Racer
Sacramento, CA

12/30 Update: Everyone has adjusted beautifully to our new pack. Racer has no more signs of toy anxiety whatsoever. All three dogs share toys, treats, and even switch food bowls in perfect harmony. Whoever said that Pit Bulls don’t get along with other dogs, never met Racer. He is sweet, funny and thoroughly even-tempered. I have a feeling he is going to be one of the finest ambassadors for his breed. Every night, Racer crawls under the covers and sleeps so close against me I can barely move. The first thing I see in the morning is his speckled nose, right next to my face sticking out from underneath the covers. And snuggled up right beside him is Zoey. Of course I have more pictures, so I’ll burn them to disc and e-mail them to you asap. Don’t worry about Racer forgetting you; I tell him all the time that Mariah loves him very, very much. I hope all is well with you and Youwho. Happy New Year!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/7 Update: He is WONDERFUL of course! Zoey and he have been playing together without so much as a growl. And I got the packet you sent me! That was so thoughtful of you and I'm crazy about the pictures. I love the ones of Youwho in the water!!! I'll send you more pictures of Racer's adventures soon. He is so funny, when he is acting like a total a goofball, I like to call him Raceroni. :) Giovanna

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Mariah,

Racer is just FABULOUS! We've been taking it slow as far as time with the other dogs because he has been through so much in a short period of time. I want him to feel comfortable and at home and not have too much coming at him at once. He is such a love bug, and takes direction like a genius! Of course he is sleeping in bed with me, under the down comforter with only the little white tip of his tail sticking out. Hahaha Then when he gets too warm, he squirms around until his face is out, right next to mine. Oh the smooches I've been getting...so sweet.

And Zoey and Miles have been wonderful with me dividing my time between them and "the new guy," which will make the transition period much smoother. He is already beginning to get over histoy thing. Being a social worker, of course I figure that he needs to know that there will ALWAYS be plenty of toys and there is no need to fiercely guard them. So, he is in my room while I'm not there with about 5 heavy duty Kong type chewy toys. In just ONE day, he now lets me pick up any of them and he is like, "whatever." What a GOOD BOY!!!

And you didn't tell me that he was a tetherball champion! I am sending you pictures of him playing tetherball with his nose, all on his own. It is hilarious. He is definitely on my team from now on. :) My dad's reign as tetherball king is so over.

I'm glad Youwho liked his card/surprise. I personally hope you get to keep him, because you two are such a wonderful match.

Racer's picture is now on my screensaver at work and everyone is being forced to look at pictures and hear all about my new baby. On the way home he curled up on my lap and slept with his head in my hands. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Any tips about making the transition time smooth are very welcome and appreciated. Since there are three dogs, and just one me, I am apprehensive about getting them all together right away without a second human there. Also, maybe ask Sage for her thoughts. I am planning on taking both Racer and Zoey (separately) to behavior classes and would like to know your thoughts on that too. I'm thinking the better socialized they can be, the better. But let me know what you think, I amvery teachable also.

I definitely will keep you posted on Racer's brilliant progress. He is such a gem. When we were snuggling cheek to cheek in bed this morning I told him that I'd better watch out because I heard he was "vicious." :):):)

Thanks so much for everything and I promise I will send you pictures today! If I can figure out how to send them via e-mail from work, I'll do it. Either way, I'll send them in the regular mail, so keep your eyes out for a letter.

Racer at his new home!!!
New Photos 1/10/06!

Pistol Pete (aka Bala)
Santa Rosa, CA

Hi Mariah,
Just a quick note to let you know how Bala, who's name we changed to Pistol Pete AKA Pistol because he is a pistol!! we really love him and and his personality. He gets along with the other members of the pack and he has more energy than two border collies. He knows sit, stay is house broken and is learning a down command. I am starting clicker training with him today. And you were right, he will make a great agility dog, very soon I might add.
Thank you,

Jeannette Tunstall

Taco
Santa Rosa, CA

Mariah-

Please pass this good news on to Sage and the others at Animal Care & Control... I don't have her email....

Taco - the little tan Chihuahua mix that we adopted from the shelter a couple months ago is doing very well. After a very scary, rough start, we have all learned how to live together.

Taco has stopped marking and we have learned to give regular walks and time outside. He and my large dog, Lucy, have decided that she is dominant and now play tug of war for hours and take naps together. Taco is still a danger around larger dogs because he will challenge them. We have learned that Taco likes to chew- A LOT, so the kids try to keep their toys off the floor and we keep Taco in rawhide and dog toys. Unfortunately, there is still the occasional fatality. Taco destroys chews and toys faster than any dog I have ever seen- he has very sharp teeth and he gets bored easily. Nothing is off limits to him. He can destroy a Kong in a week!

Lots of love has taught Taco to relax more. He just wants to be with us always, even if it means waiting in the car (napping) while we shop. The children believe he is part cat and kangaroo because he licks himself clean, jumps onto counters and tables in one leap, and likes to sleep on the bed- much to the disappointment of our real cat. He is very, very smart and persistent and he has a long memory for a dog.

