Hi Nancy,   Just wanted to again tell you how well Sophie is doing. Saturday the family was out to dinner and when my husband and I came home, there was Sophie rounding up the calves that had broken loose. She had is under control as far as them being kept together. She backed off and waited for our instructions (which she followed almost to the letter -- got a little strong willed with one calf but came back). We were amazed. Our other dogs would just bark and send them all over. She know how to get around them to bring them together. Her only teaching has been with my husband daily doing chores. Once we pasture the cows we will work with her and I know she will be a wonderful cow dog. She hasn't left my side all weekend while I do my flower beds -- better yet, the flowers have stayed in place for a week. I've yelled at her and told her OUT and she seems to be respecting that. Now when that puppy gets here is a few weeks, I don't know what will happen. Anyways, just wanted to pat you on the back for "producing" her. I know when you and Debbie get together, your pups will be unbelievable. Take care, Kathy	The Doodle Dandy is just doing dandy. She doesn't have a care in the world and is totally clueless. Her every moment in this life is fun...fun...fun. This summer I built a large fenced yard for her and Bunkie and they romp and play from morning till night out there. Wrestling and chewing on each other and grappling with their toys. They come in for recess from time to time to rest and snooze, eat and then beg to go back out for more frolic. She is just a great friend and has a terrific personality. She sleeps next to me at night and is sure that I am up by 5 am, so that I don't miss work and she has a full day of playtime. Her appitite is good and she is well behaved. She and Bunkie are great friends. For Doodles, life is just a bowl of cherries...or kibbles and bits as the case may be. I hope you and your family are well, and your dogs are happy and healthy. Jim	Nancy, Lacy does such a great job with our lab mix. We also got an older ES male. She likes to tell him she is the boss, but she interacts with him just fine. I have also attached a picture of Lacy that I took this summer. When she sees the camera she wanted to be right on top of me so it is hard to get a picture of her, since I am usually the only one taking pictures
Yeah, I keep having to remind him…That's Herd dog, not Bird dog! He is my best friend, and takes that job very seriously. Outstanding hiker, keeps the cats in line, and is always busy. He's very particular about who he likes, protects me from everyone and everything, gets along great with other dogs. I have to say, I worked very hard with him from day one socializing him and exposing him to unfamiliar sights and sounds. We practiced sit, come and no no bad dog endlessly. He is so smart I was basically able to mold him into whatever kind of dog I wanted him to be. He'll do anything I ask of him (except jump in the bathtub). Love, Lori	He's doing good! He had his second lesson this past Saturday and according to the trainer, showed good improvement since his first session! Still a child though, as he wasn't able to tolerate the full hour...pooped out! But we're going to see how far we can take him! He's doing well overall. Still can't get over his protectiveness of me! He amazes me! It's all good! He backs off when I say it's ok! He's a wonderful dog. I can't say enough about him. . He's doing so well! Very eager to learn and has taken to me so well! He's right by my side and always looking at me ready to be told something. Very calm and obedient! Never had or seen a dog quite like this! I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I am! He's amazing! We'll keep in touch, Lisa	Hi Nancy: I just finished enjoying your puppy photos. What a lovely group of pups! Looks like you've gotten many contacts already for their placement, too. I hope you find good homes for every one of them. I just want to give you more to brag about. Thought you'd enjoy a few photos of her at the recent gathering here at the ranch. We had a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing so many of the folks I recognize from the lists. Jessie, one of the girls that lives here on the ranch, took Sadie through the agility course and had a great time, too. When things were quiet the next day, I took time for some photos before we took down the course. Sadie was much more relaxed about having all that company at "her" place. Last year she fretted more, this year she took it in stride and seemed less tired at the end of the day. She continues to mature and impress us with her sweet, yet take-charge nature. I'm afraid I've let her get into a "bad" habit. We've had to get up pretty early for work the past 6 weeks, and I've been worried I'd oversleep. The school programs rely on us getting there on time and EARLY. Sadie has figured out that when the alarm goes off, I should be getting up. She gives me a little time to wake up, then flies up light as a feather and lands in the middle of me. She lays right over me and greets me with a gentle lick on the nose if I don't catch her in time! This has become my new back-up system, and is more effective than the snooze alarm. Truthfully, she's saved me from drifting back to sleep a couple of times, so I didn't correct her for it. She has never jumped up uninvited in the middle of the night. Even Bruce thinks it's pretty cute. 