Stoli

Stoli was about 10 years old when she came to live with me almost a year ago. She was tense and worried at first, but after a couple of weeks she began to relax and get used to her new routine. After a few months she finally started to let her cheerful personality come out, as well as some questionable habits like surfing the garbage pail. We have the house rules straightened out now, and she is a real pleasure. She still has plenty of playfulness and a moderate energy level that matches my own, but she’s always calm on the leash, well-behaved in the house, and as pleasant and sensible as a mature dog should be. 

She is a wonderful companion, and a perfect fit for my life. Thanks to everyone at L.E.A.R.N. for matching me up with such a terrific dog!

Dudley

Now that I found my new family I figured I'd give LEARN the inside scoop on my new life. I was through multiple homes in my short life due to no fault of my own. I needed owners who could understand me and help me learn what I needed to do to become a great dog. My family tells me that I brighten their every day. They do the same for me.

I have been through basic obedience which was a great learning experience for me. My mom brags and tells everyone I was a very quick learner. I have been to the dog parks in my area and it is great fun to sniff the other dogs and run and fetch the ball. In my previous life I wasn't socialized with other dogs so learning how to interact and play has helped me realize that meeting other dogs is fun! 

I have been camping, hiking and fishing with my new family. I have learned to swim and I love the water. I am my Dad's fishing buddy except when I decide to jump in after his catch of the day. I can't help it! The flopping fishies make me want to retrieve them and bring them back to him!

My best friend is my sister Bella, the yellow dog in the picture. We are inseparable, wherever she goes I follow. I love to spend time with her playing, swimming, running or snuggling. My brother Cooper is a senior lab so he's glad to have us youngsters out of his hair. 

Did I forget to tell you that I love the hose? I'd play with the squirting water all day long if I could, even when I'm getting a bath.

Well that's about all for now. I just wanted to make sure I thanked LEARN for all that they have done for me and for finding my forever family.

Guinness (formerly Bert)

I wanted to share with you my adoption story. I am a black lab that was adopted Nov. 30, 2003 from Madison, WI. My name was Bert, but my new family renamed me Guinness, after my dad's favorite beer (THANK GOD).

When I arrived at my new house, I was pretty calm due to the fact that I just drove two hours in the car. The next day my new mom took me, I mean I took her for a walk. When we got home from that walk I knew I was in trouble because she called the DOG TRAINER. So, for the next ten weeks I had to go to training. In class I was very obedient because if I wasn't that mean old teacher called me to the front, and I was very afraid of the teacher. But, I passed the class and got a blue ribbon for the best student.

In July my dad, his brothers, and I took a very long trip in the car to our new house in California. At first I really didn't like California because it was 100 degrees everyday and that is too hot for me. But, I did like to go outside to swim in the swimming pool, which I love. My favorite thing to do, is to dive in the pool after a long run with my dad. Just as I was getting use to California, my mom goes and has a baby. Now I have to start all over again. They moved me across the country and replace me with a baby all in the same year.

It has been three months since my sister was born and I really don't pay any attention to her. I do try to get as much attention from my mom and dad as possible.

Chloe

Wow 8 months have sure flown by! I am very well adjusted at home now. I graduated beginners obedience training and can now sit, stay and heel. I also amazed my parents by learning how to give paw and by guessing which hand has a treat.

I was introduced to the dog park this summer and found lots of joy in running through the fields and the woods. I apparently still need to learn when to come when my name is called. Hey, it's not my fault there are so many cool things to sniff and chase.

I am still slightly skittish of new things and do not make much of a watch dog. I would rather lick the person coming in then bark at them. I guess I have shown my parents what a good dog I am because now I get to sleep outside of my crate on a doggie bed in the front room. I have only nibbled on two things that weren't my toys since I have joined my new home. One time it was to get my parents attention when they were too busy doing other things. Needless to say there were not pleased to find a paint brush chewed up on the floor.

I have a new addition to my collar. It's this thing that my parents turn on when I go outside. It blinks a light that I think might be red but I'm not sure since I'm color blind. Mom says it's because when it's dark outside it was very hard to find me in the backyard. Now they get a kick out of seeing me dart through the night with a flashing light.

