The following are letters we have received from the wonderful people who have adopted our rescue dogs.  It is so rewarding when we bring together great dogs with great people!

                            February 1, 2008

I thought you might enjoy this picture of Sunny and Star cuddling on the
couch.

Today I saw the sweetest thing I have seen to date between two dogs. We
got home from playing in the snow and were all soaking wet. Star 
(formally Argos) and I were cuddled on the couch, next to the 
woodstove, trying to get warm.
Sunny came over and ever so gently licked Star 's coat until he was dry!
He started on top of his head, even licked Star's eyes and then worked
his way down his back. Star seemed to really enjoy this kindness and
held perfectly still. Now Star has the softest, cleanest fur on his head
and back!

  January 28, 2008

Just a quick note to let you know how well Codie (formerly Gullie from the foster home in Auburn) is doing with us. We adopted Codie in March of 2006. We are so pleased with his development. He is a perfect gentleman. He gets along great with our indoor cat. He would be very happy laying on our feet as we work at the desk all day long. He loves to go for walks and play at the lake. He loves the dog park and to herd all of the other dogs. A few months ago a friend of ours told us that she had a neighbor who purchased a border collie puppy and was at their wits end with it. They were going to take it to the animal shelter. They asked if we wanted it (her)?  We met Oreo (now Zoey) and fell in love with her. We brought her home to meet Codie and 4 months later they are best friends. Without Codie to help teach her proper manners Zoey would be a hand full. Zoey is a typical high energy border collie puppy but a total love bug. Unlike Codie, Zoey is into everything and always looking for something to do. Also unlike Codie, who is a little aloof to strangers, Zoey loves everyone and wants the attention of anyone who is nearby. She spends her time with her chew toys one of which is Codie much to his dismay. The two get along great and love to run and play in a nearby fenced orchard. Attached is a couple pictures of the two of them together. We are thrilled to have these wonderful dogs to keep us company.

January 19, 2008

September 8, 2007

Well...we just had our 1st anniversary with little Kimba about 2 weeks ago... Time flys!!!  To celebrate, we took all dogs for a mini vacation in Boonville at  one of the "Sheepdung" properties called "The Other Place" (best vacation spot for dogs that want to bring their owners along). Great little cottage on a 600 acre property.
What could be better than galloping through the fields or going for a  dive in the pond?

And to top of the party, how to better celebrate than playing agility?
We just got back from our first day of a two day seminar with Susan 
Salo on Foundation Jump work.
That little pup is a natural - does she have great form over the 
jumps or what?!

We just love this little girl, and not a day goes by where she 
doesn't make us laugh!
Thank you Barbara for being the best Foster Mom, and a big THANK YOU 
Terry for taking this little BC into your rescue for another chance 
in life!!
All our thanks and love
Micky
& Kimba, too

September 4th:
I'm so proud of our little Jersey!  Who'd have thought just a year ago? 
Jersey got her AD Agility Title ("Agility Dog") last weekend at the USDAA
Super Regional event in Sunnyvale; and she is not even 3 years old!  This is
the first major title in USDAA, and in my opinion the toughest of the
various agility venues in the U.S.  We were soooo close for many events, but
screwed up either on the contacts or the weave poles, or Jersey just wanted
to do something other than what the course was set up for...But we finally got
our 3rd "Standard" leg and finished our title on Saturday.  She already
competes in Masters level for Snooker and Jumpers.
Congratulations Jersey!  You, who was almost given back when you were a
puppy because you were such a little devil dog (...I'm just kidding....).

Barbara, her proud mom.

Remember your cattle dog puppies from last summer?  Here is an update on Ranger now that he is a big one year old.  In a word, he is awesome! As far as Ranger is concerned, work is play and play is serious business.  Whether we are doing agility, obedience or herding a soccer ball, he throws himself at it with an utterly joyful intensity. So much fun!

Ranger does it all.  SPCA fundraising events, agility demos (he will start competing in agility in the spring), hiking, obedience, community events and of course just hanging out with the family.  He is a local celebrity at my daughter's elementary school.

I hope you enjoy the attached photos.  One is Ranger at his first obedience trial at 9 1/2 months old.  His position is a little off, but he is giving me his undivided attention.  Such a good boy. The other is from an agility demo we recently did.  He is 14 months old now and handled performing for 200+ kids with great aplomb.

Thank you for giving Ranger his start in life, and a big, big thank you to BC Rescue for opening your hearts to a deserving family of cattle dogs!!

