References

References

unsolicited notes from the nice folks who've decided on a Briarlea puppy

Hi Sunny,

Bogie died Saturday. I was away at a wedding when it happened. His arthritis had been steadily worsening for a long time and he was getting weaker, so I was within a few days of putting him down.

Since he was still eating well, I assume his heart gave out . . . or something sudden like that.

I'm relieved that I avoided that decision but I wished I had been with him at the end. I would have called you but it's too hard to talk about just now.

It was near the end of April, fourteen years ago, when you (thankfully) talked me in to taking him home with me, in spite of the fact that I just came by to get a short "puppy fix". I remember

it being a nice day as I drove home with him in my lap, with no "accidents" of either kind.

When I showed him, I knew he was really good looking; He probably fell short in several areas but when I took him around the show ring he was wonderfully light on his feet for such a big dog and he was obviously having fun . . . whether I was or not! A few judges told me he was very nice but I needed to get him under better control. Very embarrassing. Then, when he'd stand before the judge, he would invariably tilt his head to the right, as if saying "Whadda ya think?", which almost always got laughs.

When he was at home he was a typical Bouvier, laid back in the house and more active outdoors.He was upbeat and friendly when he met people, and generally exuberant and full of life when we went for

walks or when he trotted beside me on the bike. When I had him in obedience he learned pretty quickly and was generally happy about training and got decent scores. Also, in spite of a friendly and outgoing attitude towards both people and other dogs, he was a very serious and protective watch dog.

Perhaps the thing that most made him so easy to love was a naïve "doofusiness" (that can't be a real word!) that I found both endearing and charming, and so opposite his protective side. It reminds me a bit of our first bouvier

"Alfie". Maybe I just like the boys a bit better. Bogie was my fifth Bouvier, and my favorite. I think he always will be.

Thank you for letting him into my life.

Del

Sunny,

I remember when you first sent Sam to me that you said that you were having a great relationship with him and what a great personality he had. You were right. Thank you so very much for Sam!

This last Sunday was St. Francis’ day when you may know that some churches hold a special Blessing of the Animals, as well as a remembrance of congregants’ animal companions that have passed on. Sam was remembered at services in North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Colorado, Washington, British Columbia and Oregon. That probably doesn’t seem like much compared to Sam’s relatives who compete at shows and trials. But for a companion dog that doesn’t conform to the current stereotype of a ‘friendly’ dog (he definitely was NOT lab-likeJ!), he made some very close friends.

Sam, in fact, had a very simple algorithm he applied to all humans: are they mine? If not, are they threatening my people? If not (99% of the world), don’t care. Really, really, don’t care. And if you were one of ‘his’? Then he would sit close, ready at a moment’s notice to play or ‘go places.’ And if you were one of the ‘scary’ people? Then he would stare at you with the intensity of a large, furry gargoyle.

With dogs, on the other hand, he was more accepting. He’d play with anything from a Chihuahua to a Mastiff. Temperament, age, inclination … just didn’t seem to matter. He could be a bit of pest that way, actually.

I wouldn’t try to tell you he was perfect. But he was mostly well-behaved, and his vet and groomer both loved him. He was protective, but not aggressive. He wasn’t in general territorial – except about the car. Last spring, I left him snoozing in the car on a cool evening while I ran into the grocery store. When I got back, the little clump of cars where I had parked was surrounded by cops and folks were checking their cars for damage. I immediately ran up to check on Sam. Before I got the door unlocked, an older lady told me that a group of boys had been vandalizing and breaking into cars. “But,” she said, “your car is fine. They’d only just slid in the slim jim when some big, black thing jumped up in there.” Sam – my very own Big Black Thing. We had to do some work, though, to convince him he didn’t have to be on permanent auto sentry duty.

He loved to go hiking with me; even just to ride around the logging roads where you can only go 5-10 mph and it was safe for him to hang his head out the window. He would try to herd ANYTHING. He was surprisingly successful with the seagulls – I think they were just too lazy to fly off. The rabbits, however, were a total disaster. (An icy tree had smashed a friend’s hutches.) He was quite good at pointing them out, though, so we could recapture them. He had a major jones for llamas – I usually kept him leashed when we visited a friend’s farm where there were llamas. My friend used to speculate that his mother was bit by a llama when she was pregnant (commentsJ?). Probably didn’t help that her father-in-law didn’t like llamas either and would always egg Sam on. Telling the llamas that they “were just llama steaks to that big boy.” And “you tell ‘em, Sam!”

There’s an outdoor agility setup near us where you can vary the course. I use a cane these days and, while I can walk all day, I don’t do much actual running anymore. But I thought I would walk him through some of the obstacles. Then I tried him going through just on voice. He still stopped sometimes to look back to ask “what next?” But a couple of months ago, he finished one complete course with no stops, voice only. Not fast, but he did it. I was cheering as I called him back. And he was so pleased with himself! As he trotted back, his little tail was wagging so hard he looked like he was doing the Bouvier samba!

I was so utterly shocked that he ate fabric. He never had before, not any non-food stuff except rawhide bones. He had briefly showed interest in the laundry when he was a small pup, but I got after him a couple of times and that stopped. He wasn’t even that destructive a pup. Although I suppose it’s also true that he wasn’t left alone in endless boredom either. As soon as the vet showed me what they took out of Sam and I saw it wasn’t anything I owned, I walked the fenceline and found the place behind the laurels where the neighbors’ Dachsund had dug under the fence again. And where there was still some lycra-wear and a sweat-band buried. Maybe laundry, maybe something on it that Sam liked, I suppose.

Even then, I thought Sam would recover. He had only missed 1 breakfast and 1 dinner when I took him in. But his behavior told me this was something different than just a dog missing a meal or two as they do sometimes. He didn’t want to go for a walk, and he gave a little growl when I first reached for him in his house. No snap, nip, etc. But he hadn’t growled at me in 2 yrs, so I knew something was really off, that he was hurt somewhere. Our regular vet is on maternity leave and it took a bit to convince the sub that I wasn’t just being overanxious (some dogs do miss a day of meals every now and then, after all). But we got the X-Rays. And Sam got the surgery.

