Adoptee Feedback
Tami,
I've been meaning to send you an email for a while now, but life is still a bit hectic. It's slowing down a little though and the house is finally starting to look and feel like a home instead of a bunch of boxes. Curly is doing really well. She's such a good girl and a momma's girl too. From day one she's been my pal and follows me everywhere. Even if I'm in the shower she sits outside the bathroom door and waits for me to finish. We had a tiny bit of a chewing problem in the beginning but that seems to have come to an end. The only other problem we've had is her occasional need to poop in the house. She can be out for an hour and she'll still come in and poop. We're not sure how to fix this but we're working on it. We've just been telling her this is bad and taking her and the poop out to the yard. It will work for a couple days and then she'll do it again. Currently we haven't had any accidents since Tuesday, so we have our fingers crossed. Speaking of Tuesday, she got fixed that day. The surgery went well although the rest of the day Tuesday she was pretty groggy. She's back to her old self now and just a little slow on the steps, but besides that you'd never know she just had surgery. Right now she's out playing in the yard with the kids. She's really great with them as well. Gracie lays all over her and Curly just looks at her. She's never so much as growled at her she tolerates it so well. We are thrilled to have her. Even the vet was impressed by her calm demeanor. She let the vet check her out and start an IV for the surgery and never even whimpered. The neighbors love her too. Everyone stops to ask what kind of dog she is and tell us how pretty she is. She has her first grooming appoinment coming up the first week in July. She needs a haircut pretty bad just to get the hair out of her eyes, but the groomer won't take her until her stitches are out. Anyway, I'm getting lengthy here, but I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful addition to our family! She's such a great little girl and we're so happy to have her.
Christy
Hi Tami!
Bryant and I couldn't be happier with our new puppy. We can't thank you enough for bringing him to us. We absolutely love his calm nature and equally adore his spunky side. He is a complete angel. He is sound asleep at my feet as we speak. We had a big day together. We took him to our local vet to turn in his paperwork and allow the vet to meet him. I thought that would be a good idea to do so the next time he won't be scared when we go for the next round of shots. The vet appreciated how organized you had all of his paperwork. They hadn't seen a lot of Porties so he was the star of the day. Everyone wanted to come and meet our new baby. We felt like such parents. We were so impressed and proud of how well he was behaved in the crate and meeting everyone at the vet.
He has been getting better and better at going on those pads and newspapers by the back door. Bryant went to the store to get the pads on Sunday and I think that helped quite a bit. I know it's a long road to potty training, but he's such an eager student. We are just as proud of him going to the potty as were are with his behavior at the vet. He's doing really well with the cats. He was nose to nose with one of them this a.m. and he did really well. He stood his ground and just watched the cat. Charlie really needed that too. He's such a perceptive little puppy! He knew not to push Charlie any further and they just checked each other out.
I attached a few pictures for you. There will be many more to share along the way and we would be happy to send them to you. Thanks again for being so kind to us Tami!
Take care,
Kristine
Hi Tami,
Hope you are doing great. Just wanted to email you and
let you know how things are going here. Zico now 8
months old is doing great. He is the love of our lives
and we could not be happier. He is the funniest dog
ever. Just yesterday my family admitted that they
think about him the whole time they are away from him.
We are IN love with him. He is about 45 pounds and
still has a Mohawk hair cut on top of his head. When
we take him out people stop us to talk about him. I am
always happy to tell them where he came from and how
great you were. We are with him 5 full days out of the
week and on Tuesdays and Thursdays he is in his create
for 4 hours @ a time with a break of an hour and a
trip to Dog Hill which he loves. He gets along with
other dogs very well and he loves people, most of all
very small children.You can say he is little spoiled.
He likes a full rub down in the morning and all
through out the day and he is a amazing soccer player.
His name really sooths him. he also likes to fetch the
ball at the park. He is gentle and loving and
concern. Although he is loved by all of us, I think he
favors my husband a little bit because he is the one
who leaves work in mid day on Tue. & Thu. to come and
take him out. I hope your days are happy, because you
have made our lives richer, fuller, happier.