I thought you might like to know how belle is doing. Wonderful, Great,
Terrific! She now takes her walks off-lease and is under full voice control!
She still wants to be aggressive with other dogs, but calms with a single
command. I think her favorite things are our long walks in East Bay Regional
Parks and running along my mountain bike on my Saturday rides. She still
does not chase balls, tug rope, or fetch, but she is quiet, my mother loves
her and Belle sleeps in her room when I'm not home. I can't imagine my walks
and bike rides without her. I attached a few photos of her exploring.

                            August 19, 2007

                          July 16, 2007

Just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying Honey (formerly known as Ginny). She has
really settled into the family and the routine (which is always variable
in summer). She has been sleeping through the night (about 4 nights now)
and seems to be house trained. We haven't had an accident for several
days! She is a smart and very loveable girl. Tuck has even decided that
he will share his home and family with her.  Here is a picture of the two of them relaxing together.

June 29, 2007

We wanted to share with you a full size portrait of Steffi by Nancy Meze.  Next to that is Steffi's baby photo when she was in rescue and her photo at about 2 years of age.  Steffi has proved to be a wonderful companion and running partner since her adoption in 2001.

The good life continues.  Draco won the 22 inch starters cup at The Bay Team trial in Petaluma the first weekend in May.  Hard work, love of your sport, your dog, life in general, teamwork with your dog, and belief in spirit guarantees the good life for all of us.

Quick update. We finished our SPCA training class. All good but some times he can't contain himself when meeting someone and he jumps up to say hello.  Chico is much more lively now, plays/romps w/ other dogs, plays w/ squeaky toys and chews on bones...just discovered how yummy my shoes...and even my clothes are, so he is not an angel dog exactly. Not sure how to break him of
the chewing on my stuff when I am not in the house. Not sure if it is out of boredom or what as there are multiple toys and bones around the house.

Chico comes to work with me some days, which is fun. He has tons of energy and loves to run w/ me in the park. After an hour he doesn't even have his mouth open!

Just wanted to send you a note to say hi and let you know that Hondo
continues to be fantastic.  We love him so much - he's a wonderful addition
to our family.  He's been a great companion for all of us.  His best quirk
is that his tongue hangs out of his mouth when he is sleepy.  How cute! 
Thanks again for all your hard work.

PS  Hondo has been a great ambassador for your rescue - my sister and
brother-in-law loved him so much they adopted a dog named Daisy from one of
BCRNC's foster homes in Chico!

                      Drooling for table scraps!!!!!                                            Staring at the squirrels!!!!!!

1/26/07

Indy will be 7 years old at the end of this month. He is a very important part of our family. We can't imagine life without him. One day I will get him a buddy.... through BC rescue of course.  Thanks again Nor BC Rescue for allowing me to adopt this wonderful dog.
 

1/5/07

  Here are the photos I promised of my boy Chaos (formerly Tyler).
1)My new home:  was taken not long after we got in.
2) The Loook: was after a visit to the dog park (hence
the dirt on his chest) and he wanted to stay on the
bed  with me.
3) Sleeping Beauty: no explanation needed

October 16, 2006

  Where to begin - Tyler has a new name. It's Chaos!!! I don't know what it is about the sound of Chaos but he
loves that word. As do all of the teenage boys that ask his name. They ALL say "COOL". One day I asked the
heavens why this dog loves to cause such chaos. I had just finished filling in a few holes he created after
he saw a cat. He then somehow found the time to throw his toys everywhere (he's such a boy). I don't even
know how he heard me from way down the hill  but he came flying around a corner like you called. Now I
never have to call him more than once and he's right at my feet.
He also graduated basic obedience top of his class.  Tomorrow we start advanced novice obedience. Where
hopefully he'll become an AKC canine good citizen.
  He's the best boy in the world. I'm so lucky to have him. If I ever get a bigger place I'll be calling you
again...

  October 8, 2006

I just wanted to give you an update on the border collie I adopted from you in June. We call her Mac, her name with you was Dell.

Mac has been a joy to have in our family. She gets along with her sister dogs, Brandi and Tegan, very well. She graduated puppy school with flying colors. Potty training is completed. (Whew!) Mac acclimated to living with cats very fast, taking a shine to my 15 yr. old male cat especially. Unfortunately Floyd was diagnosed with an inoperable multiple loop intestinal tumors and had to be put to sleep at the specialty vet hospital. Mac seemed lonely without him. Her attempts to engage my elderly female cats were not successful as those girls won't give her the time of day.