Mom and Dad also think it's really funny when I take my raw hide and try and bury it in my doggie bed. (They caught me in the act! See the picture) I start by trying to flip the cushion over the bone. Eventually I give up and hide it in various places such as on the step, under the DVD holder, under the table or even on Mom or Dad. They especially laugh when I do that. Sometimes I don't understand why they laugh so hard at it. I am just trying to save my treat for later.

I sure do feel a part of the family. They even made me a custom stocking with what is supposed to look like me. They just can't seem to capture my cuteness on the stocking.

Thanks LEARN for finding my forever family!

Cocoa

Well, today is Cocoa's 1st birthday and we are so glad she's part of our family. Since we adopted her in February, we've met a lot of new "dog" people, which has been a great experience. She has grown to about 60 pounds and is a beautiful, active dog. She has a ton of new dog friends, and continues to meet more. Cocoa loves to swim in Lake Michigan at the Dog Beach (with all the other labs!), she's caught a few birds and squirrels (yeech) and has been adopted by at least 3 10-year-old boys (besides our own 10-year-old boy).

She's really, really fast, and as soon as I get time, I'm going to enroll her in an agility training class. She's wonderful exercise, because I walk her about 2 miles in the morning and another 1 in the evening. Cocoa loves to cuddle and if anyone is getting a hug, she jumps up to get in on the hugging. She passed her obedience class with flying colors, and continues to be a well-behaved dog, although she has been acting a little like a teenager lately, by chewing on things if she doesn't get a run/walk. I recommend the Lab Rescue group all the time when people admire her, so I just wanted to say thank you again for my lovely dog.

Beast

Well, it's been an exciting couple of months for me since I was adopted. I got to go on a long car ride home and man, do I love the car. My new family has two kids and an older dog and I love to play with all of them. I have a new name - Beast. They tell me I was named after the dog in the movie "The Sandlot," since they think I like balls as much as the dog in the movie.

The girl in the family loves to have me sleep on her bed and throw me the ball. The boy in the family was scared of me at first, but I have won him over with lots of affection. My new mom and I have become great friends. I don't beg and I love to follow her around looking for attention and make sure she always has company around the house. She thinks I am beautiful, except after I dive into the water dish. My new dad loves me to death, and I make sure I give him lots of kisses to let him know how much I like it at my new home.

Did you see the picture of me and my new buddy Clancy? He is an older guy (14) and we get along great. We don't go after each other's food and he is teaching me how to fetch the newspaper. He loves balls as much as I do. We play tug of war with the big rope and I am very gentle with him (sometimes I let him win). We go to a dog park together a couple of times each week. It's our favorite place. We get to run free in a big fenced park and play with many other dogs. We get great exercise and get to explore. Lot's of people tell me what a handsome guy I am and are very impressed at fast I am. I have met many other rescue dogs (labs, Great Danes, Boxers, Mastiffs, Greyhounds) and have a great time showing them how athletic I am.

Did I tell you how much I love to chase squirrels and chipmunks in our yard? I get to look out the windows into the yard and if I see one of those little guys, I whine and bark and cry until I am let out. And then I show them who is in charge of the yard. I haven't caught one yet, but they know who is the boss.

Please let everyone at LEARN know what a great new home I have and tell them thanks for all of their help!

He's a wonderful dog and we love him to pieces. What a wild man, though! You may recall that we wanted a dog who would play with Jake. Well, we got one beyond our wildest dreams. The two of them run and wrestle like the couple of teenage brothers they are. It's a hoot to see one of them start a play date by coming up to the other with a sock or rope or ball in his mouth and challenge the other guy to try to take it away.

Tony's true personality really comes out up at our cabin. He will swim for tennis balls till he drops - but come to think of it, he never has dropped yet - we just have to cut him off at some point to rest him. Then he returns to the water to entertain himself. He does what we call "shore patrol," digging things up from the bottom of the lake with his front paws, then sticking his entire head underwater, or even diving in deeper water, to retrieve his prize, which can be anything from a very large rock to his grand champion prize, a six-foot long piece of driftwood. He then brings these items proudly onto the dock and presents them to us.