With love,
Afsaneh & Zico
Hi Tami ~
I thought about you yesterday while playing with Lucy and wanted to email you but then I completely forgot! So I am sitting here checking my email and you email ME that sweet story! What a coincidence! So here's my update: Lucy is amazing. She is 28 pounds and growing... she had her first haircut so she doesn't look too much like an Ewok anymore. She swims like a maniac and has a best friend named Nellie, a wiemaraner (?). Every weekend we go to Charlestown and she runs the beach... during the week she rests up (the weekends completely wipe her out) and we do more civilized things like go to the dog park right down my street and go for long walks around my apartment. She walks up to the biggest dogs at the park, swipes them in the face and runs away. For some reason, they seem to like her and and she has a grand old time being chased around the park. She's not scared of anything but growls and does a low bark if she doesn't like someone or sees something interesting. She has been sleeping in my room lately like a big girl, and last night when we went out to dinner, instead of putting her in her crate she got to roam free for the first time with Nellie. We were kind of nervous and puppy proofed the whole house, but when we came back, all we found were two wiggly happy dogs! No messes, no accidents, no chewed up anything! She's an absolutely beautiful dog and I couldn't ask for a more perfect friend. Thank you!!
Kirsten & Lucy
Hi Tami, sorry it has been so long, but we have been a bit busy. Vinke (Chanel) i sdoing great. She went for her first sailboat adventure yesterday and she was a very good girl. She is very smart. She knows sit, laydown and stay, sometimes. We have also trained her to sit at intersctions when we go for our walks. So that is what is going on with us. I hope all is well with you, and again we cannot thank you enough for bringing such a piece of happiness to our little family.
Thanks again,
Patrick
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Hi Tami-
Dickens is doing great! We love him so much, and he really is so good. He is doing so well with the potty training. Tonight, he had to go to the bathroom, so he went to the door and started barking. We're totally impressed with how smart he is. He already learned to sit! He has his crazy moments, and he definitely loves to chew, but all in all, he is still the calm little puppy we fell in love with.
Thank you very much!
We'll be in touch, I'm sure!
Stef
Hi Tami!
Thought on the occasion of Cody's 1st birthday that I should send you an update! He's doing great!! . He got neutered a few weeks ago and is adjusting fine! He loves loves loves playing with other dogs. The typical week involves 4 walks a day amounting to anywhere from 4-8 miles per day! One or two afternoons my neighbor will bring him next door to play with her dog in their backyard until I get home. Then we go on our walk. On the weekends I usually take him to a park for a long 2 hour outing - often involving swimming in the creek when seasonable. He doesn't fetch on land, but he LOVES to fetch anything out of the water!!! He doesn't know to stay out of the road yet when off leash, so I can't let him run on his own unless we are at the dog park. Then he runs all the other dogs ragged!! He will go and go and go! Playing and running and rough-housing until its time to go home. There's no stopping him! He loves it so much. Apparently he's the king dog in the neighborhood. All the other dogs seem to stop whatever they were doing when we show up at playgroup and they follow his lead until we leave. One of the black labs, who I think used to be the king dog, doesn't appreciate that very much. But Cody loves all his dog buddies regardless of their attitude toward him.
He pretty much aced the first puppy training class and now we're about to start the intermediate class... working toward off-leash training and perhaps to an off-leash license that the city allows to properly behaving dogs. Cody will have trouble ignoring distractions and unknown people in order to pass that test, so perhaps he won't get it. We'll see.
While when I first got him I didn't allow him on my bed, he always slept loose in the bedroom but on the floor, I found he chews my clothes much less if I let him sleep on the bed with me. So he's really proud that he got me to change my mind on that issue and he lays all 40lbs of his body on my chest as we fall asleep at night.
He's been great fun, somewhat angering at times, and always a joy to have. I can't imagine not having him in my life now that he's been here 8 months now. Thank you again for allowing me to be Cody's caretaker! Its been such a learning experience and a rewarding time for me!! And I think Cody is really happy and doing well.