And I really thought he would get better after a bit. Dogs do eat things sometimes even if Sam never did. Most dogs recover. And he was such a healthy, tough little guy. But he didn’t get better. It’s still a bit of a shock. And I’m still in the what I should/could have done place, I suppose.

I believe that, as with people, the early start a pup has is very important. Yes, you can overcome a bad start, just as you can squander a good start. But I do know that Sam did not come to me with either behavior or health problems. All I had to do was just keep on going like he started out. These past 2 years were so precious, and the only thing I would have changed is to have more time with Sam.

Thanks,

Shelagh

Cooper is doing well. He is clearly quite intelligent and rambunctious. House breaking has been almost effortless. He has had one accident of each type and while caught in the act been scolded and put outside. Since he will bark and paw at us, or bark and paw at the kitchen gate to let us know he is ready.

We have been taking walks, rides to the pet food store (they are claiming him as their visiting mascot) and one evening he, Jasper and I sat on a bench outside of Target while Barb shopped. Cooper just calmly sat near me and took in all the activity, unlike Jasper who wants to visit everyone.

Today he learned that digging can be fun. In the five steps it took me to get to him he excavated a couple of quarts of soil at least.

Doesn't seem to be bothered by storms although when the 'dales let out serious barks, he is a bit insecure and comes to my side.

We are trying to find a puppy agility program.

Weighed in at 19# yesterday. He does very well at the vet, allowing her to examine, give a shot, and clip his nails without complaint, barely fidgeting.

Kelly (12-year old) is terrified of fireworks; Jasper does not care. We are dreading the big noises of the 4th and hope to keep Cooper from becoming fearful. Kelly will be spending time in the basement as she chooses every year and we'll do our best to reassure Cooper if necessary and keep Jasper near for the good example.

Next time we'll send you a picture of him in a standing profile so you can see his structure.

Best regards,

Joe

(Lark's last litter 09)

Hi Sunny -

Good to get your newsy email.

Juliet is doing just great. She is learning house rules very easily and goes to the door when she needs out. Still taking a lot of attention to catch her needs before an accident, but less than I had anticipated. She is getting into a good routine. It is all helped a great deal by Jackie, who plays with her a lot and shows her what to do. Jackie playing with her keeps her out of mischief, no chewing on rugs, etc. She started on a lead the day after we picked her up and that's now part of her routine. She has met lots of people and children and lets folks handle her easily. Juliet is prone to barking a lot at Jackie, mainly to try and engage her when Jackie is ignoring. We are trying to nip that.

Juliet eats well. I think she is about 17 pounds or a little less right now. She was 15 pounds on the 15th.

I am going to try and attach one photo for you. We will see how it goes.

We are loving her more than you could know.

Carol (Lark's last litter 09)

Hi.
First biting session on Wednesday with the fleece rag. She did well - constantly interested and held on. My hands are full of bite wounds (partly due to aging thinner skin i'm sure).She LOVES water. I just love that when a dog loves water. There's a pond about 30 miles from here that i'll be taking her to soon.

After all that "puppy class" stuff we talked about, it turns out my club doesn't want me to do a class like that - the theory being that you don't want your dog to be overtly friendly to other dogs - just neutral. Geez. So i've got a Sch class with the club on Wed and again on Thursday morning. I could do puppy tracking here in my area once i understand it more but i have to go to some club sessions first. Very long drive for me.

vicky (Lark's last litter 09)

Hi Sunny!

My pup Tory is doing great! He has fit into a quite busy life very well. He comes to the office every day with me and gets LOTS of people interaction, including children, and he loves it.

I took him to one of our local Schutzhund clubs (the Southern Tier Schutzhund Club at Foxfire Kennel in Freeville NY) over the weekend... it's not something I had planned on but thought it would be interesting. He did quite well! It was a protection session and he exhibited quite a bit of prey drive with the leather bite rag, he wasn't afraid of anything, and he liked watching the other dogs train. I've never done it before and he is a pet, but maybe I will see how far he could go with it. He seemed to really enjoy it. He is also popular though because he is so handsome!

Afterwards we went to the lake and he went for his first boat ride, which he also seemed to thoroughly enjoy. He had a booster this morning and he does seem to be more pain sensitive than the other 2 bouviers i had, but he is just a great dog so far. I will try to get you more pictures and will be sure to keep you up to date on his progress.

Kirk

(Lark's last litter 09)

Hi Sunny,

Wanted to give you an update on Antara (12 years old, Una's mother) She had a mammary gland tumor and a couple unknown tumors on a front leg removed last Friday with stitches scheduled to be removed next week. She’s recovering well from the surgeries and insists on running around and climbing stairs as if nothing had happened – She had a complete set of blood/urine tests in May and everything is in the normal range.

She’s not as young as she used to be, but she still bounces like she’s on some sort of pogo stick when it’s time to eat and she chases (but gets distracted easily so doesn’t catch them) rabbits in the yard. She still has one cat and a small(ish) dog at home and gets along with both. She likes to go for walks and rides in the car and she loves to sleep sprawled across the bed. She still hates loud noises (gunshots from distant hunters, fireworks, baseballs hitting the garage door and thunder) and going outside in the rain.

Theresa

6/9/09

Sunny,

Tory arrived in excellent condition! He is a VERY confident and well
adjusted pup! Not afraid at all and very active....you did a great job:-)

I'll keep you up to date on him and will send you pictures!

Kirk (Lark's last litter 09)

Hi Sunny,

I just wanted to send you an update as to how Bear is doing after the adoption – he is doing Great. He has been in training and he passed the AKC Obedience test. 25 points out of 25 points. Highest in the class. We have been continuing training. Working on his off leash obedience and not jumping at another dog. He still has issues around this if the dog is not a member of the class. If the dog is a member of the class he does not bother them. He does well with obstacles – running in the tunnel – jumping hurdles – crossing tracks – tight roping rails etc. We have been doing this urban training kind of as well, we go into the city kind of Downtown Chicago where there are more distractions than Carter has Liver pills – smile- Multiple dogs and breeds- people all over the place in the park – we practice walking down the main streets – passed bars and boutiques, pass other dogs . Bear does well. In his class we have a Black Russian Terrier that looks like a Bouvier, Cain Corso’s, a Doberman, American Bulldogs, a Pit Bull and others.

