Hi there!

 

Hope all is well with the Baxter's and their poo's.  Everything is great with us and the kids.  Elvira is an amazing therapy dog and is doing well in rally obedience.  She is such a great dog.  Merlin is awesome.  Mr. Happy all the time.  He has hit 10 months and is going a bit into the "I don't want to"  attitude. Decided he was going to redecorate our hallway the other day when he was here alone while I took Elvira to her hospital therapy work.  He pulled all the wall to wall carpet back into the master bedroom!  The next day (while we were barrowing a big dog crate from our trainer) he chewed the fringe off a very good accent rug in the TV room.  So, he is becoming familiar with the inside of a crate again.  He actually likes it and I find him in it sometimes.  Hopefully he gets through this stage quickly!  Next week he starts his CGC class and will graduate this summer.  I will start him in therapy work next Fall.  He'll be great at it.

 

Anyway, wanted you to see a recent photo of them.  Merlin is maybe 1/2 inch taller than Elvira, but still puppy thin.  I have no doubt he will be larger than she is.  Guess he is taking after Major. Yahoo!

 

We will keep in touch.

 

Sherri,  Mark, Elvira and Merlin

Hi Becky,

Well Merlin got his CGC tonight!  Passed all sections with flying colors.  I am so proud of him.  He was so focused and such a good and patient boy. There were 8 other dogs testing as well.  He was the youngest, and the biggest!

 

Sherri

Hi Becky

 

Wanted to let you know that Merlin has passed his temperament test for the Animal Assisted Therapy group I work with.  It's part of our local SPCA.  He will start next week visiting a senior live in facility that is mostly elderly widows with freshly coiffed hair and manicures.  Perfect for him!  He is really a gentle soul, but does not get thrown by much accept huge (Great Dane) type dogs. He still needs to learn to focus more and not be so antsy, but that will come.  The ladies will think he is divine.......

 

As I have mentioned before, Elvira does her ATT at the psychiatric hospital so she has been accustomed to loud and sometimes odd behavior. I am the coordinator for hospital and special needs so visited a new facility today with her so I could determine which dog would best work there.

I took Elvira to Desert Hot Springs Hi School today to get a feel for the developmentally challenged students. She never ceases to amaze me.  The moderate group are kids that can be taught but never mainstreamed due to their particular issues and the severity of them.  Cerebral palsy, Downs Syndrome, brain damage, etc.  12 kids.  Elvira sat so patiently with each child even when getting poked at due to poor motor control.  Then we visited the new class that has been added to the school.  Severely handicapped children and young adults. 9-10 students.  This is not for the faint at heart, dogs or owners.  Devastating disabilities.  Little to no cognitive behavior.  Lots of mewing, yelling, crying, wailing, etc.   Severe motor control  issues.  Again, Elvira was a trooper and allowed every kid who could, to touch her.  She walked out with her tail high and her patented slow wave back and forth.  Did not show any signs of stress.  Very tired when she got home though.  She is such a great dog.  I hear it all the time.

 

Again thanks for breeding such sound dogs.  They are a pleasure to live with.

 

Sherri and Mark and the poos.

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JANUARY 2008