July 16, 2009

Hello family and friends, Happy July! Not only is it the month to celebrate America, but this month is also the one year mark from when I met my new family.

I remember when they first came to meet me during the 4th of July weekend. I was so nervous wondering if they would like me, so I tried to show them that I was a sweet loving girl and well behaved. I must have done a good job because they decided right away that I was the girl for them and called LRR to say they wanted to add me to their family! I had been through so many foster homes and adoption interviews that I was wondering if I would ever find my forever home. I admit the first few months I was a little nervous hoping they weren’t just another foster home and would be sending me on my way sooner or later. But it is a year later and I’m still here! So to those LRR labbies out there, there is hope that you will find the perfect family for you; I did!

So let me tell you what I have been up to since my last update . . . It was a rough winter for Mommy, who was in a really bad car accident just before Thanksgiving. She was hit head-on by someone who fell asleep at the wheel. She says it was a good thing that she was the only one in the car so that none of us got hurt too. She was home for a long time from her injuries and got very sad. She would call me up to snuggle her on the bed or couch to comfort her when she would get upset and to help her get better. She said she would have been very lonely if it wasn’t for me keeping her company all day while everyone was at school or work. She tells me how thankful she was to have found me, and that I am a special girl.

Christmas: We stayed home because Mommy was still hurt, but we had a great time! There were lots of presents I helped my 2 legged brother and sister open. I was having a great time playing with all the wrapping paper and boxes, but Daddy kept trying to call me over. I thought I was going to get in trouble for ripping boxes, but he was actually trying to get me to come over and open my own presents! Can you believe I got my OWN presents? There were treats, a new collar, plushie toys, and some treat hider tough toys. It was AWESOME!! Then my four legged Aunt Sunny came over; she’s a yellow labbie too. She comes over from time to time when the grandparents come or go on travel. She spent a week playing with me, and we had a great time!

I got to celebrate my birthday in May. I am four years old now, but Daddy still says I am a pup. I had a special birthday dinner of filet mignon, and boy was that good!!! I also got a bunch of new toys to add to my collection. Actually it isn’t really much of a collection as I tend to be a little rough on my toys. I love the plushie toys, but I make quick work of tearing them up. Mommy still has a growing pile of ones she needs to stitch back together but hasn’t had time. So they bought me a couple new plushies and then some more tough toys. I also love it when they get me the treat hiding toys. I do get a little frustrated with them because the treats don’t come out very fast. So I take it over to my brother and sister to have them shake out some of the treats for me to snack on. Then they roll it away and I bring it back to them to get more out for me. I got a new collar and also got this great new bed. Mommy went to an Orvis warehouse sale and got this extra-large dog bed, and oh is it awesome!! Every labbie should have an Orvis bed.

Things I love… I love to spend time with my family. My sister says I am very special to her and that I’m a good dog. She likes to cuddle and snuggle with me and whispers in my ear that she loves me and I am so cute. I love to make her smile and have her tell me how special I am. My brother likes to throw things for me and play chase around the house. He says I have a lot of engery, and we run until we wear each other out. I love that he spends play time with me and goofing around. I love playing with my Daddy the most. I get excited when my family comes home each day; but when Daddy walks in, I get carried away. I jump around and run to him for my lovings, rubbings, scratches, and play time. Mommy just smiles and laughs. She says I looking like a bucking bronco and teases me that she knows who I love the most. I love each member of my new family and making them all so happy. They also tell me they all love me and that they are so happy to have found me.

So once again, I wish everyone a wonderful summer and here is to another wonderful year full of love and happy times!

January 22, 2009

Happy New Year to LRR friends and family!

I had a great holiday with my new family! Christmas morning was very exciting watching my 2 legged sister and brother open gifts. I loved grabbing the paper and boxes, then running for it. Mom finally decided that maybe I should open some of my presents to keep me occupied. I got a bunch of cool new toys and some tasty treats too! My favorite gift was a 2 foot long stuffed bone, which I proudly pranced around the house carrying and shaking it. Then they dressed me up in a brand new pink collar. I must say I looked good. Mom also learned I LOVE ham. As soon as she pulled the ham out for Christmas dinner, I refused to leave the kitchen begging and crying for a piece. Even after whining all through getting dinner ready and eating, Mom still wouldn’t give me any. She said it is not good for puppies to have ham. Mom and Dad did laugh about it and said it reminded them of my yellow sister Hayley that passed away. Apparently, she also LOVED ham and begged for it like me. Mom and Dad think it must be a yellow labbie thing.

In the short six months I’ve been here, I have adapted very well to my new family. I finally realized this was not just another foster home, but a forever home. The family always gives me kisses, hugs, love, and tells me how happy they are I came along. The kids love to snuggle with me, and mom finally broke down and let me on the couch to cuddle with everyone. I mostly like to cuddle with my dad, but Mom and the kids are also good at cuddling if he isn’t around. My manners also have been improving. I do not snatch food anymore and am very gentle taking treats. I am still working on staying down during dinner, instead of circling like a shark. Occasionally, I still demand attention when I want it by stealing something I’m not supposed to play with and they have to chase me. I do let go when they finally catch me instead of putting holes in it.