Bear at home gets along well with our Siberian Husky- (Chloe) they are best buds, and the cat is still alive – smile- Bear and the cat tolerate each other. Since the training Bear is doing much better. I just wanted to keep you posted on how well he is doing; I still say those people were crazy giving him up. If they ever contact you let them know Bear is doing fantastic. I saw you are having a working class competition in the fall in Wisconsin – we may come up to watch if that is okay.

Cecil

Hi Sunny,

It's been awhile since we've been in touch, so I just wanted to say hello and let you know Mr. Candy-B, at 7 years 4 months, continues to be a very happy and healthy little guy (though not so little at 109 lbs). He is our dear friend, constant companion, and such a joy to us in everyway.. We just returned from our 2nd cross country trip to Maine with the candy-b, and you were absolutely right-on about his adaptability. He is so good to travel with (if you don't mind him sitting on the console between the seats all the way and having to hold his head up). We make him a comfortable perch and he watches all the traffic and roadside signs for the rest area ones, which I swear he does identify. He adjusts easily to anything as long as he's with us, is great with other dogs, all people, and especially children, and has a terrific sense of humor. Just cracks everyone up, and is much loved by all who know him. He still (and always) loves to swim, and the only thing he enjoys more than backpacking is lying on the couch napping!

One funny story is we stopped at Niagara Falls on the way out, and forget the falls! Other visitors, mostly from Asia, just went nuts over Candy. Everyone wanted their picture taken with him...the kids, the grandmas, the families, then us in the picture with him... It was hilarious. We were there for over an hour, and Mr. Candy-B, of course, was completely accomodating...smiling, posing, etc. Susan kept trying to tell them he's not a wild animal, but I guess they didn't care because he's so big. I think they thought he was a bear or something. He is often mistaken for a bear up here in the mountains, and knows it as he will sometimes "show-off" by huffing and popping up and down on his spring-like legs when cars slow down to look at him.

So, thank you again, and never enough, for this great light in our lives.

We hope you (and all of Mr. Candy-B's relatives ) are happy and healthy.

-kelly&susan

Hi Sunny, "that's alot of Dog" Joe remarked, as did someone else watching Magnus work the three sheep. I think Carolyn mentioned Magnus is maturing into what I call the "everything you can do I can do better" stage with other dogs. There was some unsettling behavior by a few Huskies last time we were at our favorite dog park, and Magnus pinned one who was sniping at him, but Magnus was also raising the level of growls and jumping together with a mostly passive large male Malamute, and then he ran a submissive smaller dog to the ground. All of that within about 5 minutes, and that was enough for Carolyn who said "that's it we're leaving" So we went out to Joe's to see how he behaved with other dogs out there. He was very good, but he'll occasionally mouth some of the smaller dogs as if he was trying to either dominate or motivate them to play back. So Joe mentioned how important it is for dogs to learn and exhibit could playground manners. And Magnus responds so well to correction without any fight back, he learns and incorporates quickly. We are going back to Ewe-Topia sunday and Joe will help us reinforce the come command with Magnus. As you may know Joe employs the rock bottle method, where several people are in a paddock area with their plastic bottle with some rocks inside, and one of us walks in with Magnus and lets him roam off, call him with our happy voice to come and if he doesn't mind the people lob the bottles towards him and he soon realizes where the safe place is and comes. He learned so well the first time I've been able to walk him off leash around our low low no traffic neighborhood and hold his attention with a command and a shake of the rock bottle to interrupt his wandering attention. Sunday we're going to go into a larger area at Joe's where he'll have a few rock bottles and pitch 'em at Magnus if he doesn't immediately return on our come command. So that's about all the input to date from Joe, and we'll keep you posted about any new developments. As one of our neighbors mentioned to Carolyn while out walking with him "not everyone gets to walk their own bear" It's a sunny day here so I'd better turn to and clear some stuff away so the builders can access the area tomorrow. Cheers, Larry

Hi Sunny,

Hope everything is going well with you! We've been ramping up training a bit getting Nikkou in top shape for his new job--finding the remains of Larkie Toups who has been missing over a year in a neighborhood you wouldn't even send your worst enemy into. Good news... he's doing awesome (though spoiled SOOO bad!), we have loads of escorts--with guns, and the area to work, as far as we know so far, is fairly small as these things go. My guesstimate is about two acres, maybe three. He's also the exclusive search dog for this and gets to work it to resolution. I'm counting that as good, but it's a bit of pressure as well. I really like that he gets to work it as long as it takes to find the remains and get some closure for the family (and hopefully prosecution for the guys who murdered the victim.) He's the 7th dog to work this, but they didn't get as much time. We're having excellent cooperation with Bogalusa PD and with our new Sheriff as well. WOOHOO!!!

This will be the first time since the find we made on the 16 year old boy that they have used any dogs other than the ones trained at the prison in this "county" OR that there has been any inter-departmental cooperation on an investigation like this. I'm just crossing my fingers and sweating dog treats that Nikkou will do what I'm expecting him to! From all indications and preliminary work at the scene so far we're really confident--not so much in our own abilities, but definitely in his and in his awesome drive. Just WOW.