We decided to turn our negative into a positive and get a kitten to ease our sadness. I knew finding a cat to jump into our household wouldn't be easy. One of our clients from the vet hospital I work for rescued a kitten born to a feral mom in Fort Ord and was amazed at how "dog friendly" she was. After bringing her home, we realized we had finally found our "Mac approved" kitty. At 5 weeks old, she isn't fazed by 135 pounds of dog staring her down, nor does she give the old felines a moment's trouble.

I thought you might get a kick out of seeing Mac and "her" kitten, Etta.

October 4, 2006

Puppy photo                                                        All grown up!!

We love our Daisy (formerly Regan) so much.  She is very spoiled.  We only like to go out to eat at places we can eat outside since she came along. 

I thought I better send you an updated photo.  She is the perfect size.  You guessed 35-45 pounds and she is 37 pounds now-1year and 5 months.

She loves camping and boating-the water is alright if there is a frizbee in it!  She loves dogs.  We walk to a local park most nights and meet up with about 8-10 other dogs and their owners.  She's always ready to go.  The car pix was on the way home from a weekend at the lake.  Thanks so much!

September 1, 2006

I just wanted to let you know that Nikki, who is now known as Jersey, is very happy in her new home.  She loves her big brother Teddy, a 9 year old lab (who is very tolerant and is teaching her how to dig and fetch) and has lots of new friends to play with at the dog park.  
 
 It's amazing how much she has grown in the three months we have had her.  We graduated from Puppy 1 obedience training, and are moving on to Puppy 2 class in another week.  I knew Border Collies were smart, but I was amazed at how quickly she learned her commands.  
 
 I am so happy we adopted her, she is a wonderful addition to our family and I know she will bring us joy for years to come.  

August 24, 2006

We wanted to update you on Gina (AKA Laverne) and Dax. Gina we have had for 2 years and she is awesome. She watches TV, Rides our ATV, Ball, frisbee and as you can see from the picture a great swimmer. Dax we have only had 5 months and is also a great dog. So sweet and kind. He is also a great agility dog. Check out the photo from his first trial. We love them both. We were worried they would not get along ,but they got along from the start and keep each other busy. They use every inch of our two acres. We really appreciate your hard work with the organization. These are such great dogs that could not have found us without you.

August 24, 2006

Brodie is doing great.  He is coming up on his 1st birthday on Friday.  He is healthy and having a good life.  I've attached some recent pictures of him.  He weighs just under 60lbs.  The vets at his clinic all believe he is a border collie/pit bull mix.  He is definitely the dog I was looking for.  His best friend lives right next door and she is a 3 year old border collie /aussie mix. 

Hope all is well with your pups!

Hello!  My name is Jersey, and I was one of 8 puppies born in October of ’04 shortly after our pregnant mother was found as a stray and brought to the Rescue.  After 8 weeks of great foster care, I moved to my new home in San Jose where I joined another Border Collie and a big-old Malamute.  I might not look like a Border Collie, but I sure am as smart as they say we are!

And wow has my life turned out well!  I was a very wild child when I was little:  chewed up every piece of plastic in the backyard, including the expensive Jacuzzi cover.  But they still loved me.  Well….occasionally, they threatened to take me back if I didn’t behave better, but I knew they were just kidding.

I took some basic obedience classes and soon started with agility training when I was about 9 months old.  And guess what:  I went to my first agility trial just last weekend and won a bunch of ribbons!!  Besides 3 qualifying runs, I won 2 first places!!  Mom and Dad are so proud of me.

After initial problems with other dogs when I was around 6 months old, I have become a very responsible dog-sitter and carefully watch over the foster dogs that join our family once in a while.  I teach the puppies how to play well and help the older dogs enjoying a family life and routine.  Sigh…!  Live is good.

Jersey, the Super-Girl

I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate our pup we adopted from you last October. Maggie is an absolute dream, we love her to pieces. She is a wonderful addition to the family and our older lab Jackson is totally wrapped around her paws! I cannot imagine ever having any other breed of dog than a border collie after experiencing life with Maggie. She is such a sweetie, always trying to please and a bundle of exuberance and joy....a true miracle! Now that she's 10 months old, we're going to explore the world of herding and maybe agility. Thanks again for the opportunity you gave us to experience life with Maggie may!

