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I just thought I'd share that Pookie is coming along fantastically. I have a friend at work who recently moved up here and her daughter has been begging her to get her a dog, but they're currently living in an apartment where they can't have one. So we've been getting together and going to the parks for dog outings with her daughter. That child is soooo in love with Pookie.

Although Pookie is still shy with strangers when she first meets them, she warms up quite quickly and accepts them easily. I think having Harry show her that folks only want to love on dogs is really helping. It's also awesome for her that my friend's daughter has sooo much energy and leads Pookie all over the parks. It sure helps her rest in the evenings, lol.

I thought I'd include some pics of Pookie in the park with her new friend. They are so cute together.

Things are going great here. Pookie is now my bedmate! I have a twin mattress on the floor by my bed, but I often wake up and there she is. She hasn't figured out the doggie door yet, but during the summer, I usually leave my back door opened all day if I'm off work and at home anyway. She doesn't get into things she shouldn't to chew on and she only had one pee accident in the house on her second or third day here and hasn't ever done it again after I caught her and scolded her. I don't keep her in a crate in the house since Dagwood left and she doesn't have accidents even at night. I will need to get her to use the doggie door though before fall comes so I can close the door when it's cold out. Anytime she's been outside, the first thing she does when she comes in is run straight to me for loves. I am just so happy with her. I took her to the vet yesterday and she got her clean bill of health and a vaccine and she behaved great. She was scared, but accepting of whatever needed to be done. The vet even did an eye exam with the lights off because she acts sometimes like a mastiff I had who was only partially sighted. Other times she seems to see fine. Now that she has become comfortable with me and seems trusting, I will step up her training and outings more. I found out tonight that I am also getting one of my mastiffs back that went back to her breeder when I thought I was going to move to OK to take care of my elderly parents. I am so happy that I am getting her back and I think it will be great for Pookie to have even more companionship. I'm attaching some pics I've taken since she's been here. Some of them have Dagwood in them, so if you want to forward them on to his new Mom, feel free.

Take care and thanks again so much for entrusting her to me. I think we are a good fit for each other.

kat

PS. Hope I didn't attach too many pics. I'm sure there will be more in the future as she grows. BTW, don't tell my mastiffs I said so, but her coat is soooo much softer and pleasant for the petting!

6/21/09 (note: Pookie's adopter also volunteered to foster Dagwood for a few days):

I will have pictures for you soon, I promise. She is now Pookie. I kept trying different names for her but they just didn't sound right. I guess she could be called Spookie, because of her color, but Pookie works great for her and she's learning that it's her name pretty quickly.

After we left Sarah, I drove down to a friend's house in Tacoma where I was supposed to have lunch. She had said it was ok for me to be late. I took all three of the dogs out of my car and put them in her back yard where they played like mad with each other and with my friend's dog, Honey. Honey is a chow mix also. She was timid with my Harry, but great with the puppies. My friend was having a few people over for lunch as her Mom is here visiting from Ohio, so the pups got to play with some kids and even Pookie was good with the children. She definitely prefers dogs over humans at this point though. So far, not one accident in the house. When they got tired, they both settled on a throw I'd had in the laundry basket that I brought them home in.

Anyway, they slept for about an hour to two hours, and then they thought it was time to wake up and play. I finally caught both of them and put them in my bathroom with a baby gate and they whined and cried for about 2 minutes then they settled and slept thru the night great.

They have both stolen Harry's raw food and they love it, so the SD is probably gonna end up going to waste, though Harry actually ate a little of it, lol. Dagwood comes to me for pets and loves frequently, but Pookie has mostly stayed a little back. But just as I was sittng down to send you this note, Both the pups climbed up on the ottoman where my feet are and Pookie put her head on my feet and let me reach over and pet her for a few minutes. I'm thrilled that has happened so quickly. I'm grateful to Sarah for letting me keep Dagwood for a few days to help ease Pookie into her new home. I think they both like it here very much.

Pookie has barked at a couple of cars going to my neighbors' homes and at a woodpecker making noise and a rooster crowing. I'm trying to remember what else she has barked at. As soon as I ack ack at her though, she stops and doesn't bark at the sounds again. I'm so surprised that such a young pup is so protective and territorial already. Not just because of her age, but because she just arrived here. It takes most mastiffs almost 2 years before they become protective and territorial. Dagwood doesn't seem to have that same protective streak in him. He almost never barks unless it's when he's playing with his sister.

They both adore Harry and he adores them as well, so that is awesome. I wish I could afford to keep Dagwood as well. I just already love him so much. I pray that he finds a home near me in Western WA so I can see him often. He is so wonderful and deserves a great family. Preferably a family who love to spend time at lakes, rivers, ocean, etc. This dog loves the water. He jumped right in my little kiddie pool yesterday after I filled it and he splashed and romped and played until his sister literally clamped her teeth on his butt and DRAGGED him out of the pool. I think she thought she was saving him, lol. It may not be the first time she's done that as I think Lin said she has a kiddie pool for them to cool off in. He didn't seem to be hurt, but she had to have really had a good hold on him to be able to do that.

I know Pookie will miss him terribly at first, but she and Harry get along great and I think she will warm up even faster when she doesn't have competition. She is now approaching me for attention even when he's not already on my lap, so I know it's going to work out great.

They both now have a healthy appreciation and fear of cats. My cat didn't scratch them, but she did hiss and swipe at them and they both ran screaming out the back door like they were terrified. Now, they look at my cat and just walk away, lol. So he's been evaluated with cats and kids and does fine with both for whoever adopts him.

Sorry to be so long and I won't be writing you novels every day, but I just wanted you to know how well things went on their first night/day with me.

Take care and much love.