Comet is doing great, as always. He's such a hoot, and just gorgeous. Very willing to work, incredibly confident, loving, awesome with kids, doing great on scent training, working hard to not eat like a little hog :), and always willing to please. Well, almost... he is a Bouvier. He is getting BIG. 27.5 at the hip the other day. I thought he was just getting fluffy, but he had started bumping under the table so we measured. He had finally learned to duck so he wouldn't bump his head, now his booty is bumping... maybe we can put the table up on blocks since it's his favorite place to lay. :) We suspect he may become an excellent cadaver dog since he has such an awesome nose and love for all things stinky. I won't EVEN send you a picture of how he scents on an article! Ugh! Beautiful fluffy head fully stuffed in a gallon ziplock bag with all that nastiness, sucking in the scent like it's some awesome tropicana rose in there. Ugh! To think that's the same head I pet and kiss that he'd stuff in that nasty bag!!!! (He did find the cadaver though--with gusto of course!) He does everything with gusto and nothing with guilt. Teddy bear eyes and a look of pure innocence do a lot for him. Doesn't hurt that he's all about having fun and very sweet natured (except when he's being protective.)

Sorry for being so long-winded but it seems we've been out of touch for a while.

Below is one of the articles on the missing man. Kind of odd that his name is so similar to Nikkou's mom's. I'm so hoping he can find him.

Kate

Hello Sunny
We're doing fine. Ceilidh is doing fine. We still have a match of wills
occasionally. She complies in the usual training environment. However, when
she's off-leash occasionally she feels spirited and will intentionally
ignore me in a very playful way. I'm working on this and as a result she is
finding herself tied more often than not.

We had a wonderful 2 week vacation. Our dog sitters emailed us and asked if
they could keep Ceilidh another week (rather than kennel her for the last
week). Both dog and sitting family had a great time. I'm hoping that there
enthusiasm continues for future dog-sitting needs.

We're going camping next week. Our intention is to follow the headwaters of
the Mississippi through MN. We'll camp for a couple of days at Itasca and
explore. Ceilidh is coming along. I think that she'll have a good time.

Ceilidh has grown a fair bit over the summer. I'm sure you'll find the same
with Birdie when she returns. Ceilidh is also starting to have a more
prominent brown coloring. This shows especially when she stand in front of
the light. Would this be a possible color change in her coat?

I'm looking forward to agility tonight. Ceilidh has shown a lot of
enthusiasm for the little bit of agility that she has done with Alice Howe.
I hope that her enthusiasm continues.

Take care Adrian

Hi Sunny!

Happy 3rd Birthday to Nikkou's littermates! Seems like the time has just zoomed by for us. You matched us *perfectly*, both as companions and as working partners. So much that I could swear sometimes he reads my mind. (Makes it really hard to set up training exercises for him because he knows how I think!)

Mike laid claim on Comet right away--at the airport actually--or says Comet claimed him, and they are as perfect together as Nikkou & I. Since you didn't know Axle personally I'm not sure how you pulled that off! Mike says Comet has so many similarities to Axle, but without the "defects" for lack of a better word... and he's a Bouv instead of a GSD. After getting Nikkou Mike had decided Bouvs were actually better working dogs than GSD's, though that was HIS breed always. People that know him are still freaking out about him not having Shepherd's anymore. lol He says Bouvs aren't really dogs... maybe they're the missing link because they're so darn smart.

His Honor is scratching at the door, so I guess I should let him in and give him a birthday treat.

Take care,

Kate

Lark pups

Hey Sunny,

I got the AKC papers today, thanks. Licorice is doing GREAT! We are having a blast. She has gained 3 pounds in her first week. She got her second vaccination last night and got microchipped. She has come blasting out of her shell and is VERY busy.

She has helped with the farrier this week, graduated to laying by my desk in the hospitals, and is practicing her latent herding talents on the cats and wild turkeys. Neither of these groups particularly appreciates her efforts, but she is enthusiastic. We are practicing walking on a leash even if puppy and human have different ideas about which direction they are going. She does not hesitate to voice her opinion.

I will send more pictures when she slows down enough to get one that is not blurry.

Take care,

Laura and Licorice

Urki x Una 3/09

Hi Sunny,

Well it is getting close to you heading for Wisconsin. I hope your stay in New Mexico was pleasant and restful. I gave your website address the girl who grooms my dogs. She has a client with a bouvier that is getting very old and is thinking about getting a new one. Lisa, my groomer, knows how much I respect you as a person and a breeder. I hope when the time comes for this gentleman he will get in touch with you. Have a safe trip home.

Sandy

Tarzan x Alta 3/09

Sunny,
Hope this finds you and your family (both two- and four- footed) well. I just had a quick question about Bouvier growth. Our Anouk is now 9 mo. old and she just weighed in at 70 lbs on the dot. She's about 25 1/2 " at the withers but I'm very bad at measuring. The vet said that while she had plenty more development left she's pretty much topped out in terms of height and weight. I know Bouviers take time to mature and was wondering if the vet was right (although with these numbers, Anouk seems to be completely average for a female Bouvier).I've read some anecdotal information that said Bouv's will continue to grow, albeit very slowly, until maturity at somewhere around age 2 or 3.

Her puppyhood is rolling along great. The coat and beard do require some maintenance but we've gotten into a routine. I kind of like that she's a little stubborn and pushy - matches the personalities in the house. She knows her place however and is very well behaved. I can see how in the hands of a competent professional these dogs can be trained to do pretty much anything. The one thing that has really surprised us is how sweet she is. While she's a little aloof around human strangers on the street she loves having visitors and showers them with attention and affection. And she absolutely loves all other dogs. She always has to say hi and offer to play with an adorable wiggle. Neither my wife nor I think we could have gotten a better dog. We couldn't be happier.
best,
k

schwartzi x alta 5/08

Hi Sunny!

Well, Sam is a darling of a dog, if I may say so. Eager, good-tempered and with an excellent memory. And I just love him to pieces.

We've been doing rather well, I think.

He's highly motivated by play and praise, rather than treats, for training. So much so that when I thought I'd try clicker training with him, he completely missed the point & was more interested in the noisy "toy" in my hand than he was in any association with a "reward". We went back to voice approval & hand signs; and he sailed through his basic obedience work (he's had 2 courses; I haven't decided what we might do next).

