04/14/04
Things are going great!!! Alkan and Dakota are great friends now and play all day- although Alkan is the instigator- Dakota doesn't push his limits. Dakota whines anytime we come home, Alkan whines less now- he checks to see what Dakota does first, lol.  if Alkan barks or hears something Dakota will follow and back him up, it's really funny to see Dakota follow him. everyone loves him- he sleeps on the couch mostly but sometimes jumps in bed with us or jasmine.  he's shedding in chunks right now and jasmines collecting it to make a pillow- she misses him when she goes so she wants a "Dakota pillow" and we can't convince her that the smell isn't that wonderful, lol.  he has put on some weight and he looks and moves much better, we are sticking with glucosamine right now.

04/11/04
Hope this is finding you all well. It has been a year since we adopted Ataani [formerly Kayla] so I thought that you might like an update. She is doing incredibly well and is absolutely crazy about our male Mal, Louie. She's still not a big people fan given her history, but she has warmed up wonderfully well to Tom and I [and our cats] and is beginning to expand her horizons with other familiar humans. You will see that she is no longer skinny puppy but is now a healthy, full grown adult. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. We're hoping with more years of love and a lot of hiking, she will shed her anxiety and find the world to be a safe place. Another happy ending thanks to all of you. I'm sending you a few pics for your records.
Thanks for continuing to provide a wonderful and much needed service to a wonderful and much deserving dog.

03/19/04
Hi Matt and Jodi.  I was so happy to hear from you.  I had sent out an update on Liberty around Christmas time but yours was returned to me undelivered.  So now I have your new e-mail and can include you in since I know you love our Liberty so much.
Thanks for the reminder about her vaccinations.  Our Vet had also sent us a reminder and she will have those tomorrow.  Several weeks after we brought her home we took her to the vet along with the paperwork you had sent from Clearview and they entered all her important info into their records.  We also had her microchipped at that time.  Don't want to lose our lovely girl.
She is one very very happy camper.  It took her awhile to get used to her new home and settle in.  Think some adjustment needed to be made from kennel life to a home again. Within the first few days she had knocked over all my potted plants on the deck spilling plants and dirt so she could play with the pots.  I now know I will only have hanging baskets from now now and when she wants new toys all I need is a plastic pot.  As you know she is a digger as evident by 3 hole in the middle of our backyard.  Typical mal.  You can't get mad at her she is just so cute.  She just looks at you with those pretty eyes like what's the problem I'm just a mal and so pretty.
Every morning and evening no matter what the weather Jim takes her and Buddy on their walk. Each walk is at least 5 miles.  She had no problem adjusting to that and loves it.  Usually in the morning after their walk Liberty and Buddy play on the back deck their favorite place.  They spend another 30 min or more running up and down the deck and wrestling with each other. Poor Buddy usually is the one who ends up soaking wet with Liberty slobbering all over him. Once in awhile she lets him get the better of her.
We have found we have had to Liberty proof the house.  Put everything up high or she takes off with it and chews it all up.  Already gone through 2 remote controls and Jim's glasses.  Our fault for leaving them in her reach.  She and the cats are doing ok.  Our oldest one is not to happy having her around but he deals with it.  The youngest one is scared of Liberty most of the time but is getting used to her.  The problem is Liberty wants to play with Sissy and of course can't since she is so big. Poor Liberty just can't understand why this cat does not want to play like Buddy does.  It does get interesting trying to keep track of the 4 animal and making sure they are all getting along.
Attached are a couple of pictures we took when she first arrived.  I hope I managed to do the attachment right.  I am still trying to figure out how these computer work.  Your Happytails site is great.  So nice to see these dogs find a great home.  I still check out the dogs on the WAMAL site and wish I could have all of them.

03/19/04
Hi Matt and Jodi.  I was so happy to hear from you.  I had sent out an update on Liberty around Christmas time but yours was returned to me undelivered.  So now I have your new e-mail and can include you in since I know you love our Liberty so much.
Thanks for the reminder about her vaccinations.  Our Vet had also sent us a reminder and she will have those tomorrow.  Several weeks after we brought her home we took her to the vet along with the paperwork you had sent from Clearview and they entered all her important info into their records.  We also had her microchipped at that time.  Don't want to lose our lovely girl.
She is one very very happy camper.  It took her awhile to get used to her new home and settle in.  Think some adjustment needed to be made from kennel life to a home again. Within the first few days she had knocked over all my potted plants on the deck spilling plants and dirt so she could play with the pots.  I now know I will only have hanging baskets from now now and when she wants new toys all I need is a plastic pot.  As you know she is a digger as evident by 3 hole in the middle of our backyard.  Typical mal.  You can't get mad at her she is just so cute.  She just looks at you with those pretty eyes like what's the problem I'm just a mal and so pretty.
Every morning and evening no matter what the weather Jim takes her and Buddy on their walk. Each walk is at least 5 miles.  She had no problem adjusting to that and loves it.  Usually in the morning after their walk Liberty and Buddy play on the back deck their favorite place.  They spend another 30 min or more running up and down the deck and wrestling with each other. Poor Buddy usually is the one who ends up soaking wet with Liberty slobbering all over him. Once in awhile she lets him get the better of her.
We have found we have had to Liberty proof the house.  Put everything up high or she takes off with it and chews it all up.  Already gone through 2 remote controls and Jim's glasses.  Our fault for leaving them in her reach.  She and the cats are doing ok.  Our oldest one is not to happy having her around but he deals with it.  The youngest one is scared of Liberty most of the time but is getting used to her.  The problem is Liberty wants to play with Sissy and of course can't since she is so big. Poor Liberty just can't understand why this cat does not want to play like Buddy does.  It does get interesting trying to keep track of the 4 animal and making sure they are all getting along.
Attached are a couple of pictures we took when she first arrived.  I hope I managed to do the attachment right.  I am still trying to figure out how these computer work.  Your Happytails site is great.  So nice to see these dogs find a great home.  I still check out the dogs on the WAMAL site and wish I could have all of them.

03/09/04
I've always had a fascination with mals ever since my neighbor got one when I was a teen.  I always figured I'd get one when I was older- but as the time flies and the next thing I know I have a 9-year-old, a 10 pound pom, and a small girlfriend.  So the prospect of getting a large active dog like a mal was looking slim.  Then came the email from Cindy that had found a match- I couldn't believe it- she had a match for our family!  Now upon first impression the girls- and our dog- were scared of Dakota.  He's a big boy and very intimidating- but I just stuck my face down there and got a big wet kiss- I guess he's okay :)!  Anyway since we've had him home he's adapted very well- he's great inside or out, mostly ignores the other dog, and goes nuts with howls when we come home.   We get nothing but compliments on his great manners and exotic looks.  And that intimidation factor gives me a safe feeling when the girls walk to school- the secret is only we know he wouldn't hurt anyone- which is also a relief because I'm sure if he had it in him he could.