Taco is a good example of how consistent training, of us and him, can turn a problem dog slowly into a respectable member of the family. Since he did bite twice, he is not the kind of dog we can take to the park to play with our sons friends... yet. We always have to be aware of him when we are around other people or dogs. The boys had to learn to treat Taco totally different than Lucy. This was strange to them because Lucy is a 70lb Rottie and Taco is a 15lb Chi. Taco is still learning that the children are above him in the pecking order. That he cannot mouth them if he doesn't want petted or led around.

We think Taco will continue to grow into the dog we hope he can be. We are glad we didn't throw in the towel. It was hard not to when we have one dog that is so perfect and one who really needed full time attention from the start. It really changed our lifestyle for a while. I hope other people can put the time that we did and continue to do into rehabilitating these "problem" dogs. I also hope people can have the patience to do it without cruelty, hitting, or simply making the dog live outside, away from the family.

Thank you for all your help. The training ideas, encouragement, tips and tricks really helped. I know it is hard to keep tabs and help everyone that adopts a dog and we really appreciate the extra effort that you gave.

Thanks again for all your help and Happy Holidays!

Jennie Stevens, Zohar Zaied
Justin and Misha (children)
Taco, Lucy (dogs)
Jezebel (cat)
fish and hermit crabs.

Tyler
Sonoma, CA

I certainly will keep in touch! He is so much fun and such a great dog.Your website is awesome. You did such a great job with it. You are extremely talented.

I attached some pictures for you. We were wondering about his history. Was he picked up as a stray or did someone bring him in? How long was he at the shelter? We found that he really doesn't like riding in the car but he seems to love it at our house. We have been really pleasantly surprised by his behavior with other people, his behavior in general, and how smart he is. He follows us around the house and watches everything we do. I'll keep you updated!

Lauralie and Derek

Cash (aka Robbie)
Santa Rosa, CA

Hey....Well, it has been two weeks since I took Cash (aka "Robbie") home now. So, I thought I would give you a little update on how he is doing. Cash has really started to come out of his shell since he first came home. I have noticed that he has become more vocal and more outgoing as the time goes on. He is a great companion. I have taken him so many different places and have introduced him to so many different people and about a half dozen dogs....so far so good. He really likes to go for rides in the car and we look forward to our walks in the evenings. I got him all sorts of toys so we spend lots of time in the yards playing fetch. At night Cash has made himself right at home on my bed. He just jumps right up and he is out for the night...the only problem I have with him sleeping on the bed is the drool....boy can that dog drool. I have stains all over my comforter from him.

Friday evening we had a little scare. I came home from work & went out in the backyard to play with Cash and he greeted me like normal...his usual jumps and licks and then all of a sudden he walked away and fell over....he just collapsed, and when he tried to get up he fell again, but this time he hit his head....I ran and gr abed the phone & called the vet. I rushed him right over and they ran some tests. I just got the results back today....so all weekend I was scared to leave him alone. Well, the vet called & said that the results were good, so they aren't sure what happened and why it happened, I just need to keep an eye on him & if it happens again then they are going to run an EKG on him. So, he was little quite this weekend, but yesterday had no problem running around the yard with his new friend Harvey. So, keep you fingers crossed that he is better and that nothing will be wrong with him.

Well, take care for now. I will keep you posted if anything should happen...oh and as soon as I get my pictures developed I will be sure to send you one.

Kim & Cash

Luna (aka Allie)
Bay Area, CA

Hi Mariah,

We love Luna! Thank you for sending the pictures of her and hobie. Everything is going great. She gets along with Hobie and my cat. She is a joy to have. She loves to play with all her toys and then when shes tired she cuddles on the couch with us. We are so happy to have her.

Thank again, Sami & Jay

Update!

Hi Mariah-
I attached some pictures of luna and hobie, i hope that you can open them. We adopted luna on september 20th but she came home on the 21st. Thank you for fixing the pictures on the web, that was so quick. We also just wanted to let you know how much you impressed us when we meet luna. All the animals at the shelter are very lucky to have you looking after them. It really shows how much you enjoy your work. your website is amazing, I cant belive that you do all of it. thank you so much for taking the time that day to introduce us to luna- she is the most gentle, loving dog. each day we amazed at how a snoring, cuddling, wiggle dog could have been given up by her previous owner, but we are so happy to have her here with us. She completes us and our other dog. we are all very happy together.
Sami & Jay

Ginger (aka Baby Girl)
San Francisco, CA

Hi,

Just a quick up date on baby girl (that's her nickname). We've changed her name. She's now Ginger Snaps. She is an amazing dog. She took to otis (our little one). She plays so gently with him. She hardly barks. She is doing great with house training and she is catching on to training very well such as sit, stay, lay, and working on heel. We'll keep you updated and enjoy the photos...

-Abby, Kevin, Otis, and Ginger