BTW I also took him for a while to arranged "playtimes" to let him try out his doggy social skills (I still do this sometimes, especially - since it's indoors - if we're drowning in mud here). He does very well - and adapts his play style to his playmates. Although he is definitely a rough-n-tumble dog & if allowed, he prefers dogs that play hard and fast. In fact, that was the most important part of the obedience classes he's had - he's very easy to work with, and not easily distracted. With one exception - he views all dogs & children as playmates, so that's the distraction that you need to manufacture for him.

I've tried him on a puppy agility course & he was relatively good at it - not sharp, but good and repeatable. He seems to take to the more intellectual "figure it out"/"find it" games as well. Although scent-work is definitely not his forte.

Outside, I will note that he has a high prey drive - he does something I've never seen a herding-type dog do. He stalks squirrels. I don't mean that he chases squirrels, like all dogs will. I mean he *stalks* them - actively hunts - almost like a cat. He'll lay up under the deck bench, and creep up on them through the bushes. He's actually caught/killed a squirrel. Which I found to be an unusual event for his age. This is not a complaint from me, BTW, if he wants to wage a squirrel war, it's fine with me - we've got too many of the things as it is. Although I wouldn't let him keep the carcass - now that ticked Sam off! - squirrels have an amazing number of diseases and parasites.

We did have one bad thing happen, though, when Sam was on his last "go out" of the evening when he was 6 mo. He cornered a (large) raccoon. Which was definitely a bigger/meaner target than he could handle. And he was too inexperienced to know to leave it alone. Fortunately the coon got away before he did too much damage to Sam - just a few scratches and 1 stitch needed under an eye. No scarring even & he - thankfully - had had his rabies vac already. Ever since, he's restricted himself to "alerting" on wildlife, but not ambushing them. Well, except for the squirrels.

Oddly enough, for a dog that seems to want to do a little hunting, he has a very friendly relationship inside the house with my parrots. Not that I'd ever let them all free in the house at the same time (I'm not that trusting!). He's good friends w/ my Pionus Murphy (seriously!), which is amazing also in that Murphy is generally a grump and not too friendly with anyone. But Sam likes to lay down and chew his squeaky toy under Murphy's house. And Murphy happily echoes every squeak and sigh. More amazingly, Sam will sit beside Murphy's house and the 2 them go nose-to-nose, with neither one trying to bite or intimidate the other. Sam's relationship with Lida, my African Grey is far different. She's been dominant over him from Day One - when she scared him so bad, he actually fell over. He's put his nose up to her house, too. Whereupon she took a bite out of it. He has not repeated the experiment. Although she will call him over to her house so that she can thow cage trash at him (he hasn't seemed to learn that he doesn't have to "come" when Lida calls:-)!). Can you say sibling rivalry?

You might want to know that his hips look very good - I had them X-rayed when he was neutered. I know that doesn't really count until he's older, but he was showing extreme reluctance to tackle long sets of stairs & I wanted to make sure that there wasn't a physical basis for the problem There wasn't. I suspect it's more that I was on crutches for so long when I first got him & really didn't like/was nervous of the long flight of stairs in my house - and he's picked up/retained that feeling.

So that's Sam. He's friendly when introduced, knows where home is & warns you about visitors, loves to play hard & go on car rides, snores when he falls asleep on his back with his head hanging off "his" end of the couch, jumps (& sits!) in mud puddles, and, though he can be quite good on his own, really prefers it if he can tag along, thank you very much!

Thank you for giving him such a great start!

Shelagh

schwartzi x alta 4/08

Hi Sunny: It is Happy Birthday Willow day!!!! I thought I would drop you a note and let you know how as I call her now Miss Sassy Pants Willow is doing... She is just a hoot, we went through the teenage years which we did by going thru the Alpha Academy as little Miss Sassy Pants went thru a terrible stage of dominance thinking that she should be in charge but we got thru that ok and she now found the happy medium between fearful and being dominant. And I have to admit that she had one huge bag of tricks she kept digging into trying to find anything that would work to make her the leader, I have seen lots of things but I tell you some of the things she pulled I have to give her credit for digging deep.

And Willow is not shy about telling you exactly what she is thinking and maybe in her opinion what she thinks you should be doing. She is extremely vocal which gives her so much character, when you tell her to do something and she is really feeling at that moment she doesn't want to she will gripe about it but will get it done but you hear about it no doubt. But I think that comes from being so smart. Willow is a very smart girl. The one thing I found with her as we went through the obedience classes is once she learns it she's got and wants something new to learn. I found this out the hard way when we were in class and she just didn't want to do it again, she threw herself on the floor rolled on her back kicked her legs and whined and cried, she had a REAL temper tantrum right there in the middle of the floor!!!!. So now I am always teaching her something new, just things around the house to do, she is now learning how to dust with one of those dusters, she loves to do chores, as I mentioned before, she sorts laundry, gathers it up puts it in the appropriate baskets, when I ask for jeans she hands me jeans, shirts when I ask shirts, socks when I ask for socks, and so on. I will hand her something and tell her to go put on the chair for me to take care of later. She takes things out of the fridge for me I open the drawer in the fridge she puts them back, if you open the fridge and ask her to get you a water she does, unloads my grocery bags for me by handing me all the items, just all kinds of things. I will be testing her shortly for Good Canine Citizenship as I want to take her on to become a Therapy Dog for Children. As by chance we were with a group of children and one of them had autism (sp) and the difference in Willow's behavior with that child vs. the other children was AMAZING, so she has decided for herself that that is for her. I think she will do very well!!!! Willow is just amazing, she is full of so much character, I just love her dearly!!!!!!!!!! Thank You so much !!!! Lona

Hi Sunny: I just thought I would being you up to date on Willow. She is now registered, did you get a copy, I can't remember if you get a copy or not. She is doing very well!!!!! She is just a hoot with all of her comments back at you on what she thinks. We have completed 2 classes. We started our 3 class on Sunday, this one we will test for the Good Citizenship at the end, I think she will pass it with flying colors. She loves to learn and be challenged with new things that are more difficult then the standard sit and down, so outside of class her and I work on other stuff.