Brian
We had a great X-Mas with Ellie, I can't believe that she was only 5lbs. at this time last year!!! She could not be a more perfect dog. Do you think that you will still be having puppies in two years? We are eventually going to buy another house with acreage and we want another pup at that point and I just love Ellie so much. You had her personality figured out just right. I just want to make sure that I don't miss the opportunity to get another puppy from you. I hope that you had a very merry and not too stressful X-Mas.
Tami,
We'll send you a picture of Feisty (aka Bello). That was so cool to see him with his brothers and sisters. We can tell which one was him. He is doing great. He is a bit spoiled. We just love him sooooo much that we can't stop loving him. He owns us!!
Sharon, Steve, Vaughan and Gavin Moore
Thanks for the Pix of litter B..they ae so cute! Makes me want another one!
Last night I thought I've got to take a picture of Blake to send to Tami...well easier said then done. He still loves refections and flashes and all he does is get excited he won't sit still!
I want you to know that Blake is my Buddy..We all Love him! My husband takes him to work and all the guys at work Love him! He has turned out to be the BEST Dog! He is always around me. If the kids are in the pool he plays life guard and won't leave their sides.
Its a wonderful thing you do with these dogs! Thanks for bringing us so much happiness!
Love The Pfaffs & Blake!
Dear Tami,
Thank you for all your support through this whole process of adopting Blake! I believe that you were meant to be in our lives... All things happen for a reason. We will always be in touch and send pictures. Looking forward to working with you in the future! We will take very good care of "Heart Break Blake"
Sincerely,
Rick, Bethany, Jenna
Connor, Maddison & Grandma Jeanne
We adopted "Barker" in January. He was in Diva's first litter, born October 26, 2004. Tami flew to NC with him. She brought his blanket, a few toys and a black ball of energy! He's curly coated, black with a little white blaze on his chest and a white goatee!
It is hard to believe he has only been with us for 10 months! I cannot imagine not having him. He thinks he is a human and I think he is, too! I refer to him as my "little boy in a fur suit". He's very sensitive, responsive, curious, fun-loving, and highly intelligent. He loves to play games like "keep away" and "tag" and he knows he has to be sneaky if he has snitched something he shouldn't have. My sons are grown (23 & 25) and I wish we had known about Porties when they were little. I think Barker would be a wonderful pet for children and would be thrilled to have their young energy. He has never met a person he didn't want to welcome with all-out enthusiasm!
The UPS, mailman, FedEx guys romp with him, and bring him treats, when they come into the yard. He seems to attract people and make friends fast because he's so approachable... furry and happy. My older son has asthma so we never had an indoor pet when he was young. Barker does NOT shed, ever, at all! He will take over a comfy chair or the sofa (your favorite spot) whenever he wants, but he won't leave hair... just mud!
My husband and I take him with us whenever we can. He doesn't care what boring chores we are doing, he wants to be right there. He will sit with me when I'm on the computer and will be patient for a long time. But, when he is ready to go, he wants me to go, too! He goes with my husband to his office on Saturday mornings and will wait patiently after he has visited everyone else in the building. He wants to ride in the car, with his front paws on my console, and his face right beside mine! He seems to be scanning the horizon for approaching Portuguese fishing boats! He practically turns cartwheels when Lou comes home from work every evening! He waits by the door and watches for him.
One interesting thing about a Portie is his use of his front paws. He's almost bear-like. He will hold a toy or dogbone in his paws while he chews. He will bat my arm until I start to rub him while I'm driving. At times, I know it's frustrating that he cannot speak English, but he does communicate well. He is not like any other dog I have known. He's more like a chimp in intelligence.
We live on a river and we have an invisible fence around the yard. He enjoys being outside, but he would much rather have company out there. He's not the sort of animal that you can put outside and forget about. He wants to do whatever he needs to do and come right back in where he belongs... right beside you!! Speaking of "doing what needs to be done", he has never had an accident in the house since he learned where to go. Training him was really easy.
