March 2009 Success Stories

Went Home On:	Lucky Dog!	How Sweet It Is!
March 25, 2009	Bruce	We are so in love with Bruce! He is a very well mannered boy. He tries very hard to be the best dog he can be. I know this sounds silly, but I think he's more relaxed with the idea that we're his forever family. Recently we have brought him to a new daycare for a few half days and he seems to love it. Thank you so much for all your wonderful work. Thanks again for watching him back in July. Kate PS- of course Bruce sends greetings to you, "Rrrrrrr, rrrrrrrrrr, rrr!"
March 22, 2009	Abigail
March 19, 2009	Martha
March 18, 2009	Harriet
March 18, 2009	Abe
March 18, 2009	Lincoln
March 17, 2009	Molly
March 17, 2009	Raleigh	FROM THE NEW FAMILY: Good Afternoon, Raleigh, who has taken the new name of Blitz, took no more than one week to become accustomed to his new life. A tad bit thin when we adopted him, Blitz has filled out nicely and expends his energy tromping in the woods on hikes, through the snow, and in the water. A true lover of the outdoors like his “Mommy and Daddy”, he can’t wait for backpacking season. He is great with kids, other dogs (especially the little yappers next door), and thus far, we’ve only heard him bark twice, but make no mistake, they were hefty barks! Now we’re just trying to teach him to fetch. However, when its time to relax, Blitz has no problem being a complete couch potato or soaking up some rays. One of the most laid-back dogs, not just Labs, that we’ve encountered, we couldn’t be happier with the new member of our family. -Todd & Katie
March 17, 2009	Hannah
March 17, 2009	Jasper	UPDATE FROM THE 'BIG DOG': So here is the skinny on the "big dog", as he is becoming affectionately known around here. Jasper has fit in with our family as if he has been here all along. Our master bedroom is on the upper level, and our Black Lab "Bo" used to sleep up stairs with us at the foot of the bed. Jasper has adopted Bo's dog bed and sleeps there every night. He bounds up the stairs skipping every 3rd step. He does have a very long stride. The Blue Heeler, "Christian" was a lonely guy after we put Bo down. He quit playing tug-o-war and chewing on his rawhide bones. It was within 2 days of Jasper coming into the house that Christian is now back to himself. Both dogs enjoying us spoiling them. Jasper and Christian play with each other, Jasper is very docile and just stands there and wags his tail, occasionally pawing at Christian, while Christian nudges him. They sleep together on the main floor by the front door when we leave. Both peering out of the front window, Jaspers tail sweeping those stupid little knick-knacks off the tables. Last night they both enjoyed new rawhide chew bones and worked them over while laying next to each other. We are happy to admit being proudly owned by these two dogs. Thank you for all you do to make adoption possible for families like ours. Thanks again, Jasper, Christian, Jim and Nancy
March 15, 2009	Ebony	FROM THE NEW FAMILY: Hi. I just wanted to follow up and let you know that Melody (aka Ebony) is doing well. We love her very much and she is definitely a member of the family. Although she presents many challenges, we are working towards solutions and training. She is a good dog but can’t help that she is only a year =) My other dogs have embraced her and they even play together now. Thank you for all of your help and for being so patient with me in the adjustment phase. Tammy Chantra
March 15, 2009	Karma	FROM THE NEW FAMILY: I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know that Stella (Karma) and I are doing very well! She is happy, energetic and doing well with the training class I have her in. She loves squeaky toys and cuddling. I have attached some photos of her for you to see how she's doing. Thank you so much again for being a great foster mom! I can't believe it has been almost three months with her, and I can't imagine life without her!
March 7, 2009	Ranger	FROM THE NEW FAMILY: Just wanted to share Bubba Bear's news of welcome into our family! Bubba (aka Ranger from Kansas) joined our family on the 4th of March and it has been a wonderful learning/loving experience for all of us. After our initial foster visit with Mallory (accolades and gratitude to her) in Denver on Monday, we had a solid feeling he would integrate easily into our family ~ including our beloved 12 YO chocolate lab, Bailey Bear. As described by Mallory ~ he is a big, clumsy 80 lb yellow lab/teddy bear seeking attention and affirmation. Somewhere in his life, Bubba had a bit of training as he knows basic commands of sit, stay, down ~ and such a wonderful surprise, he walks at heel on a leash! He does very well at civilized on-road walking and adores a bit of off-road excursions with hikes in the mountains. He has even encountered a few horses during our walks and is simply curious about them. Spending time with family is his favorite past time ~ he CLAMORS to play fetch with a ball and drops it on command, shares toys very well with Bailey, and greets friends in our home with both fun and respect. We're hoping he learns that feeding times are a predictable/dependable ritual in our home and s-l-o-w-s down on his eating behaviors! It's been just over a week since Bubba came home with us, and he is a wonderful addition full of love to our family. This second experience with adoption has further confirmed our commitment to rescue Labs ~ a gift of life and joy for all involved. NEW UPDATE: Just to update you ~ Bubba is adjusting to our home and life very well. You were right on target with descriptions of his nature ~ sweet, cuddly, and clumsy! He ate well last night, investigated his new home and surrounding property, went for a long walk in the neighborhood, and slept through the night in our room along side Bailey. One observation which took me back a moment this morning, when he awoke to greet us his tail was wagging SO HARD it almost appeared his body was in seizure ~ I kept looking at his eyes to make certain he was fine . . . just extremely happy! Two other things I learned about him ~ he is leash trained and stays 'at heel' on his own which totally amazed me; I took both dogs for a long walk last night and he walked at heel with slack the entire time (Bailey could learn a few things from him!) Also found he LOVES to play ball ~ he'll chase one as long as we'll play with him and he does return/drop the ball on command. Funny sidenote, he does not like to play ball outside ~ I took him into the outdoor dog run/pen to play ball today and he flatout refused to fetch; Indoors he is the king of fetching the ball. We're in a learning mode with one another. I'll have photos of him downloaded tomorrow to share. Thank you for your time, love and care shared with him over the first days Bubba arrived in Colorado ~ you gave him a great start and we're honored to welcome him home to our family.BTW, I tried to convince Steve of the names Cooper, Bentley, or Merlin . . . however, Bubba has won out! Kindest thoughts, Leann
March 7, 2009	Lilly	FROM NEW FAMILY: Hi there, I wanted to share some photos of Linkin (formerly Hector) and Lexi (formerly Lilly). We are enjoying them very much. Have a great day! Heidi
March 1st, 2009	Tessa	Tessa, now Grace, was a breeder dog from an operation in Missouri that was shut down. She and her seven surviving newborn pups, from a litter of twelve, were transported to the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue and placed with a loving foster mom. Once the pups were weaned, we took her in as our first ever foster dog. Our resident rescue dog, Drake, was so hostile towards her for the first week that she that had to hide from him in another part of the house. She and Drake slowly became friends. A few weeks later, a great family adopted her, but she was very unhappy. All she wanted to do was return to Drake. After four days of whining, pacing, and searching for escape routes, we picked her up and brought her back home. When she and Drake reunited, she was happy again. In spite of all of Drake’s issues, (severe storm and separation anxiety) she is totally devoted to him and stays right by his side. She teaches us about true love on a daily basis, and our lives are infinitely richer because she has joined our family.