We are looking forward to a great new year. The family’s resolution is to continue working on getting healthy. We took a couple walks in the battle fields in the fall, and I loved it. We would walk for a while, then stop for a picnic lunch, then finish up the walk. I am going to recommend we do more of those. It was so much fun and I really enjoyed the fresh air, new smells, exercise, and bonding with the family.

I wish you all a wonderful new year full of love, health, and happiness. Take care and enjoy!

Love, Kamri

August 9, 2008

I did it! I found a forever home. Oh where to start:

First – Thanks to everyone at LRR. I got to make so many friends, and I miss you all. You took such great care of me and helped me find my new family!

A family came to visit me the Fourth of July weekend. They had a two legged mom, dad, brother (7), and sister (5). They also had a yellow labbie girl like me named Hayley (11). While they visited, I learned they had a black labbie girl (13) pass away in the spring and Hayley was really missing her. So they were trying to find a younger labbie to add to the family that would bring a young energy to the house to play with the young kids and also to be a companion to Hayley. I played well with Hayley and the kids. I must have made a good impression because my foster mom told me later that night that they called and said they really wanted me to join their family. I was adopted the very next weekend and moved into my new home to be with my new family.

My new house: I live in a single family home, with a nice big fenced back yard. We are in a sub-division/community, whatever that means. To me, it means nice sidewalks to walk around and lots of people to meet along the way. And it is a good thing I was never a big barker, so I don’t wake up the neighborhood when I go outside. Mom and Dad say they have some friends they are going to invite over that have younger dogs that I can have full on play dates with.

My new human family: I got a new two legged mom, dad, brother, and sister. The two legged brother and sister are young, so I try to play easy with them. They like to play fetch and tug of war with me. I do let them win most of the time, just so they won’t get tired of playing with me (wink). I also like to chase them around the house playing keep-away. They have been working to teach me the house routines, and I have been teaching them what having a young dog back in the house means more play time and walks.

The yellow labbie: Hayley was an older girl (11). I have learned a lot from her in a short time about my new family. She told me they are a loving family that treats their four legged children as children, with lots of love and tenderness. They all have big hearts and will always be good to me. Turns out she had been waiting for me. She chose me as the girl to take over caring for her family and keeping them safe and happy. She wanted to make sure the right dog would be there for them. She spent two and a half weeks training me on how to be the family dog and what my job was to become. For you see, Hayley has had some rough spots in life. She had severe complications when she was spayed and almost passed away from the complications. She also was diagnosed at a young age with severe hip dysplasia and has had to have two knees fixed with TPLO surgeries. So her life has been a lot of pain management and taking it easy. She was brought home to this family when she was seven weeks old and met her new sister a 2 year old black labbie, Susie. They became the best of friends and were never separated. Sadly, Susie passed away this spring and Hayley missed her tremendously. Hayley’s heart had broken. She told me I was a good girl and the right one for her family, but her heart could not recover and she wanted to cross the Rainbow Bridge to be with her sister Susie. She passed away only two and a half weeks after I joined the family. She taught me her secrets and how to care for her family, then turned them over to me to care for. So it is now my job to take care of them. They are still recovering from losing their two babies in such a short time, but I have been loving them and taking care of them as Hayley taught me to.

Back to the good things: They love on me a lot. They always tell me how sweet I am and cuddle with me. They take me for walks around the neighbor to check things out. The two legged brother and sister like to rub me and play. They spoiled me with a brand new crate, since the older one was a little small for me. They bought me all sorts of toys. They work on training with me each night, which means more food and they are peanut butter flavored, AWESOME! I got my own big bed. I got a beautiful new collar and matching leash, and I have to say I look good in them. They also feed my ego by telling me that I am a pretty and beautiful girl.

The things they say that we need to work on, and they have been helping me:

I love food. I have gotten busted for snagging food from the two legged sister. It is just so tempting when she is walking holding food because she holds it at just the right height for me to grab. I also got a little too excited during training time. Mom has been trying to teach me the words they use for commands and using training treats. I got her hand pretty good. So now my new command she works with me a lot is “gentle”. I am doing much better. I am also learning “no beg,” so I lay down at dinner time.

I love toys. They let me play with hard toys and plush toys. I am trying hard to figure out which toys I can play with and which ones I can’t. My two legged sister has a Hello Kitty that is so soft, I keep snagging it. She also has a small golden retriever stuffed dog. I am just trying to be a good girl dog and mother it, but my sister gets really upset. So we are working on figuring out which are mine and which are hers and off limits, which is my biggest challenge. Mom sometimes gets upset when I steal kid toys; but I think she actually likes this. The kids have been putting their toys away as soon as they are done playing with them so I won’t steal them, and Mom says this has been the cleanest her house has been kept in years!

All in all, I am adjusting to my new family. I am still worried when we go for rides that I am on my way to another foster home. My Mom tells me I’m fine and that I am in my forever home and she isn’t going to take me back for the world. She tells me I am here for good and I’m stuck with all the loving they can give me. I am also working to help heal their hearts from the losses this year has brought them. Mom and Dad said they would send in updates for me to keep you all posted on how I am doing. I do have to say I am really liking it here, in my FOREVER HOME.