Brenly

I cannot believe that he has been with us for four weeks. Brenly is doing well and we are working on and continue to work on his recall, heel, sit, down, stay, off (4 paws on the floor.) David is working with him 3 x a day for about 15 minutes each time. Progress is being made but slowly. He is not off leash yet, although he did chew through one leash (while playing and before "working") with David in the back yard (guess who wasn't paying any attention - DAVID!!) and once David felt nothing on the leash, David continued to walk at the same pace and direction and Brenly just followed his commands like a good dog! Yes, he is still a wonderful dog and we love him ever so much! He is still silly and is a challenge. Sometimes when he starts getting his tail up high, David will tell him to get his tail down - Brenly just turns and gives him the "look." Usually when his tail gets up high, he starts his running wildly in the house, around and around and around! then we give him "enough" and generally he will settle right down. We are still working on "enough." Last Thursday we went to our house in Wisconsin and then had some friends come up and visit while we were there. He was very good with everyone. David's dad is 93 and isn't very mobile and sometimes Brenly would just sit by him and hang out with him. At the Wisconsin house we have a very big fenced back yard. Brenly loved to run and play and run, run, run. As a result of Brenly loving his fenced yard in Wisconsin we are going to put in a fence here. Brenly would absolutely love having a yard where he can run off leash, etc. Brenly is going to doggie playtime on Wednesdays - every week. He comes home a little bit tired and while he is away, both David and I have time to get some things done around the house! He is a "velcro" dog and wants to know where every one is and what you are doing all of the time. A pretty typical BC! This morning on our walk, he thought he spotted a couple of squirrels and he was focusing in on them - actually they were some big leaf maple leaves that were a little bit curled. When we got to them, I think he thought he was going to "get them" - and boy did he make a funny face when they were not squirrels! Thanks again for everything you have done to help us with Brenly.

Ludwig

I have to say that Ludwig keeps making huge strides. The first year we had him was really him getting used to us and making him trust us. He adjusted really well and he let us love him. The second year was him letting go of his history and becoming a playful puppy. He knows that we will never hurt him and that we only want the best for him. He rarely shows insecurity and knows his place in our "pack". He is absolutely attached to my boys. He sleeps with my oldest son - in his bed - and would not have it any other way. At the end of his day he wants to be with him wherever he is. He loves when his friends come over so that he can annoy them with whatever game he choices to play. Around my youngest son is when the border collie comes out. He has to wake him in the morning because he needs to know where he is. He climbs on his bed and waits for him to get up. Once he has gotten out of bed he follows him to the couch for his morning cuddle. He waits patiently to see him after we walk to school to get him. Once we are home or on the weekends he loves to follow him outside and watch over him. We play a game of "find Max" and Luddie never gets stumped. As you can see from the pictures he loves to play. Frisbee, soccer, baseball and tennis are his passions. BUT, any water is what he absolutely g oes crazy for. He loves to swim and play in the sprinklers in the summer. It is his daily exercise. He go through many sprinklers in the summer. As you can see from one of the pictures, he got his summer cut so that he stay cool and dry faster after his water fun. I can't say enough about him. He is truly a member of this family and we can't imagine not having him. I don't want to keep going on and on but just know that he is perfect and loved. If you have any questions or want more, just ask. I love talking about him.

Molly

Molly is, of course, an absolute delight. Very healthy, except for some fatty masses. She has slimmed down and gets plenty of exercise. She walks well on a leash and we take her for walks every day. As you may recall, we wondered about the length of walk she could handle. Well, she does 3 miles with ease now. If she is becomes overheated while walking, she will simply stop and lie down- not in physical distress, she is just letting us know. This has only happened twice, as Annie and I are easily trainable. > Annie had been working with her with the ball. At first, it would bounce off her head. Now, she can easily catch or retrieve it. She does not yet always return the ball, however. > She can be in the yard without the leash, altho we have to watch her closely. But she now listens to commands and will stop, if she starts to run after another dog. She also still barks at other dogs outside, if she is inside. But we are working on both of these. > She is a very loving dog, and well-loved in return. Annie is her alpha dog, of course, and Molly tracks what she is doing very closely. She is not left alone for any length of time, although she has not shown any signs of anxiety from being alone, other than sadness. > Annie asks me to tell you that she has been thinking of you often and would like to visit this fall, perhaps on the way to Ann Arbor.

Molly

Molly is, of course, an absolute delight. Very healthy, except for some fatty masses. She has slimmed down and gets plenty of exercise. She walks well on a leash and we take her for walks every day. As you may recall, we wondered about the length of walk she could handle. Well, she does 3 miles with ease now. If she is becomes overheated while walking, she will simply stop and lie down- not in physical distress, she is just letting us know. This has only happened twice, as Annie and I are easily trainable. > Annie had been working with her with the ball. At first, it would bounce off her head. Now, she can easily catch or retrieve it. She does not yet always return the ball, however. > She can be in the yard without the leash, altho we have to watch her closely. But she now listens to commands and will stop, if she starts to run after another dog. She also still barks at other dogs outside, if she is inside. But we are working on both of these. > She is a very loving dog, and well-loved in return. Annie is her alpha dog, of course, and Molly tracks what she is doing very closely. She is not left alone for any length of time, although she has not shown any signs of anxiety from being alone, other than sadness. > Annie asks me to tell you that she has been thinking of you often and would like to visit this fall, perhaps on the way to Ann Arbor.

Hunter

Hunter is doing great! We spent the summer in Ann Arbor mountain biking, hiking, swimming (cannot keep him out of the water), and of course playing fetch (especially if it involves swimming). Besides a few hangups - he is very scared of thunderstorms and a little anxious around small children - Hunter is doing really well. He is becoming calmer and more confident as time passes, and it has been really fun to see him grow and change. He listens really well and is great off leash. We will be moving to State College, PA (Penn State) for a job that I will begin on September 1st. We have a little house 7 miles outside of town in the middle of 600 acres of agricultural land, so Hunter will have plenty of space to run and sniff...he also has a personal pond and creek that are in the vicinity of the house. There will be more opportunities for biking, hiking, and camping, so I suspect Hunter will be quite happy. Of course you can include him on happy tails...he is a very happy dog! I've sent some of my favorite pics, some of which you may have already.