Just an update. I had rescued Whirly back in September and have nothing but success stories to tell. Though he's my first male, he's my third Border Collie and by far the most effort applied in obedience training. With the utmost highest accomplishments, I come to tears with pride every day with him. He rides with me all day long from job to job and has friends at every stop especially at the lumber yard where he knows where his treats long await him. My initial concerns were few, but important including, temper around the kids, barking too much, aggressive with strangers, house broken, etc.. Well.. as it turned out, he had some issues I had never endured but, with proper training, we were able to get through them all. "Mostly Separation anxiety" which was expected. With the amount of time spent
getting him out and socializing him, he made a very fast recovery. I entered him into obedience training a bit soon but, we gave another crack at it a few weeks later and he did very well. After his graduation, most of my worries were over. He loves the kids, hardly ever barks, is timid but not aggressive to strangers, and is finally house broken. It's amazing how much more I appreciate having him around than the rewarding feeling of rescuing a companion who was in need for so long.
       I must say that I observed something very interesting when I first saw him that was a big concern. Initially, it took him over an hour or two to feel comfortable with letting me near him. Our ride home was a very emotional and memorable moment for me and I think he'll always love country music.
      I had no idea Whirly had so much herding instinct so currently, I am working on finding an agility trainer and getting him some field time. We will be keeping you updated. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to adopt such a great friend and companion.
 

Hi, my name is MO,

About a year ago, I was adopted and went to live with a family in Oakland. Life has been good for me. I immediately took to all the members of the family except for Uncle Robert, every time he came in the house I thought it was my job to heel him in the ankles, but after a week of him coming around for supper I found out that he was ok and he shared his supper with me. I get lots of exercise, every morning the boss (he’s really just my chauffer) and I drop off the kids at school and then we go for a two mile walk out on Coast Guard Island. Then the boss and I do our Honey Does. I’ve been on major trips, one up to meet Grandma and fluff-ball dog and out to Utah were I met another Border Collie, she sure was a pretty little thing. Well here are some pictures of me with my family. Bow-wow from Mo!!!

January 8, 2006

  December 15, 2005

I just thought I would send you some updated pics of Tanker.  He is getting so big and is such a good boy. He is learning tricks as fast as I can teach him.  He went to his first Harley charity event and was the perfect gentleman.  We go to group homes for kids and deliver presents.  We even have a biker Santa! lol  All the kids loved seeing him and he just did so good I was the proud mama.

  December 7, 2005

Here is an updated photo of  Brodie (formerly Frank).  He is growing so fast it's hard to believe how small he was when we brought him home.  He is the best dog...and very ornery as the picture shows.

  Ain't she purdy...     The two silly white ones following a good round of fetch and organize the fetcher

Nap time:                                                                                             It's still nap time:

        We call this one the "EchoGator":                               

December 1, 2005

I don't know if you remember, but today is Echo's birthday; she's two and I thought you'd like to see some updated pictures of her (and the other two).  She's doing great, still learning about things and how to get along in the world, but she's so sweet and willing.  She and Zooey have gotten into a good rhythm with each other, each is able to give space to the other and they're playing really well together now.  I wish there were some action shots of Echo, but she's so fast it's hard to get her in focus.

Cali and Rain                                                                                                   Marlee

I adopted Marlee (aka kallie) earlier this year.  I am sending you some pics of both Marlee and Cali (aka - from the presidents wives litter- a previous rescue from you all).

Cali- is a very typical border collie she is enthralled with embers from fire, the one cat that really annoys her, and her frisbee/ball.  She is very
competitive-never loses.  She is our "special" dog.

Marlee- deaf, and not always happy to be around other dogs, is doing well.  She hangs out in our back pasture with our other dogs, Rain and of course Cali.  She also does okay as long as she is on leash in the house with the other dogs.  She has learned a couple of new hand signals and will do anything, I mean anything for food. 

They all went to the beach together this summer (with my brother's Border Collie too).  Marlee is trying hard to like other dogs, and as long as she has her space, all is well.  Marlee loves to see Cali and Rain when we come get her in the morning to go out to the
field and then come inside. 

Even though Marlee is the "man" of the house now, she lets all four of the cats love on her...

I am looking forward to watching how Marlee grows into our family over the years. 

A long put off note to you to let you know how Atie (aka Ducky) is
doing.  I won't bore you with superlatives or too much gushy stuff and I
will let the photos do the speaking.  We are totally and completely taken
with her and she is a joy.  Still does puppy things on occasion but she is
growing up into a fine young lady and we figure she is about a year old
now.  She goes to the dog park most every day as well as each day to work
with me.  She LOVES to ride in car and is so quiet that we forget she is
even in the car. She is everything that we could have wished for.  We want
to thank you again for getting her off to such a good start in life...