'Course Buddy thought he'd try it one morning, too. Oomph - he landed between Bruce and I with a thud. He is NOT light as a feather, but took great delight in the game. Sadie turned into the bed police and was ready to boot him off. We had to let her know that was for us to decide. You should have seen her face. She backed off because I told her to, but had a look of total disgust. She is just too funny! Take care, and say hi to your family from us. Carol
Dear Nancy, Sam is turning into a great dog. Like you said, he is testing his limits a bit recently (chewing, stubborn moments) since hitting adolescence but generally speaking he's been the easiest puppy I've ever had. He's very affectionate to everyone in the family. He loves the kids and wrestles and plays as much as they'll take. He is reserved with strangers yet accepts everyone in time. He knows all the clinic employees since he goes to work every day but will bark and get defensive when the delivery guys come with packages and things. He has a very deep, throaty, serious sounding bark for his age! He's really smart and rarely needs correction for the same infraction twice. He enjoys fetch and loves chasing the feral rabbits that live around the clinic. Conformationally, he's pretty good but toes out on the front feet. Nothing that should affect him really though. He has straightened out some as his chest has widened so we'll see how he looks when mature. I tried to get some photos for you but I haven't really taught him to pose for the camera. I'm also not sure how to accomplish sending multiple photos in one e-mail so I'll have to send them one at a time. Thanks again for sending him to join our family. Sincerely, Judy  P.S. He saw snow for the first time yesterday and seems to like it!	Nancy, I just wanted you to know how wonderful Bentley is. He has matured into an exceptional dog. He is so well mannered and loving and quite a guardian. He is still just a little jealous and wants the affection for himself but that is surely something we all overlook. Physically he is quite handsome and pretty large. I'm not sure what he weighs but he is going to the Vets on Monday so I will let you know. I think he has an ear infection and I wonder if he might have allergies, his eyes are red off and on.He is a great addition to our family and I want to say thanks again. You are obviously doing a fine job with the breeding.  Chris	Hi Nancy, I check your web site from time to time and watch for new litters. Our life has changed over the last few months. My family and I decided to sell the cows and quit farming. This was decided last spring and 2 weeks ago we sold our milking herd . We still have 77 young heifers and white face cattle. Sheppy had enjoyed going to the barn with me and was learning to herd the cows when we brought them in from pasture. When we got Sheppy last year I wanted him to be a barn dog and come home with me once in a while maybe for breakfest. My wife insisted that he stay in the house with us from the start. Boy am I ever glad she did. I can't imagine trying to house break him now. Sheppy and I now get up every morning and the first thing we do is go for a walk on the farm. and then again in the afternoon. Our life is so much fuller and enjoyable with that boy. I tell everyone that he is the best kid I ever had. This weekend We are going upstate to visit the kids and grandkids and Sheppy is going with us. My wife who never had a dog, still can't beleive what a good natured and well behaved dog he is. Sometimes she thinks we should get another one. We'll see about that. As you have noticed we now have a computer and we are learning many new things. Bye for now Robert and Barabara Ford and Sheppy Hi Nancy, We went for a walk the other day. I took my camera and thought you might like recent picture of our boy. He is the best dog in the world. We are prejudice though. In our last contact you wondered if he was still intact? No he's not. Hope your family is fine. we are doing OK. I'm working at the Farm Service Agency now and really enjoy what I'm doing. It is a temporary job but we'll see what happens. It is certainly a change from farming. Take care Robert and Sheppy