The other amazing water trick he does we call "harbor master." We have a two-person paddle boat which is docked with a loop of nylon rope attached to the center front. We couldn't believe it the first time he swam out to a returning paddleboat, seized the rope in his teeth and "swam" the two people in the boat back to shore. When he got into shallow water, he dropped the rope, turned around, picked the rope up again and backed the boat into the dock.

He is a total lover, though. He loves to put his head on our laps for lots of pets and he puts up with kisses, too, now.  

Lulu

I am a LEARN volunteer who had volunteered to dog-sit for a weekend because fostering made me nervous that I would adopt the first dog that I fostered. Lulu was found as a stray and had been at a shelter for quite sometime before LEARN saved her and put her in a foster home. Her foster home was going on vacation and need someone to dog-sit Lulu. Well, I baby-sat Lulu for 3 days, and I ended up adopting her - the exact reason that I was afraid of fostering. 

We have had Lulu for 4 month now and - we LOVE Lulu. She is a stinker and a trouble maker and sometimes I think she is mixed with Tazmanian-devil, but when she gives you a sweet little lick, while staring at you with her big, floppy, wobbly ears dangling from her little head, everything seems to be OK. Her improvements vastly outnumber her problems - although we still have problems to work on. Lulu excels when we are in our daily routine. She likes to know that everything is going to be the same day in and day out, it keeps her comfortable. It's days that we change something that she acts out, like destroys a couch cushion.

When we first got Lulu, if you took her to the dog park and let her off leash - she would be gone and it would take an hour or two for you to find her AND be able to catch her!! Last Saturday, we went to the dog park. Lulu stayed within sight of us at all times, only leaving us once for a quick romp thru the woods, when she promptly returned - running towards me - not away from me - came right to me to sit and let me put her leash on. A small miracle if you met Lulu previously.

Lulu has gained a little weight so you can't see her ribs anymore. Her coat went from a dull blackish-gray, that was shedding like crazy, to the most beautiful shiny black coat. She has more energy than anyone knows what to do with. We've found that the best and only way to REALLY tire her out is to tie her leash to my husband's bike and let her run - I just can't jog fast enough or long enough for her. Lulu is so fast that she has been clocked on my husband's bike at 19 miles per hour, and she was still pulling him!!! 

And is Lulu ever smart!!  She is too smart for her own good some days - with a little stubbornness mixed in. She graduated from obedience class, making a huge difference - even though she still likes to choose when she is going to listen to you.

Lulu is a total mama's girl. I can't believe that we have lived without her! Every night that she curls up on my feet in bed, it warms my heart (and my feet) to know that we could make a difference in someone's life. And to see every day how much she loves us back is it's own reward. I hope that everyone who adopts gets to know that feeling.

Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to save Lulu's life and to bring her into ours.

I was the recipient of one of your dogs in May of 2003 - Harley - the guy who had an eye problem and had been tied up in someone's backyard, who always barked and broke his chain and ran away. I am very pleased to report that Harley is 90 pounds - on a diet - likes to jump in my lap during thunderstorms, has learned all the basic commands, does very good off leash and sticks to me like my shadow. He is with me for at least 18 hours per day, actually more like 24 hours if you count sleeping. I couldn't get him to run away if I tried. He rarely barks and when he does it is usually when someone comes to the door, and not even then all the time. He is very sociable, likes small dogs (my daughter had a 8 lb. rescue something or another), cats (we have two of them and they can walk over him and he just rolls his eyeballs).

In summary, what I have for a dog is not the same dog that the previous owner said that he had. He was easy to train and all he wanted was some lovin'. He has gone with me to Texas, Arkansas and Colorado. As I did with my previous Lab, I have fixed up the back seat of my pickup into a bed with a foam mattress, blankets, quilts and pillows. I recently bought a new pickup and the window in the back seat are power operated so that I don't have to share my window with him.

Brandy

Brandy has added so much to our lives. It is hard to imagine life prior to Brandy. We adopted her in December 2000, and had challenges with her aggressive behavior. Fortunately, being a very quick learner, dog training classes helped us and her gain a mutual understanding of living together. Four years later, we are continuing to fine-tune training, such as learning to weave through our legs or waiting for the proper signal to fetch a toy. She is so happy, so affectionate, and makes a terrific companion.