There are only a couple of things I would like to change about his behavior. He is SO enthusiastic that I am afraid he will knock an older person or a small child down. He doesn't realize his power when he jumps up. The other is his habit of crouching down and barking when he wants you to play. I think these are minor and we will work on them. They are "social" problems and simply stem from his over zealous love of attention! He is learning not to jump, but he can't help himself!
Tami has done a very nice job of choosing the parents of her litters. Barker does not have a vicious or mean-spirited bone in his body. She had socialized Barker and given him attention and love from birth. He's very secure and he's an equal opportunity lover! I know you will love having a PWD and he/she will absolutely adore you and your family (and friends and strangers) unconditionally. He does bark when someone approaches the house and I do appreciate that warning!
Betty
Dear Tami,
We are so in love with Bruce. At 16 weeks, he now weighs 23 pounds. He has had his 3rd set of shots and Rabies, and is really thriving!!
He loves to chew..anything, so we watch him like crazy and always have toys around..I should buy stock in our local pet store as I am like a crazy new Mom..can not stop myself from buying little toys and goodies. He is very good at knowing where to do his business..OUTSIDE and only a rare accident if his Daddio does not follow the program..men are so dense sometimes..yes?
Anyway, I think Bruce has such a sweet temperment and such a loving face...a small dose of mischeif makes him our perfect boy!!
Thank you for raising such a loving pet and beginning his life with so much
care and attention. We could not be happier.
Always.
Abby
Hi Tami,
Bella Grace is doing wonderful, she is the new love of my life without a doubt. I don't go anywhere without her. She has been running with me twice a day and is just about fully house broken...although I sometimes still let her use the pad when she wakes up early in the morning hours. She has been sleeping in her crate and loves it!!! But her favorite bed is my bed. She is a snuggler, and a protector...if she hears a noise or anyone in the house when she is sleeping with me, she is on red alert and stands on my back or stomach in full guard position...a little brown, curly princess of no more then ten pounds on full alert...she is the best dog I have ever seen, and somehow she happens to be mine. More people have stopped me in the street, or in the city to ask me about her then I can count...she is also the ultimate chick magnate...I have to fight them off with a stick...She has a few little hyper episodes once in a while which is normal for a nine week old...I have to keep telling myself she is not even three monthes old, she has learned to sit, speak, fetch, and sort of stay...which I am working on. She is amazing and everyone who sees her says she is the most beautiful dog they have ever seen. Her bright, light eyes, and that coat is just perfect. She is eveything I hoped for and so much more. Thank you a million times over Tami for being such a wonderful person to deal with. I am proud to call you my friend.
Patrick
Tami,
Bree ( or Holly as we have named our little Christmas present) has been doing very well! She is already 15 pounds and has very easily adapted to our family. We are having such fun with her! Every day I take Holly for a run on our beach which is one mile long and very wide with a high sea wall -so it's very safe for her to be off leash. She and I (and my two girls) our attending Puppy Kindergarten classes. She's so very bright! We had her house trained within two weeks of getting her; she fetches, sits for us..
Thanks and I hope all is well.
Bye, Marleen
Just wanted to drop you a note and tell you how perfect Ellie is. We just love her soooo much, she couldn't be more perfect. I will take some more pics and send them soon. Do you think you might have another litter in the next year or two?
Anna
Hi Tami!
He is wonderful! We love him! I am starting training classes with him on April 3rd. We are so attatched to him. All of us. My husband is a different person with dogs now. He treats him like a baby. He is so intelligent, I can't believe it. He is completely potty trained. He actually communicates with me like, I have never seen a dog do. He is 35 lbs!! He sits on my lap and lets me pamper him with love and when I stop he actually starts crying!!! I am such a sucker, because then it turns into another love session! I love the way he uses his paws, like a kitten. My children love him. They only get mad, when he steals thier toys, which makes them clean them up!!
Thanks!
Sharon