New Friends 2011

We have renamed Oregano to "Roscoe Douglas" and he is doing great! I can tell he is getting comfortable here because he is starting to explore and get into stuff. He is a very smart dog!! He already knows sit and I am starting to train him to use bells to tell me if he needs to go potty. Believe it or not, he is already ringing the bells when he wants to go outside. He is sleeping well through the night. We have two crates (homes) for him, one up in our bedroom and one downstairs. When we are eating dinner, he goes and naps in his house and he sleeps in his house upstairs at night (well, we have let him sleep in our bed once or twice :).

Boris is doing awesome!! He's quite the character and very goofy. He's getting along with our other dog great, they are two peas in a pod. He knew sit and paw when I got him but wouldn't actually shake, so he's learned to give paw and lay down now, and we're working on stay and walking on his leash nicely, but I have to walk him with a harness or he is just too strong!! He's now 82 lbs and doesn't really like a lot of treats but these little biscuits that I have. His favorite toy (besides the cover of a pillow pet he tore the stuffing out of) is a little tire with a rope attached to it. He carries it around and shakes it as hard as he can, it's very cute. He LOVES my bed, a lot more than his own!!!!

Catrina is so comfortable with Celia and kids in general, and she is just all around awesome. Training nicely…can do come, sit, down, learning stay and heel. Very responsive and seems smart and sensitive. Celia is doing great with her, too.

We have renamed Lena, Julia! She seems to be settling in and doing well. We all just love her and she is enjoying all the attention, hugs, and kisses. She has been to the dog park twice and does very well with the other dogs. She is also really good with the cats and the younger cat is even starting to play with her. She really seems to want to please. She hasn't had an accident since that first night and my husband is so proud walking her with all the cars slowing down to see "the pony". I am attaching pics for you to see. Again, thank you so much for your generous time and work.

Doc (now Achilles) is loving his new home! he is such a love bug/biggest lap dog you'd ever see. Yes, he actually does back up and sits on your lap if you let him...He loves to cuddle by the fire place or anywhere else he can get attention. The training is going well - he'll do pretty much anything for a treat. He and Hamlet formed quite a pack - they do everything together.

Achilles is very good with visitors (large or small) and is very gentle and patient with kids, and readily gives them kisses - whether they are ready or not...He loves to be in the yard and be king of the hill - patrol the yard, bark at neighbor's dogs and chase squirrels. And boy, does he like to run around - you can see that Grey Hound heritage showing - he is going so fast!

Thank You, DogsXL for bringing him to us! He is so loved here!

Meela is doing great!!

After he spent a lengthy time in foster and boarding, we were all glad to see handsome Homer go to a family with plenty of love for him. Photo by: www.jtfieldstudios.com

This is "Naptime x 2"!!! Bailey (aka Peter) is a wonderful doggie and I am so grateful that you steered me to him!!! Here he is sleeping with Fred after dinner. We hear he had some fun his first day home, poking around on his own a bit, and finding an old bathmat then merrily pulling out all the strings and throwing them all around.

Molly, who we adopted in late October, has been been doing great! She loves hanging out with us girls and is taking to prancing around the house and yard when excited. She loves being part of my daughter's sleep overs and chasing bunnies in the yard. We are so grateful to the rescue for helping us find a new member of our family.

We couldn't have asked for a more sweet, loving, and fun little girl to join our family. Baxi is very well-behaved, loves her chew toys & belly rubs, and sleeps peacefully at night in our bedroom on her orthopedic dog bed. She is definitely happiest when spending time with her humans though!!

Here are a few pictures of Baxi that I thought we would share with you -- she's such a cutie pie! So glad we've made her a permanent member of our family (check out the new Christmas ornament).

Whitford is doing great! He is a fabulous dog and we feel lucky and blessed to be his new family and "pack". The first time we took him to our local dog park, he ran around like a "crazy man" and had a lot of fun - He is well socialized and friendly with other dogs.

I am attaching a few pictures and thanks for the follow up. We are really impressed by how well your organization is run and how dedicated you all are!