Hi from Ann and my BCRNC babies, Tessa (Fiona adopted in 2001) and Tylor (Winken of Winken, Blinken and Nod). First I wanted to give a big thank you to Tylors foster parents, they did a great job with him! And Tessa just loves him! everyone asks if she is his mother by the way she acts with him. He has taken on the job here at the shop by helping lock up the motorcycles, (see picture) and every other job he feels I need help with, he loves being mommys little helper, and Tessa loves her job of entertaining customers. They both bring so much joy in my life every day! Thank you all for the work you do to help such wonderful dogs! Ann, Tessa and Tylor

October 6, 2005

       September 22, 2005

Here are some photos of Tessa, formerly Kay, from July.   She's doing great.   Latest development, burying things in yard, under couch cushions, etc. then couch-diving to look for them later!

                                    September 12, 2005

Thought you would get a kick of seeing Roscoe do the thing
he lives for- FETCH! The picture was taken by my son with
his phone camera at the park across the street from our
house. Roscoe pays such good attention when we tell him
something. When I cross the street, I make him 'stay' until
It's ok for him to cross and he doesn't take his eyes off
me until I give him the command to come. He really is
a wonderful animal, I have to say that I've never had
such chemistry with a dog as I have with him. He is
my shadow the moment I walk through the door. He
also is very gentle with children. This is a big bonus
since the kids at the park come running to see him fetch
and often want to throw the ball for him too. I feel
like I'm still on a honeymoon with my dog- he never ceases
to amaze me.

Hope all is well and that you are having lots of success
stories with BC placements.

September 7, 2005

Hi Mama Jeanne,

Linda let me use her computer so I could send you a note.  My big feet make it easy to type!

It's really nice here but so different.  I have met a bunch of horses, 2 goats, 4 dogs and 3 cats!  The goats look like they would be fun to chase, but they have spiky things on their heads, so maybe I need to stay away.

I haven't been allowed to spend time with all the dogs yet, just one at a time until we all get to know each other as a group.  I spend a lot of time with Milo, the jack russell.  He thinks he's a little prince and acts all puffed up all the time, but he is a whiney baby.  All one of the cats has to do is look at him funny and he runs and hides.  I think the cats are a little odd, though.  One only weighs 5 pounds but is 16 years old.  She is the cat from hell!  I'd better not even look at her or she'll slap me.  Kachina is a big ol' cat and he's cool.  We spend time together on the porch in the evenings.  Lobo, the other cat is afraid of everything so I think I have only seen him one time.

Let me tell you about the horses.  They are REALLY big!  So big Mama Linda can go for rides on them!  One is called Doba.  She is a lot older than the others and I have attached a picture of her with me.  Don't tell her I said this but she looks as if she's stood under a tree full of birds!  She's been really sick for the past couple of months so looks pretty skinny, but she is getting better and is gaining back her weight.  All the other horses are fat!  Linda says it's because she can't work them on the roads much because she doesn't like going out alone, but I'm supposed to be her trail companion and am really looking forward to going for long rides.  Did you know that a small herd of mustangs lives here in the valley?  They stop by every now and then to say hi to the horses.

Did you know that horses need their feet trimmed just like dogs need their toes trimmed?  Linda says she wouldn't let a farrier touch her horses so she takes care of their feet herself, and when she nips off some of the hoof, I get to chew it!  I had no idea that hooves were actually attached to an animal.  Makes me kind of sad that people can buy hooves for dogs to chew -

Well, I have been having some problems remembering *come*.  I get so excited with everything that's out on the ranch that I forget and don't always focus on what I'm supposed to be doing.  But I'll be OK.  I am really tired at night.  I can roam the ranch inside the fence and have chased I don't know how many rabbits.  I am even taking naps in the afternoon!

I need to send this off.  Hope you like the picture and if Linda or Jim takes any more of me, I'll ask them to send them!

~Joy

September 1, 2005

We wanted to share another success story of the Border Collie Rescue of Northern California organization. We were able to adopt a very bright sweet little puppy at the end of February. Her name is Finn (formerly named Lena Horne) and we adopted her from the Jazz Litter puppies. My boyfriend Steve and I were looking for a border collie mix and came across the BCRNC in our web searches. After seeing the pictures of the Jazz puppies, every one of them was special in their own way, but there was something about Lena Horne. Maybe it was because she looked so much like her mother Jazmine, a tri-color border collie. After exchanging emails and going through the screening process we finally were able to pick up our new puppy, Finn at the end February. Currently, Finn is seven months old.