She has learned and loves to help with laundry. I will ask her, ok do you want to help with laundry and she heads over to the laundry basket, we go down to the laundry room I put the basket down, and I will ask her to give me the socks, the shirts , the pants, she knows each piece of laundry and will hand me which ever one I ask for. When its time to fold and put laundry away I will then give her a piece, open the drawer where is goes and she will puts it in the drawer for me. She also has to have her own piece to carry upstairs when its time to put away. I put the underwear and socks on a drying rack, and when they are dry I will ask her to go and get me all the socks, so one by one she brings me all the dry socks and drops them in the laundry basket, and then she goes and gets all the underwear for me to fold and then she puts them in the basket for me. This is the stuff she loves to learn and do. But of course she knows all your basics also

She really is growing, she is 71 pounds now. Overall she is Wonderful, she just has a little to much attachment to me, but we are working on its ok for me to leave, I will come back.

Thanks again so much for her, I love her!!!!!!

Lona

schwartzi x alta 4/08

Hi Sunny,

Batou and we have adjusted to each other's presence and schedule in a couple of days. He is a great puppy. Fearless little thing. Naga wants to show that he's boss, but Batou is not giving up easily. Batou is very responsive once we've established that I'm alpha. It'd be fun going through training with him.

We also discovered that Batou likes dance club-ish music, and he likes it fairly loud. When he's in the crate, he complains, loudly, if the music is off, or even of the wrong kind. He was quiet with Jamaican or Bollywood dance type, but rejected some nice Brazilian music. We figured that he likes the heavy beat, so we tried the Japanese Koto drum CD on him, it appeared to be quite acceptable too.

Batou is growing almost half a pound a day. I'm sure glad that he's learning to handle the stairs because I won't be able to carry him up and down much longer! He walked up a short flight of stairs all by himself today (fell back midway once, but he was determined, and hopped up to the top like a bunny the second time).

That's it for now. I hope Batou's brothers and sisters are doing well too!

Best Regards,
Maggie

schwartzi x lark 4/08

Hi Sunny,

We thought about you when we heard about the terrible weather in the Midwest that started about the time you started your journey home to Wisconsin. I hope everything went well for you and your family, human and animal, and that you’re somewhat settled in.

Magnus is a wonderful, full of life, puppy. A couple of times a day he goes through what I like to call his intense “jaws” periods which is challenging….sometimes it’s really hard to find something for him to go after besides our pants legs, ankles, feet. So far we’ve had only 2 accidents so we think we humans are doing a pretty good job. He’s confident with people, was great during his physical exam at our local vet. Dr. Kirby told us we have a great dog….we knew that.

Thank you so much for the toy gifts and gift certificate for him! That was so very nice of you! Cory brought them by with some food samples. Yesterday we went up to her store. We decided to feed Magnus Wellness for the time being. We’re looking at some organic alternatives…not sure it’s that important since McCuil did so well on Precise which was hormone and preservative free, but not organic. Paul Newman markets some organic dog food—I like his practice of donating profits to progressive causes. But for now he seems to be doing well on Wellness.

Larry & I take turns sleeping with him in the downstairs bedroom. We decided it would just be too hazardous to have him upstairs (ladder stairs) and have to navigate those stairs in the middle of the night when he needs to go out. We’re both happy when it’s the other person’s turn J.

With the exception of night bedtime we have yet to confine him in a puppy pen. We just take turns watching him like a hawk. And, of course we play outside with him in his puppy yard and take other excusions around the property. He seems to like digging…I try to make sure he doesn’t have the opportunity…except on the beach…that all replaces itself. I think we’ll using the puppy pen soon though. It’s very difficult to get anything done while keeping a careful eye on him—let alone get away without him.

Tomorrow we go for ear cropping. We’re going to get a smaller wire crate for him to be in during out trip (the large one we have doesn’t fit in any vehicle we have now. Up until now, in the car he has sat in the soft crate we used on the plane—on my lap, secured with a seatbelt—with the top open. That has worked on short rides, but I think it will be important for him to have a decent sized crate to travel the several hour trip up to BC.

We’ve located what we think is a good puppy trainer who is holding a class in late April. In the meantime we’re working on his treat-lured “come”, “sit” & “down”.

Well I’m on puppy patrol now, so will close.

Lovin’ that guy,

Carolyn

P.S. Feel free to give us advice if anything we tell you makes you roll your eyes or shudder. We’re wanting to do what’s best for this guy, and I know there’s a lot to learn from you.

schwartzi x lark 3/08

Hi Sunny,

He IS smart...and agile, and busy, and confident, and lots of things... besides SO
cute! He claimed a spot on Mike's side of the bed last night after doing the
"Nikkou howl" in the crate. All the dogs had just been watching him, but when he
started crying suddenly I was the evil one who made the baby cry!

He seems very happy today attacking toys, the bedspread, my feet :) , and anything
else that catches his attention and is not messing with his ears. Maybe they got
tickly inside from the pressure change on the flight & that started the
scratching??? Mike saved his bone in the fridge & he's got some "Healthy Edibles"
teething bones that smell like chicken which are driving all the other dogs nuts.
He loves Mike's shoes too! (Nikkou did too--actually got the old ones when Mike
was done with them.)

This is going to be a fun pup. He doesn't want to drink from the small water
bowl, though he's really too small for the big one. Also doesn't want to be put
in the crate, but if I open the door he'll come out and go back in. Apparently
it's fine as long as it's his idea. Oh boy!!!

Kate

schwartzi x lark 3/08

Dear Sunny,

You may not remember me, but over 11 years ago you sold my family a male puppy.
His mother was Blondie, if I remember right. He didn’t have the personality for
the show ring so he was marketed as a companion dog. We picked him up at the
Chamber office in Stillwater.

Chewbacca, or “Chewie”, passed away yesterday. He had a slipped disc in his back,
was barely able to stand and could no longer control his bladder. It was difficult
to judge how much pain he was in. It was a heart-wrenching decision to put him to
sleep. He was my constant companion and is being mourned by many people who knew
him. And, I never thought I could even miss a person this badly.

