VINCENT

(9.24.09) Well Vince the Prince is definitely living up to his name. He really does need a lot of attention that I am more than happy to give to him. He has taken to myself and my house quite fondly and has claimed the full carpeted area his new bed. Vince has came out of his shell a little bit more in the past few days showing me that he is very loyal and loves to be around his new best friend every second of the day. He follows me room to room and in and out of the house when I am unloading groceries. Last week I had a trip up to our lake house in Austin and he absolutely loved it there. His little sniffer went nuts for a few hours and we also found out his one fear in life. It turns out Vince is deathly afraid of stairs, so my parents and I (Plus the older family boxer George) have undergone a training process of fixing Vince's fears. Well after the 10th min of calling, begging, bribing, encouraging, showing and motivating we had Vince go up the stairs twice. We will be re-visiting the lake house every 3 weeks or so due to my job and so I am sure with a little time and patience we will beat the stair monster down. Thank you for everything. --- Adam Ashmun

DUG

(9.24.09) Dug and I are doing FABULOUS!!! Although his adoption started out like a mail-order-bride situation, he certainly has surpassed every expectation I had. I knew when I saw his picture online, that he was the dog for me. First, he looked like my last Boxer, Jake. Then, when I read about his mellow temperament, I was sold---I am a lover of the rescue dogs, but I knew I was not capable of handling a "tough case". His 11 hour trip home to Park City, Utah, was uneventful and really nice. Satellite Radio and Cruise Control made the drive to Santa Fe bearable, and his addition on the way back made it wonderful! He has been in his forever home for 3 1/2 weeks now and I am so pleased. He settled in nicely. The first day back, my neighbors invited us to hike this great trail behind my neighborhood. With his new friends Lucy and Bear (Chocolate and Black labs, respectively), we set out on a morning hike. It was pretty warm, even for the morning, and the altitude (7500ft) didn't help his little sea-level stamina---he ambled up the trail, stopped and gratefully drank a lot of water, and did very well on the hike up to the top. On the way down, and near the end of the loop, the Labs bounded off for the creek and jumped in after the rocks we throw for them to chase---No one told Dug he isn't a Lab, so he bounded right in after them! He doesn't swim like the Labs, but he wades up to his chest, gets his undercarriage cooled off, and drinks the mountain run -off water. He's met neighbors, and friends pack dogs, and he is a GEM with all of them! I wanted to get his diet in the proper place, so we went to our local "Love Your Pet Bakery" where they have raw food for his new diet (more about that later). The owners of the store have 3 GIGANTIC Newfoundlands---in fact, when we went into the store, I still had my sunglasses on and I thought they were bearskin rugs (not uncommon out here); when they jumped up to greet us I was certainly surprised (as was Dug)! He stood stock still and let the dogs sniff him out, then he just laid on the floor with them. He's a mellow man. Our most recent hike with a pack of dogs included a Brittany Spaniel---since no one told Dug he isn't a flushing dog, he just followed the Spaniel into the brush and did flushing behaviors! His diet has made him into a trim and muscle-y good looking boy. As I said, he eats raw. So two times a day he gets a 1/2lb of either Elk, Venison, or Buffalo mixed with vegetables and bone. Once weekly he has a Dairy Day where he gets organic cottage cheese, maple yogurt, and a raw egg with the shell. He LOVES his food! He gets Elk bones and some tendons. His coat is sleek, soft, and shiny. He hasn't shed much yet either. He has good manners, and we're still working on some of them (Jumping on me when he wants attention, and counter-surfing). Otherwise, he is good on the leash, LOVES the car where he can stick his head out of the sunroof and smell the area. He is great with all people, big and small children (he loves the little ones as they taste like the food they've been trying to eat!). We watch "The Dog Whisperer" and get pointers, as well as read anything Cesar Milan puts out! He sleeps in his own bed at night, and never gets up. My job as a Nurse Midwife makes for some odd hours, and often I am flying out of the house in the middle of the night, or returning late in the evening. He rolls with all of the punches, and does just fine. I have neighbors that come over to walk him while I am out, and he never misses a day of exercise. He mostly gets 2 walks a day. I could babble on and on about how much I adore him and how happy we both are, but I will end this Opus of an email. I'll send pictures as soon as I figure out how to upload them to my computer. Dug's previous foster mother is on Facebook, so I send her pics of him when I can. If there is anything else I can say or do, please let me know! --- xoxoDanielle (and Dug)

ACHILLES

(9.24.09...Now Vincent) Vincent is so good! He plays all day with Quiara, my other boxer. He knows his name by now and is very good at walking. Vincent is pure energy! He follows my husband more than me. He loves heels as you can see and he is free of heartworms! Vincent knows how to use the doggie door also. --- Thanks for taking in my baby!

LUCY

(7.28.09) Lucy is in her new home and seems to be adjusting well, she was a little anxious at first which was to be expected. Attached are a few pictures of her first few hours. We will send updates and keep everyone posted on how she is doing. We could not be any happier with the new addition to our family!

IKE

(7.13.09) I want to thank you all for taking the time to work with me and find the perfect boxer addition to my pack. My adoption of a beautiful boxer boy named Ike has been a true pleasure. My pack had previously included Peanut, a beautiful female rescue boxer as my 5 year old pack leader, my son James and myself. From the first day we met and brought Ike home he just naturally became a part of our family. He is so smart and eager to please that we all fell immediately in love with him. Not to mention Ike is a very handsome boxer! In fact Peanut and Ike have now become true sweethearts. Ike is also an excellent guard dog barking to alert me of anything including a recent raccoon trying to enter my house. My son James has really taken to Ike and now calls him his dog. He enjoys playing with him daily as well as putting him through basic obedience drills several times a week. Ike is a big guy at 85 lbs but amazingly loves to jump 6 ft in the air and catch the Frisbee when I throw it time and time again. Our life with Ike has been filled with so much love and fun. I really want to thank you all at Houston Boxer Rescue for working so very hard to save the lives of so many Boxers in need, and especially for saving the life of one very special dog named Ike. Sincerely --- Clint Winter