We are very fortunate to be able to have Finn go to work with me everyday in downtown San Francisco. Some of our male staff have gotten into the habit of taking Finn out for walks to meet the young ladies in the area (having a puppy helps break the ice!) Finn has windows to gaze out on a view of the waterfront and the Bay Bridge. At lunchtime, we usually go for a walk along the Embarcadero down to the Ferry Building to meet Steve for lunch.

Now that Finn has all her vaccinations she goes for runs with us along Ocean Beach in San Francisco. We also take her to Fort Funston and Stern Grove where there seems to be a dog parade everyday. These places have been great for Finn’s socialization development with other dogs. Finn can’t get out the car fast enough once we arrive in the parking lot of these places. She knows exactly where she is! We were fortunate to hook up with Finn’s sister from the litter, Carmen (Carmen McRae) after being contacted via email. It turns out Finn and Carmen live only about 10 blocks away from each other in the Sunset area of San Francisco. We plan to continue to meet up with Carmen again in our daily romps.

The border collie traits surface especially when we walk along the beach. Ocean Beach seems to serve as Finn’s designated digging hole. We are currently in puppy classes and Finn is already becoming very concentrated on the game of fetch with balls and Frisbees. We think down the road we will try an agility class for her.

In May, we took Finn up to our cabin in Lake Tahoe, to have her first experience in snow. We hiked up to Mt. Donner. It became apparent that traversing the snow fields and rock scrambling came very natural to her. It was a great trip for the three of us. Going up to mountains will be a regular excursion for us.

How can we describe Finn? Well, she is extremely bright which keeps us both on our toes. She is learning her commands well and she is completely crate trained. She is very respectful of our cat, Jack. Finn just wants to lay down by him watch him all the time. Most of all, I can describe Finn as very sweet and confident puppy. We feel so lucky. Having Finn in our lives has been extremely rewarding. She has given us so much joy. It is true about having an animal companion, they have an effect on you and they really open up your heart. Now it’s hard to imagine a day without Finn. We tell everyone about the Border Collie Rescue of Northern California organization and encourage them to adopt rescued animals. Thank you for helping us find Finn!

                            August 22, 2005

Thought you might like an update on Riley.  He is now in his third week
of "service dog" training and getting A+s.  He has been to the doctor's
office, hair dresser's, Albertson's, Carrows and a few other places
wearing his brand new "Service Dog" jacket.  He was perfectly behaved.
This week we started on retrieving dropped items...which he finds totally
boring and stupid.  My trainer says this is going to take the longest
time.  Thursday, he is headed for the airport with the hope that the
folks in charge will let us see how he does in a plane.  Unlikely that
they will let us since he might be carrying a bomb, but we'll see.