Molly

Hi everyone at LEARN! This is Molly, and I was adopted in June 2003. I live in Illinois now, and have a nice big backyard to play in. My parents have found out a lot about me this past year. They bought me all these toys, but I don't play with anything but my tennis balls. They take me on walks almost every morning - I love to stop and sniff everything. They joke that my name should be Shadow because I follow them everywhere. I'm very loyal and sweet and they love me so much.

Kobie

Hello everyone! It has been a little over a year since our house was made a home with the addition of Kobie. He has done well with the two cats that he lives with, he learned quickly which one he could be by and which one to avoid. He has made friends with the two labs that live next door, Winnie and Roxie.

He loves to chase balls and take sticks and play keep-away so that you have to chase him around the tree. He also loves to take your shoes and hide them around the house, he of course shows you that he has your shoes then takes off to hide them. I believe he thinks he is a little dog because he climbs up on your lap and crawls underneath the coffee table to get from one side of the living room to the other. He has also helped to motivate me into doing some home remodeling. I now know what people mean when they say Labs like to chew.

He completed his good canine citizenship last November after he showed the other dogs in the class that he was the teacher's favorite. The first day proved to be a little hard for him he became very excited around the other 7 labs that were in the class.

I want to thank LEARN for helping us find Kobie. There is something about seeing those Labby eyes first thing in the morning that melts your heart.

Lincoln

We adopted Lincoln and got him home on July 5th and we consider ourselves the lucky ones! We kept his name Lincoln and he is such a sweet boy! He has won over the hearts of all in our family and really all who meet him. He now loves the water, where before he did not go near it! He loves his "sister" Wrigley, our black Lab we had previously, you cannot separate them or they cry for each other, even when they are just getting their nails trimmed. 

Lincoln is a lover; he loves to be laid on and just loves people. Our neighbors 6-year-old son has been very afraid of dogs and he is now over his fear, thanks to Lincoln. He loves him! His parents are amazed. Lincoln is excellent with our kids and has taken to our trampoline, not a behavior we like, but he cannot help himself when the kids are on it. 

We are still training him to be good a leash, all though he just isn't on one enough. He loves the dog park at the Forest Preserve in Wauconda. He goes often with Dad. He is a great listener and is house trained and crate trained. He rarely barks, but if he does, we listen. We plan on fostering dogs for LEARN with our children are older.

Lambeau "Bo"

Hi all!

My name is Lambeau and I was adopted back in April of '04. In my foster home I was known as Sammy, but my new mom and dad like the Packers so much they changed my name to Lambeau - Bo for short. 

I've adjusted to my new name and life as a house dog very well. I've taken over the recliner and I love to sleep on it and snore so loud my mom and dad have to turn up the volume on the TV. Louie, the cat, and I have become fast friends. We play the game, I bark at you and you bat your paw at me. I push my limits with the garbage can, but I am learning. Who can blame me, dinning on all the food and paper towel I can get.

In July I tore my ACL so I had to get surgery, but I'm doing great now. I will have a scar, but I'm so cute, no one will notice. When people come to the house I get so excited I do a happy hop in excitement.

I want to thank everyone who helped me get a new home with a big doggy kiss and smile.

Abby

Lucky

Lucky is doing GREAT. He is alive and well and living in northern Illinois. He has put on about 7-8 needed lbs and has helped his owner shed about 7-8 un-needed lbs. He walks about 3 miles a day and has learned to walk quite well on a leash. He goes to the local dog park almost every day where he is a legendary instigator, tricking other dogs into chasing him where only the quickest can even keep up with his speed and stamina. He enjoys swimming in the lake where he puts on a show for the local kids with his belly flops off of the pier and into the water. He has a talent for chasing down and catching a Frisbee, he will play fetch with a tennis ball 24 hours a day, any time/any place. He attended obedience school where the results were less than hoped for - probably due to the fact that he just wanted to play with the other canines in the class. He has learned many tricks but his specialty is bringing in the morning newspaper.

Although his name is Lucky, we are the fortunate ones as he has brought a great deal of renewed spirit into our lives.

Thanks to the LEARN organization for their fine work, special thanks to Brenda who is truly a life saver by rescuing Lucky and being his foster mom.