Sometimes you just have to share your bed with a rescued dog like Lexi!

Wanted to let you and your husband know that Rufus (aka Kane) is doing awesome!!! He is an absolutely wonderful dog. We hit the jackpot with him! He's completely adapted to our family. He enjoys playing fetch in the backyard with everyone and going on runs with me. He also enjoys his weekly trips to Petco - he's a superstar there. Thank you sooooo much for allowing us to adopt such a fabulous dog!

Jake is over the moon excited and happy Alex is his buddy! They really started playing together around day 3 and both sleep in the bed with me and wake me up by playing together. I see a lot of progress with him everyday and it makes me and Jake so happy to have him in our family.

Emily (Emma) looks so happy with her new family - swimming and tug o' war time!

The day we brought Apple home was one of the happiest days of our life. Our little girl Angie has been missing our beloved dog Clarabell (who died 4 years ago) for quite a while and now Apple has filled her life (and ours) with lots of joy and smiles. Here is a picture taken while “Dad” Rob and Angie are building a fence for Apple. It’s a labor of love (and lots of sweat equity!) – and now Apple will be free to run and have some fun in the sun. Hearing the story about the poor condition of the pups’ mom and Apple's rough start made us realize how lucky we all are for having found her. Everyone at Dogs XL Rescue were so fabulous in helping to bring us to Apple’s homecoming day. Thank you – you have a friend for life in us!

Rocky is spoiled rotten!! But that is the way it is supposed to be. He climbs right into bed with his mommy in the morning when daddy gets up at 4am to go to work. At night, when he knows its time to go for a walk, he runs over, grabs his leash, throws it up in air, and starts barking.

Otis (aka Charleston – on the left in the picture above) was taken to his new home where his sweet demeanor continues to melt his owner’s hearts. He is adjusting well to all the new things he needs to learn, including sitting on command and walking on a leash. Perhaps one of the best parts of his new life is he gets to romp and play with his new BFF, Molly.

Wallie (aka Jack) decided DC and Baltimore were not the towns for him and that he wanted to go to that New York State of Mine. He made the trip north, where he has more friends and – more importantly – more bones than he knows what to do with. Don’t worry, he figured it out.

“Sweet Simba. We could not have asked for a more lovable, obedient, well-adjusted dog.” After some initial adjustments to his new home and getting over his tapeworm, Simba has found place in the center of everyone’s heart. He is quick to please and learning to socialize well with other dogs. “He is a great dog and our entire family just loves him!!”

Sawyer (aka Rebel) is a doll. A quiet and sweet pup that knows that the best place to snooze is on the couch. He’s very well behaved and hasn’t had any accidents in the house. He’s a favorite around the neighborhood, including at the Vet’s office. He’s still learning that not all cats and dogs get along – he likes the cat, but it’s not mutual. Nevertheless, its turning into a pretty good fit.

Bear is fast becoming the family favorite. After the first day in his new home, he’s come out of his shell. After a tough start, he’s landed well. Bear has been pretty active going on hikes, swimming, going to local parks, and even the tough job of snuggling with Luke. “He is the perfect addition to our house…We could not have asked for a better dog to love, and to love us.”

Buddy’s first night home was great, and is settling in well. He’s smart, so he knows when he’s got a good thing going.

Dumplin has already stolen our hearts in less than 24 hours of having her. She is definitely one of the best dogs ever. She is already a Daddy's girl and has a boyfriend named Hudson. She loves everyone she meets and is very affectionate.

Bru is absolutely adored by his new family. “He is our perfect match. My husband and I both turn to complete mush over him. He makes us laugh everyday. We go to puppy school on Mondays and he is the class favorite.”

Dusk is doing very well and seems to be adjusting to his new home. He is super sweet and just wants to please. He really likes going for walks and visit the neighbor's German Shepherd. He specially loves to play fetch with the girls in the yard, and they adore him. He has chased the cats and wants them to play, but they aren't going for it yet.