Chewie had a very good life. Except for work hours, he rarely left my side. We
socialized him at every opportunity and trained him at a young age. My daughter
won a blue ribbon at the county fair in obedience with him. He was utterly
trustworthy, especially with young children. The smaller the child, the more
careful he was with them. He always was a source of pride and affection.

I thought you might like to know.

Best regards,
Chris

3/08

Dear Sunny:

On June 13th, Clara was 2 years old. She now knows how to play golf with a two year old grandson (she is 2 months older than Vaughn) and she wins. She always gets the ball often even before it has been played. She also knows how to play soccer and only touches the ball with her teeth (no hands allowed). She loves tea parties on the patio and can lick the little cups with finess - and very daintily takes the crackers from the 4 year old granddaughter's hands w/o leaving a trace of spit.

On the "sporting side" Clara keeps the squirrels on their toes and can out think their jumps. She still hasn't learned that black and white (bad kitties) are really skunks, but gets sprayed less and less with each encounter. Raccoons and possums can sneak by the bedroom door in silence, but Clara can detect every move they make, especially between 2 and 4 a.m. She frightens them by throwing herself (all 80 pounds) at the sliding glass door. If that doesn't work, she jumps up and down on the bed (Master suite) until I go outside and have a talk with her opponents.

My life would be very boring w/o Clara Gloria. Thanks. Hilda

Blitz x Z

Sunny-

I hope all is well with you and your family. I thought I’d let you know that Buckley has been an absolute blast and we love him dearly. Our little fireplug has boundless energy and is constantly getting his fur full of prickers. Thus far he has not taken to swimming much, preferring to watch from shore as we frolic in the water with Dexter. Buckley’s fur is quite dense, much more so than that of Dexter which makes it difficult to rid him of the detritus.

I’ve enclosed an action shot of Dexter leaping off our raft in an attempt to catch Ryan who is already underwater.

Scott

Schwartzi x Alta

Sunny,

I hope you remember Hudson and me! He is 92 lbs, turned 4 on July 10 and is the absolute joy of my life. He is so funny, sweet, sneaky, spoiled, loving....I could go on and on! What a fantastic dog he's turned in to. Everyone that meets him is amazed at how gentle and sweet he is! He lets children hug all over him as he stands perfectly still! My neighbors love him. Needless to say, he gets so much attention! And he's a real beauty. I'll send a better picture so you can see his beautiful coat.

Jolie

Hi Sunny,

It's hard to believe but Stryker turned two today. This afternoon I took him to Petsmart, he got to pick out a treat and a toy (he's not a very efficient shopper as he had to look at and smell everything) but he managed to find a couple things to his satisfaction. He was also very patient letting all the other shoppers pet him and try to get him to do tricks. He has a new favorite game for which he has earned the nickname of "soccer boy". He is nuts about playing and very proud when he can block a shot.

We are off to an AKC agility trial this weekend....keep happy thoughts for us ;-)

Here are a few pictures of soccer boy in action!

Betsy and Stryker

Toby x Ro

Sunny,

Things are going well. Landry is started to fit in with the older dogs, and they seem to have accepted her and will actually play with her every now and again. We are working on housebreaking, but I have a feeling that I will say that again in the future. For a puppy, we are continually amazed at how calm and snuggly she is. She is growing like a weed or at least it seems like that to me everytime I pick her up. Yesterday she weighed 17lbs. (the bigger Rat Terrier weighs 18), so pretty soon she will surpass the two littler ones.

Nikki

Thought you'd like to know that SophieRose (SR) is doing well. She
is getting more "rambunctious" as she feels more comfortable here and
she is getting more ambitious about exploring. The bitter apple has
been useful (she loves computer cords).

She went over to sheep with me yesterday and walked part of the front
pasture with the border collies...and discovered the delights of
sheep poop!

Today she helped me with water for the sheep--she loves water--and
then there was a small local trial that i took Tess to for one run
and just to see people. SR came with me of course and met lots of
people + spending about an hour over lunch up at the house making
friends with lots of people and one kid. The general consensus is
that she is "adorable" and very stable and sensible.

And, my friend Tracey actually competed with her Aussie against Lark
at the ASCA cattle ranch dog trial and lost to Lark by 1 point.
Tracey told me that she was really impressed with how Lark worked and
that (besides Kaz of course), that Lark was the only bouvier she'd
ever seen that she'd want for stock work!

Thought you'd like to know that!

Kathy

Schwartzi x Lark

Good Morning Sunny:

I just thought I would let you know that Willow has graduated Puppy Class!!!!!! We will start Intermediate Class in January. She loves going to class!!!! She is just a hoot, and oh so smart!!!!! She is now chipped so I have filled out her registration papers which include the chip #. Have a wonderful holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lona

Hello,
I was surfing Bouvier sites and pictures and of course eventually found
your site. We purchased our male Bouvier - Mishko from you in
the spring of 1997. He is now almost eleven and healthy
except for arthritis in his hips.
In addition to basic and advanced obedience training as a pup he breezed
through Therapy Dog certification at about 2 years old.
If you have advice or any sources of information for keeping a bouvier
healthy and around for as long as possible I would appreciate your
sharing it with us.
Merry Christmas and thanks for a Great Dog!

Mike

Blondie pup

From California:

Sydney is doing just fine and so am I. We just got back from getting
her last shots. She weighs 26 lbs. and is still full of beans. Here
is her resume of skills:
*retrieves a ball or other toy (she did this the 3rd day she was here)
*bites very well,full mouth and doesn't let go....very good
*very nice temperment, sweet, fun loving and attentive. She's always
looking at you.
*Very smart
*knows sit, don't touch, come, play. Still working on platz and stay
* loves to play in her big water bowl
*very inquisitive, not shy or aggressive in any way
*Gorgeous.

In a few days I'll be able to take her out and start working in the
field and more on leash.