Lacey

Just wanted to update you on our recent adoptee, Lacey. Back in April our family fell in love with Lacey from your web site and our visits with her and her foster mom, Penny. Now, over three months later, we can't imagine life without her!

After recovering well from having her puppies, she has thrived here and her coat is just gleaming. Lacey and our first dog, Rosie, are inseparable and love playing together at home and while at doggie daycare.

We still are working on teaching Lacey the yard boundaries, but she is doing great in obedience class and learns fast. Lacey is so affectionate and full of personality! She always makes us laugh out loud with her antics and playfulness.

We can't thank your organization or Penny, her foster mom, enough for giving her AND us this chance to come together. She is a special, wonderful dog and we are so lucky!! Thanks again!

Lady

Hello! I wanted to write a small letter to let everyone know how Lady is doing (AKA Tara).

We are in Washington state and have been here for a year now. Greg is deployed right now and will not be back until October. The boys are great. They're 4 and 6 now.

Lady is wonderful. She looooooooooves to play ball now. She could spend all day outside playing with a ball. Those Chuckit's come in real handy. She loves to swim - we take her to the lake whenever we have a chance too. She spends a lot of time with us over at grandmas and playing with the boys. She is still very calm and loving and all around wonderful. We are so glad that we have her and that L.E.A.R.N. gave us the opportunity to adopt her! I hope all is well with everyone.

The website looks great!! Keep up the good work! 

Copper

My husband and I adopted Copper from L.E.A.R.N. on May 6, 2004. He had just had his last dose of heartworm medicine on that day. We have since been back to the vet for a checkup and he is now heartworm free!

Copper is such a great dog, we couldn't have made a better choice. He is so loving and such a joy. He seems to love his back yard, he loves to run. He must be a bird dog because he loves to chase birds, whether they are in the yard or flying over head. He is very good. He never counter surfs and never begs at the dinner table. He loves to be brushed and does a happy dance when he goes for a ride in the car. He loves to just sit and watch out our front window at what's going on outside.

The only bad habit he has is chasing flies in the house. He's like a bull in a china shop. But you have to give him credit - he does catch them! My two year old granddaughter absolutely loves him and he is so gentle with her.

We are attending obedience class on Monday nights. He wants so bad to play with his classmates but when class starts he does great.

Thank you so much for helping us to find Copper.

Chloe

Hey there! Remember me, Chloe, the lab mix with beautiful socks?!? Wanted to let you know that I have been at my new home for the last two months and I am having way too much fun. Thanks so much to my foster mom, Pat, for taking care of me and my pups. You have helped me developed into the wonderful dog that I am and placed me with my Mom and Dad. My new family takes me for walks twice a day! Sometimes I get to run around in a baseball diamond and other times I like to show off by stalking these weird things with wings.

This thing called a family is great. I get two meals a day and treats for sitting at corners, for giving my paw and for lying down. I started classes with other dogs. I am so much better then they are. Ha! I will do anything for food. I just don't understand why a dog won't sit for a treat. Come on...free food! Sometimes I think that I am on my own again and I try to eat rocks, bugs and other things. My family looks at me weird but they don't understand how good it is! I am such a daddy's girl. My mom is cool but my daddy does all these fun things like letting me chase him around the house. Sometimes I get him to throw the ball and I will retrieve. Mom thinks I am funny. She gave me a bunch of these things she calls "squeaky toys." They look like stuffed bears or geese. She doesn't seem to understand why I chew them up in about two minutes. Needless to say she stopped buying them for me. I have tons of other toys but they are all red and rubbery. I call them all Kong. I can't seem to find out how to destroy them. That seems to make Mom and Dad happy. I also have a best friend call "Buddy Ball." You can see "Buddy Ball" in my pictures. It is my favorite toy!

I don't have any brothers and sisters but I have two cousins and a friend. Jessie is a cocker spaniel that Mom grew up with. Jessie doesn't seem to like me and I am not sure why she wouldn't want me to jump on her and steal her toys? I am just trying to play! Archie is my other cousin, a Rat Terrier, and he likes to play but only his way. But my favorite is my friend Raven and Malcom. Raven is a huge black lab and Malcom is a mix like me. We like to wrestle and play tug of war. I enjoy my time with my family and friends. Well thats it for now!