August 14, 2005

I promised months ago that I would write a success story about my “Special needs” rescue dog. Winnie was approximately 2 years when we adopted her October 22, 2005. I had lost my mini dachshund (16 ˝ yrs) “Sparkie” and my border collie (13 ˝ yrs) “Cody” both within a year and was going to give myself time to get over their death’s before I even thought about another dog. One night I went on line and started searching for rescued border collies. Well needless to say I found “Border Collie Rescue of Northern California”. As I scrolled thru the dogs for adoptions there were so many awesome candidates but then I saw “Winnie” and knew she was for me. So I filled out an application and was approved quite quickly. Well then I told my husband I had to have her that she needed me as bad as I needed her so we connected with John and Janet who were her foster parents and Jan her foster dog sitter and the arraignments were made to go meet her. It was quite a drive and once we arrived as predicted Winnie was terrified. Jan finally was able to leash her and brought her to me and my daughter kept saying “Mom are you sure, there are so many that would love you back, are you really sure about Winnie?” I told her look at her eyes there is a dog in there that wants to love, but just is not capable of it right now. Well she came home with us that day. I can honestly say this was a decision that I have not regretted, it has been a very slow process but such a rewarding one. I can only imagine what the people who originally had Winnie did to her, she would not eat in front of anyone, would not come out of her penthouse (the space under my desk that she claimed as her security), would not make eye contact, any noise just sent her into tremors and once in the backyard would run and hide in the farthest spot in the yard. Well that was 10 months ago. It has been a slow road and often heart wrenching but I have finally earned Winnie’s trust and in doing so she has taught me patience, you see there was no rushing this process; we had a lot of fears to overcome. I know we still have a lot to accomplish but had to share her accomplishments to date. Winnie now will not only eat with me sitting and talking to her, she evens allows me to stroke her during her meal, she will even eat if my daughter and her husband are visiting at meal time. She now take treats from my hand, very gingerly and then runs to the penthouse to enjoy it. When she looks at me it is with the most adoring eyes, anyone who watches her do this says “Oh my God, look at her she loves you so much”. She still will not come out of her penthouse if we have visitors, but when it’s just us she is actually starting to check out each and every room and if I am in the living room she is right there with me. Now every time I go in the yard she is right there, like a shadow, close but not too close and if I start to weed she lays down to watch the process. When we walk now her back is straight, her tail is wagging and her head is held high as to say “Look at me”. One of her greatest joys appears to be after our walk in the evening when we are in our cul-de-sac, I will take her off leash and say “Run Winnie Run” and she runs and bounces with no fears at all and then waits for me at our porch. Everyone in our neighborhood has watched with joy at each of Winnie’s accomplishments. Last Monday we made another huge step in our road to healing, she smelled my fingers, I know it sounds silly but you have to understand what it took to get to this point, I was so excited I almost scared her back to the penthouse, this was such a big step, BUT then tonight we had another huge step forward not only did she smell my hand she then licked my hand. I figured I’d try to take it a step further and offered her a little piece of the fish I was eating, after much hesitation she finally stretched her body to smell it and then accept the fish and then let me pet her afterwards. OH my God she actually stayed beside me the whole time I ate dinner WHOA. I actually can not take all the credit for Winnie’s healing we adopted another dog, a spunky dapple wirehaired dachshund puppy named Skeeter Butt, well this was one of the best things I did for Winnie, she was able to see the puppy being loved and touched and nothing bad happened and I really think this helped with her healing process. We are so very fortunate to have found our Winnie and are so grateful for everyone involved in saving her, she has brought so much to our lives and I know in my heart that she knows she can love us back without fear. Thank you all so very much. Wanda and Edward.

                           July 9, 2005

 I just thought you might like to
know that Buddy finished his first obedience class last Wednesday night.
The final was an obedience competition. Buddy placed first with 155 out of
160 points. I have attached a photo.

He is doing great.

"Lucy has found  her home with our
family. She and Boogie truly love each other. And she
loves our kitty too. She has been a delight to take
places, because she gets along well with every person
and every dog. She is the star of the dog park and
jumps and splashes in the waves at the beach. She
especially enjoys that in our house she has an all
access pass to every comfortable spot. She prefers the
 bed or the couch:)"

June 16, 2005

June 9, 2005

Ann Clayton Photography

                        May 22, 2005

Just a note to let you know that things are progressing along quite nicely.
 Atie is going to obedience school once a week and is beginning to get the
idea a little bit at a time.  The biggest problem is with us, as we need as
much training as she does (maybe more).  We are firmly convinced that we
got a most wonderful friend.  At the dog park she is the object of much
attention.  Gets along fine with other dogs and children; is still a bit
intimidated by some of the larger dogs, but is learning to hold her own. 
She now weighs 38 plus pounds.  She is a great car rider; in fact sometimes
she just wants to stay in the car after we get home.  Hope everything is
going well with you....

                                   MOLLY AND LIZ AT CJA RETREAT  NOVEMBER 2004                                            RILEY FINDS A FOREVER HOME

The following article was published in the California Judges Association Newsletter.  Reprinted here by permission of the author and new adopter of Riley.

May 8, 2005

     April 20, 2005

    Here are some Rosalita winter pictures.  She's jumping to catch a snowball in the jumping picture.  She's still a hefty girl despite a relatively active lifestyle and low calorie food.  She's a scavenger and acts as though we don't feed her!
    We've recently took in an Aussie Sheperd of my sister's named Bailey.  She's sort of timid and has loved in a fenced yard at the farm with 3 dominate dogs for all 3 years of her life.  We thought living with a family and having a laid back, happy Rosa as a role model would be good for her.  Rosa loves having a canine playmate, since Westney is really too old to play.  Bailey looks like Rosalita only shorter, they're adorable together.
    Hope all is well! 