Great dog

Thanks
Randy

Nick x Ro

Briarlea Ultra Ajax...a letter on his 4th birthday :)

Well, we are biased, but I think he is quintessential, more than the other two I've had and more than many I've met. He is a thinker. He is extremely good at obedience, (and he is obedient) and has a wide range of commands he knows. He is aware of every aspect of his surroundings and knows when anything is out of place. He must check it out. He is the ultimate guardian, and keeps an eye on the whole neighborhood, and lets us know what is up. He sometimes goes overboard with that, but we have a "neighbors" command and he stops as soon as he hears that and often gets rewarded for that. He knows who he knows and he knows who is a stranger. He loves the men who have done renovations on our house and can distinguish between the 12 or so who have been here regularly and any newcomers, who he is leery about and doesn't want to let in the gate...but once introduced, he is fine, if watchful. He is great with all house guests..funny, and interested and presents his guests with slobbered-on teddys, with his hind-end wiggling a mile a minute. He has grown much more affectionate as he has gotten older. He has a sense of humor, smiles a lot and also totally knows when he has overstepped bounds (carried something around that shouldn't be (like a pair of my pants, or "illegally" brought something outside that belongs inside, like my yoga mat). I say "What is THAT?!" and he is totally remorseful, but with a sense of humor about it. He carries everything around. He goes and gets the newspaper every day at the end of the driveway and picks it up and brings it through the gate into the house and to the person who is in the kitchen at that moment. He "reorganizes" our woodpile regularly, he carries shoes to us in the living room when he wants to go outside, he has his original stuffed animals which still squeak, and he plays them like an instrument. He is VERY playful, still like a little puppy.

He adores agility and runs the courses without me, after he knows what is up. I am definitely the weak part of the team. We have worked with a trainer regularly for that, but have take about six months off lately.

He comes immediately when he is called. In general, he is impeccable with recall. All the early training paid off. He loves to foos and he loves to track, we still track. His nose is excellent and he uses it. He tracks us, he tracks animals, he tracks any new set of tracks in the yard. I can command him to head in a direction with a hand motion...He would be great in the ring with the decoy blinds, and he would listen to me and go where directed. I'd love to see that sometime. He actually listens to my every movement, literally, I have to be careful what I am thinking and feeling around him. We had to work on that a lot in agility, I had to be very precise with my shoulders, etc.

He is big. In fact, we mostly call him that: Big. "Big, Here." Or "Big, go find Nancy." Etc. He has finally filled out this year, but is still lanky and lean. We still feed our homemade food--the formula developed by nutritionist vet. Seems to work well for him. We'll have bloodwork done this month to make sure all is well and his annual physical.

He is game for anything, He will go in a sailboat, a canoe, a motor boat, a train, up ramps, up metal-grate stairs, over rope bridges that we have here over rivers in the nearby national forest...he is very confident.

He is male dog aggressive due to things older males did to him during a critical development time. We regret that, but have worked with a trainer to get him to be relaxed, in general, around other dogs, but he is dominant and wants them to behave...and not be out of control. If they are like that, he is fine.

That's Ultra Ajax in a rambling nutshell. Have checked your website regularly, all seems great with you!

Lori

Sunny, I just received the pillow and I am very pleased. I think it looks better than the painting. I am amazed that it can be transposed into thread so accurately. The texture of the weaving adds to the subject matter making it warmer. I think Rocket is a striking dog. I wanted to tell you thanks for the pillow and of course, Otis. I am smitten by this pup. He is so loving and courageous. I find that he is a constant source of joy. Amos has taken to him as well, and the two are inseparable. This was what I had envisioned when I thought of having two bouviers. So thanks for all your efforts. You have changed our lives for the better by allowing us to have these two pups.

Thanks again,
Kathy

Sunny,

Just to let you know our Louie is closing in on 14 year of age and still hanging in there. What a great family member he has been. He still likes to walk down to the lake at our cabin near Annandale. Bubba is absolutely the most lovable dog ever. He enjoys being in peoples company so much and has a really fun attitude. He has a lot of personality and is always wanting to go wherever we go.

Thanks so much from the Beithons,

John and Pat

Just have to brag a little about our wonderful dog. He passed both legs of his Herding Capability Test -AHBA. We did the herding clinic with Bob Vest - Wed., Thursday, and Friday. Both Bob and JoAnna were talking about what a classy dog he is, and the fact that he is going to be a "classy" herding dog. His only problem is that his handler doesn't always know what is going on. There is a AKC trial at the end of June, and will have to see if JoAnna thinks that I should have him in that. Bob, did keep telling me that I need to change his name, as it didn't have enough "ring" to it. Tuesday night, was also, our first agility lesson. We did the walk, just off the ground, but he walked right across, and did very well when he got to the bottom. Did the circle jump - no trouble at all. Did the weave poles with no problems. Then we did the tunnel. Now, they had it pushed together, so you could see right thru it - 2 1/2 - 3 feet long. I pulled with this leash, Pete pushed his butt. Rytar planted his feet, and wasn't going through for love or money. We finally won, and he was through. That was the first time, after that, no problem, and he was going through like a pro. I was proud of him
You did a wonderful job picking him out for me. Thank you again.

Pam in Mn (Toby x Ro)

Winning hearts and terrorizing toys! This is the absolute sweetest, best behaved, smartest dog I've ever had. And he's quick to figure out when you're trying to trick him--like "You go in the fence, but not me." None of that for this little guy. (Yet!) His feet are bigger than Casey's and almost as big as Axle's already. He's very alert (except when he's asleep), doesn't miss ANYTHING, very curious... and best of all, keeps that little nose busy constantly. He's good with the cats too, but does have a limit on tolerating those who decide to hiss at him unprovoked. A good "Woof! Woof!" and they decide to go hiss elsewhere. (Except Square Pants, who seems to like playing with him--at a safe distance.) He's very enthusiastic about life, obedient already, and extremely quick to figure things out.

Kate in Louisiana (Nick x Lark)

Dear Sunny,
We just wanted to say thank you for Julius. He is an awesome dog. We
love him so much and he is the perfect temperament for our family. He
has turned out to be the perfect beach dog. We take him to the ocean at
lea