Hi Linda. Thanks so much for checking in. Just checking my email. We've all had some time off, and been spending a lot of our days outdoors and visiting family. Cassie took her first long trip down to my parent's home on Monday. It was 1 hr. and 45 min. each way, and she slept curled up between the boys. She loved it. They have a big farm and we went for a long walk and she met my sister's dog. The boys enjoyed shopping for toys for her Christmas stocking, and she enjoyed dragging things out of it! Right now, she's laying down on her bed in the computer room, listening to the boys squabble over toys. We've settled into a nice routine (at least most days!) -- two long walks and time in the back yard practicing her commands. She's sooooo smart. In the last month, she's perfected sitting, struggling with staying, but working on it, rings a bell to go outside, plays fetch, lays down, gives her paw, and today, we began practicing walking through a hoop (hopefully she'll get good at jumping through it.) We want to give her some agility challenges to keep her working. Sometimes she has trouble concentrating, but she tries, and I'm working with her on the 'watch me' command to help her pay attention. She eats well, sleeps well, and is allllmoooosssst fully house trained. Chaos seems to trigger episodes of peeing, but it's getting less and less frequent, and she's really wonderful about using outside for potty. She's got her spot, and even goes now on her own. (off leash) Vet checked her out a few days after we brought her home and gave her her third distemper, rabies shot and some medicine for worming (she still had some parasites), but she should be free, by now, and we have her on a monthly schedule. She's good about baths and being brushed. We've had her to a couple of dog parks, and she loves being with other dogs. She seems very even tempered -- not cringing or agressive, but curious and playful. Our cats, Moxie and Selena, are good at circumnavigating her -- she's way too playful for them at the moment, though Selena, the younger of the two, has no problem giving her what for, and even steals her toys and plays with them! No hostility on either side of the canine/feline divide, but I'm sure they'll be glad when she begins to mellow. So, in long, she's awesome. We love her, and she digs us, too. The first time I held her, she grunted at me, and so I grunted back. That's still 'our thing'. She'll come up to me and put her head against my chest and grunt, and I'll grunt back and she'll curl up in my lap and then stretch out for me to rub her belly. With Michael, she loves cuddling up close to him and he'll often stretch out with her and take a little 'cat nap' wherever they end up. Mitch, my older one, and she love to nose each other and her favorite place in the car is next to him with her head in his lap. Daniel loves to hug her and play fetch with her (and I mean with her -- he runs after the ball and carries it back in his mouth when he gets it! ) He loves to go on walks with her and both boys are learning how to work with her, practicing 'sit' 'lay down' and 'fetch' with her every day. One of the greatest gifts we've gotten from her so f ar is that we're back out walking and being more physically active, which feels great. That, and we've met so many of our neighbors out walking, as well as other dog owners at the dog park, so many great people we might not have met if it weren't for her. And Michael and I have been amazed by discovering that sharing your life with a dog makes you more thoughtful about everything you do, and how you spend your time, and with whom -- also a gift. Here are some pics-- you can see how much she's grown already! (not quite doubled in size, but she's noticeably bigger). I haven't managed to get everyone to stay still long enough to be in the same picture, yet, but working on it and will send you more when I have them. Speaking of pictures, I would love a copy of the picture you used to post her to the website when you first brought her up. She's looking to the side, or slightly down, and I still think about that picture -- I'd love to add it to our family album. Thanks again for staying in touch. Happy New Year.Julia, Michael, Mitch & DanielMoxie & Selena, and Cassie (and Bruce and Clark, the anoles, and Blue, the Beta Fish!)

Good with Dogs, Good with Cats, Good with Kids