April 18, 2005

I just wanted to send a quick note to let you know how happy we are to have Ella (now Maggie)!  She has been an absolute delight since we brought her home.  She has really enjoyed exploring her new backyard, and being spoiled rotten by her new kids!  She has taken to her crate and is sleeping through the night mostly peacefully (she wakes and whimpers, I stick my fingers in and she goes back to sleep), and
she has only had 2 accidents in the house (and one was our fault and not hers).  We have seen her run happily around the yard and then
shift into another gear and jet almost out of control, and she has discovered the goats.  At first she wasn't too sure, so we just let her look and move away.  This morning, we had her on a lead while I moved them to the back field and she wanted to chase.  She spend good blocks of time sitting up on a hill watching them graze (they watched her too) ears up and alert.  Around 2:30, the goats were ready to go home and Maggie surprised us by squirming through the fence.  Maggie was just wearing her collar.  I moved the goats and turned back to see Maggie crouched and helping me move them along.  10 weeks old and already taking charge of her "flock"! (Not that I'll have her herding without a
lead until we are trained or at least bigger, but it was rather impressive!)  She seems really happy with our family, and again, we are thrilled with her.
Thank you so much for raising her!

April 11, 2005

I still think I've got the best BC there ever was. Roscoe is a very mature boy now with a heart of gold. He is a great listener- he pays attention very well. I'm so happy daylight savings time is here because we enjoy the evenings so much more. When I take him to the park kids always run over and want to throw the ball or frisbee for him. He is always glad to oblige. When very small children come over to pet him, he drops on all fours and loves the attention from them. I didn't teach him this- it's his own instinct! I've enclosed 2 recent pictures of him on a hike with my son near a creek. He loves the creek but stays away from the pool. When I get home from work he "talks" to me. We have this whole conversation for about 5 minutes. It's the funniest thing. I enjoy his company so much. I hope the weather gets better and maybe we can hook up with Willow & her people sometime soon at the beach.

I thought you would enjoy an update on Opie.

First, we are delighted with him – he’s a fantastic dog, smart and fun, and he’s in his element here at our new place!  He has settled in reasonably well with our German shepherd, who is quite tolerant.  I knew they’d be fine when I crammed them both into the back seat of our car for vet checkups and there were only stoic, pained faces at being made to endure each other’s company.

The smiling thing he does is hilarious, and Opie just hates it if he thinks you are cross with him.  What a people pleaser!  He entertains everyone with whom he comes into contact, and I take him with me most everywhere because it’s so little trouble and he enjoys it so much.

Some things we’ve learned about Opie:  Did you know he loves to watch television?  He will stare raptly at the screen for hours with such intensity that it’s unsettling – except that he stares with the same intensity regardless of whether it’s turned on or off.  It amuses us no end!  We also can’t turn on a hose anywhere near him as he will jump 5 or 6 feet in the air to bite at the water spray, over and over again.  The spray just intrigues him.  He loves pickup trucks and he jumps into Steve’s every chance he gets with no prompting at all.  He runs, runs, runs all over the place, and I reckon he knows this property better than anyone else at this point.  He seems fascinated with our cats but only watches them, has seemed reluctant to initiate nose-to-nose contact.  The cats just watch him back with bored expressions on their faces.

We had a little snow a few weeks ago and watching the California dogs deal with that was great fun!!  At first, Opie didn’t quite know what to make of it.  But soon he was running everywhere, snout to the ground and trying to eat it all up.  I think he decided snow was just fine with him.

Some challenges lie ahead for him.  We are ready to put some livestock on our place, starting with llamas (to eat down some blackberry brambles), sheep and chickens.  I think he’ll do just great with all of it.  He has us well trained with his antics (We are particularly charmed by The Lean, where he leans against your legs so hard while getting petted that he loses his balance and falls cutely at your feet, always with the belly presented for a good scratch.  Funny, that!) and we are so glad to have adopted him.  He’s become a big part of our family.  Thanks so much for letting us bring him into our lives!!

                                February 28, 2005

We thought we would update you on Talus (formerly Bubba).  He is doing extremely well,
 and he is the perfect dog for us.  After 5 weeks of private obedience
 lessons, we took 2 months of group lessons and he and Dawn will start
 an agility class in a couple of weeks.  Talus has learned to completely
 trust us, and he comes when called (almost always) when off leash in
 the hills, he will drop anything he picks up when asked to, and he will
 do a few tricks.  He is also very friendly with other people and has
 learned to sit when he says hello rather than jump up.  We took him to
the dog park for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and he playe