory, but we just had to tell you what a great dog she is."
October 2001 - "...Travis. Travis is the most brilliant, most dear,
most silky human brainy nervy full of a HUNDRED different espressions (many of them a little
quizzical, a litte head tilted and ok Mom, now what?) spectacular puppy. He is too smart to be believed.
If you say...SAY in WORDS: "Travis, no more nipping...if you don't lie on the end of the bed, you
will have to go in your crate," and he will get up and go to the bottom of the bed and curl at the place
where your feet are lumps under the coverlet and place his head over them and look at you. And he is only 11
weeks! (or have I lost count)!"
"(He does this miraculous understanding of English best
when it is G. who points out the best strategy for staying on the bed, but still!)"
"It is now breakfast time and Will is singing a
singsong free form operetta that goes like this: "Oh do you want to give me a hug, oh do you want to oh do
you want to........" ...to Travis who is just sailing across the floor retrieving tennis balls and playing
hockey ice cube and prancing around with an empty cardboard roll from toilet paper (he loves these and
empty paper towel cardboards....."
January 2002 - "Travis --now almost six months -- saw his first snow last night by streetlight. He was beside himself.
He looked exactly like an unbroken colt in the wilds of Montana. He loved it. Today we just got back from an hour's worth
of woods. In the sun ...the snow melting but still so white and un footprinted until the two of us -- this springer was
bounding over logs and following scent and ALWAYS coming to the three whistles if he got to the edge of my eyesight..."
"Anyway, Trav and I had a blast in the snow today. He acted like I just gave him keys to the convertible."
April 2002 - "...here are the newest of Trav and his snow pictures from January - but I have yet to get his beautiful
rocket-self barelling through the glens and woodlands like a white blur of happy joy..."
Fall 2003 - Congratulations to Travis, his Family, and pro Trainer-Handler, Jim Keller, on his First Place win in the Puppy Stakes at the Montreal field trial!
May 2004 - "Trot is really doing great.....we're having so much fun just watching his unrelenting zest for living. He has found every underbrush-type growing thing in our back yard and he dives into them each time he goes out there. He's always adding something new and exciting to his circuit..."
"Tonight our kitty got close enough so Trot licked his face but our kitty hissed and ran away. But he is always hanging around and is very curious about Trot (of course Trot is dying to play with him and chase him). He just doesn't like Trot's frantically wagging tail and fast movements. It's only a matter of time....they'll be pals."
"Anyway, just thot you'd like to know how things are going....I'll keep in touch."
August 2004 - "...He is just the
best boy and we are having so much fun together. He has just started
to run like the wind, the last traces of bunny-hopping are gone.
Everyone remarks on how beautiful he is and of course he is extremely
friendly and interested in every dog and every person he meets. He is
so quick and smart and funny....just a joy to be around all the time."
"I took this picture of him tonight..."
September 2004 - "He is doing very very well, it's a joy watching his personality unfold. Today his first bed arrived from Dr. Fosters & Smith....and he knew right away it was for him...he's lying on it right now in my office, chewing on a bone! We can't believe how calm and companionable he is in the house.
The minute he goes out the back door, though, he's after those squirrels...provides lots of excitement for him. If it weren't for the kitty he would always be calm in the house. Our kitty likes to taunt him, so there are some bursts of chasing, but overall he is the best boy, unusually well behaved for a 5.5 month old pup! I'm not prejudiced or anything!"
October 2004 - "We just got back from two weeks in Maine....Trot flew out there with us
and he was in heaven the entire time. He got to run off leash through
the fields and woods for about 2 hours every day. We stayed on the
coast near Rockland, a really great area."
"Thought you might like to see this photo of Trot on the run... [and] Trot sporting his new lobster scarf!"
December 4, 2004 - "Trot just started a clicker training class, and he is the class clown
and the teacher's pet. It is really a riot, when she's talking he gets
bored, so he rolls on his back to get a belly rub, so completely
relaxed he is. The instructor often says "Well, it looks like Trot has
that down pat." He learns very quickly of course..."
"He is the best boy in the house....he patrols the back yard from the
mudroom windows (if it is warm enough we leave the door unlocked
because he knows how to open it)....never barks unless he sees a person
at the back gate - he is just the best behaved dog, has only chewed one
illegal thing....a book...otherwise he prefers his bones, which I have
been giving him since his first day home. Everybody loves Trot, he has
a way of winning everyone over, even non-dog people."
"Thanks again, Loretta, we couldn't be more pleased."
April 2005 - "...I'm just writing to say that Trot is doing great, he still has an independent streak, but that's because I'm not consistent enough with his training. Usually he is just great though, and he always comes when I call him firmly. He has graduated from his crates and sleeps on his bed on the floor of our room. He really loves his spot on the floor, loves having the freedom to really stretch out. We leave him loose in the house when we go out, but not for long periods and he just waits, or he chews on his bone. He has never chewed on furniture or any other forbidden object. He has started to tear apart his puppy toys though, so we've had to put away all but the toughest ones! He really is the best dog I"ve ever had!.."
October 2005 - "I took some photos of Trot this morning, using the action setting on my camera, as you showed me, and I thought you would enjoy this picture of him in his element! He is in heaven, living out in the country in his home state of Wisconsin. So are his Mom and Dad..."
December 2005 - "I hope you and yours are doing well and having lots of fun with the new pups!"
"At 21 months Trot has suddenly started to look more mature, I thought you might like to see this picture of him taken this morning when we were on our morning frolic. He loves the snow! Merry Christmas!"
September 2006 - "It’s been awhile, so I thought I’d just check in and say Hi and I hope things are going well for you..."
"...he and our lab, Trilly, are inseparable. She adores Trot and copies everything he does. She is very calm and sturdy, just like a good lab should be. Here is a photo of the two of them this summer, waiting for their signal to head out to patrol their land!..."
