11/11/03
HI Matt Yes she is doing great she is over 80 lbs now she is a little hard of hearing when told NO or SIT and COME, but so is Sky our male mal. But it's funny how good their hearing is when you have food!! I don't have any photos scanned yet and I want to get a good photo of her in her winter coat. She is still a little skinny but at least she is not a bag of bones and fur, like she was when we got her.
She is good with the cats in the house but outside they are fair game in her mind...... found this out this morning she tried to grab Kinky cat after he got out and tried to get back in the house I had Tundra by the scruff about 4 sec after she grabbed him... Cats OK dogs OK but a little more wary of grabbing the cat I hope, it's funny Kink and her sleep together in the house. Our other cat Obby has nailed her a few times so she tries to keep clear of her.
We know she was abused but we found out how much over the summer.... She fears water hoses and water she will not step in a wadding pool or a pond outside she is fearful of feet as in being kicked also fast hand movements she ducks most of the time. Over all she is doing great she is acting like she has been with us for years. It took time for her to learn to play with Sky now it's flip the coin as to who will start the chase or tag and run. One of her high point of the day is Pack time just before bedtime It's myself and my sweetie in bed with Sky, Tundra and Kink on the bed with us it's time for pets and belly rubs and snuggling with the kids Sky will last 5 to 10 mins then he's ready to get off Tundra you can pet her till she is raw and she would be happy Kink will let both dogs wash his face now and then, he rubs on both of them when they are laying down where he can rub their heads

11/10/03
First I would like to thank Wamal for offering us the opportunity to provide Tug with a home. He has been an excellent addition to our family. He is very lovable and easy going. Our daughter Rebecca loves Tug, she follows him everywhere he goes. Finally someone to wear her out for us. He loves to drag me around the neighborhood on our walks. He has a basic understanding of commands, but still cannot resist trying to go after a squirrel. He is also an excellent watchdog. Tug gets along with his two Akita cousins, a feisty young female and an 8-year male. He loves all kids and his family. We could not be more please with Tug if he had been made to order.
Have a Great Day! :O)

4/3/03
How have you been, lately? How is life in Leavenworth these days - has spring arrived there yet? How is the malamute rescue work treating you? It looks like there are still several mals available on the WAMAL website, and I'm sure you would just prefer there be none, since that means those dogs are not in permanent homes. I don't know if you remember me, but my fiancée (who is now my wife!), Kris and I adopted Tela in September of 2001. I've been real lazy about letting you know how she's doing, and I think the last update I sent you was about a year ago. Since I'm finally getting around to e-mailing you, I do want to let you know that Tela is still a very important part of our family, and she is still doing very well.
I know I mentioned in my last e-mail that we were looking for a house to buy. Well, we didn't actually find one until the end of last December. We looked for nearly a year and just didn't find any houses we really liked. We finally found a house that fit us well and moved into it about a month and a half ago. After an initial adjustment period, Tela seems to like the new house just fine. She now has (finally!) a nice-sized backyard to run around in off-lead. The house was still in the process of being built when we bought it, and the builder was nice enough to construct a six foot fence around the backyard. That was especially nice because it allowed Tela to immediately use the backyard while we all got settled in. So now she still goes on at least two walks per day and also goes in the backyard for a little while each day. We've had fun exploring some of the trails near the new house on our walks, and she's already met several of the other dogs in the neighborhood. Our next door neighbors have a male Golden Retriever and Tela enjoys talking to him through the fence and playing with him in the backyard. One of the nicest things about the new house is that it is pretty close to Mt. Hood National Forest, and we've already snuck out between rain showers to tackle some of its trails.
All in all, everything is just great with Tela. We've grown a lot closer to her, and she is a wonderful companion. Although she's very friendly with everyone and loves the attention she gets when meeting new people, we can tell she's partial to us and knows that we're the two people who will always take care of her. I think she considers us a part of her pack now! She is well-behaved but still not afraid to challenge the boundaries we've set. That's just part of her character as a Malamute and a trait we've grown to understand and love. I know the pictures I attached in my last e-mail were a little difficult for you to open because of the format they were saved in. We have since bought a digital camera, so I attached a couple recent pictures that should be in JPG format. We just bought the camera during the holidays last year, and we're still learning all of its uses and features. So, I only have two pictures to send you right now, but I promise to send more as we take them and get them uploaded to our computer. The pictures happen to be from our wedding, which took place December 22, 2002 at Tryon Creek State Park in SW Portland. Tela was of course there, and these are my two favorite pictures of her taken at the wedding. If you can't open these either or have trouble viewing them, let me know and I will make adjustments for you. I hope everything is going well for you, Cindy. Thank You for all that you do for these dogs as the time and work you put in is invaluable. Take care of yourself, and I will talk to you later.

10/20/01
I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I did just like everyone else by not getting back to you right away about Tela after our visit, even though I told you I wouldn't! Well, everything went well and we brought her home. I decided to take Thursday and Friday off work in order to be able to spend those first couple days with Tela. I'm happy to say that all is going really well with us and Tela. She is very well-mannered, especially in the house, and loves to go outside on walks. We have socialized her a little bit around people and one other dog. She has also done well in those situations and seems really playful. She seems happy with us and loves the attention she gets.
So, it looks so far like everything will work out. Both Kris and I (and Tela, too!) owe you, Tami, Cindy K, Mike and Elsa G a huge Thank You! I am so grateful for all your help, support and patience. If there is anything else I need to do to help things go smoothly for you, please let me know. Otherwise, Thank You again for everything and I will talk to you soon! Take care, Cindy!

10/20/01
I had a long talk with Russelle this afternoon and it was like two moms talking about their newborns. She and her husband and kids are absolutely delighted with Talla, now named Tasha. Playing with her is the oldest child's incentive to get his homework done (he is the really shy one) and the younger child loves having "someone" to boss around. All are learning obedience terms. They have connected with an obedience instructor who has already gently chastised them about allowing a mal puppy to chew on human hands:-). They are working with her on calming down the exuberance with which she greets anyone new who comes to visit (I guess she has barreled down a few 3-4 year olds and so far all have ended up in a delighted furry pile) and they have already trained her to stay off the furniture. She is a great incentive for the kids to keep their toys picked up as anything left on the floor is fair game--so far the boxing mitts and a few stuffed animals have been claimed by her as dog toys. I kind of liked the fact that Tasha chewed up the boxing mitts. Geez, who needs to learn how to hit people.
Also, Tasha has been trained very well to relieve herself in just one corner of the yard, which makes cleaning up after her an easy task. So far she has shown absolutely no interest in the other side of her fence. There is enough social interaction on HER side of it to keep her pretty busy.
I hope they eventually get around to sending you their own "happy ending" and perhaps a photo or two. I think this rowdy little one will turn out to be a queen with a fun streak.