Lucie

Just wanted to update you on Lucie who we adopted 6 weeks ago. Lucie had knee surgery and has been somewhat confined for the six weeks that she has been with us so that her leg could heal properly. Being that she is only 2 and 1/2 years old you can imagine how frustrating it has been for not only us but for her also due to the fact that she wanted to play and run but she was not allowed to. She also wants to be with us as much as possible, so living in a two story home made it difficult when we would go to bed for the night, but we all made it through. As of today the vet has given Lucie her complete recovery.

We would like to thank L.E.A.R.N. for letting us adopt Lucie. She is not only pretty, but she is very smart. She has fit into our lifestyle quite well. So well in fact she has become EXTREMELY comfortable in her new home. Again, thanks to both you and L.E.A.R.N. for putting us together.

Hallie

Hi everyone. I'm Hallie, the mother of seven puppies, who was rescued by LEARN back in October. I've been with my family since the beginning of February. I love it here in my new home. I have a Mom, Dad, a brother (Mike) and a sister (Colleen) and two feline pals, Mercedes and Tigre. Tigre has actually become my best friend. Mom and Dad say we are partners in crime as we tend to get into mischief together.

I get to go on lots of walks and car rides and I have a great backyard to play in. I sometimes even get to go to work with Mom! Now that the weather is getting warmer, Mom is going to take me to the beach to see if I will like swimming. My family hopes that I do, since they plan to take me to their lake house in the Michigan UP this summer.

I'm still hesitant about meeting new people and dogs, but Mom is working on this with me and my confidence level is increasing. Also, now that I've been with my family for a while, Mom has started taking me to obedience classes. The trainer says I'm a very smart dog and will do well. Mom read me the success stories about 2 of my puppies, Jake (formerly Frosty) and Jake (formerly Albert). I was happy to hear that they are doing well. I hope the other 5 are also happy in their new homes. Thank you to Pat (my foster Mom) and LEARN for taking a chance on me, for taking care of me and my puppies and for matching me with my forever family. My family and I are so grateful. Thanks again.

Jake (formerly Frosty)

I was one of Hallie's puppies. My name was Frosty - my adopted family thought that I looked to much like a bear to have that name. They voted on Jake and that is now my new name. I will be six months old soon and I have been very happy. I hardly have any more accidents and I just love my Mom. (She calls me her "Jakie puppy"). When she is home I follow her everywhere. She takes me for walks everyday and get to play with "my kids" Jesse, Andy, & Jenny. I have even gone to visit my Nana's dogs (two wire-haired terriers) three times. We get along great and have fun running around her house. I have gotten bigger than them but we still play well together. My family is great and I am very happy. I have gotten used to the routine (this house if very busy) and have even visited Andy at his baseball practice. All the kids in Jenny's kindergarten class know who I am and always ask her about me. I am a bit of a klepto and will steal anything that I can get. All the kids have learned to keep doors closed to keep me out of their stuff - but the second that door is open - Look Out! I have also developed a thing for stealing Kleenex - which my family is trying to break me of. I just love to steal it and shred it up to make a mess. I have made friends with one of the cats that live next door to me but I can not seem to understand why he can't bark - but I sure whine and cry when I know he is outside without me. I LOVE to be outside in the yard - especially when the whole neighborhood is out - I have tons to watch and guard. I have attached a picture of myself from about a month ago. I just want to thank LEARN for rescuing my mom, Hallie, and finding a perfect family to love me.

Spencer (formerly Heath)

HI GUYS!
It's me, wonder dog, better known as Spencer. I thought it would be a good idea to let you know I have exceeded all my expectations of being the new super hero "wonder dog." Well, according to my parents, I have! They are very happy with me, as they say, but I don't think they are kidding, I am sure they love me like a son. I think I have made them very happy, me too! As I send this e-mail, my daddy is wondering how I could hit such small keys with my big paws. The wonders of nature shall never be known to the parents of such brilliant dogs. Thanks for everything.
 woof, woof,
 Spencer

Jake

The newest member of our family is Jake; he is a healthy, happy 4 month old puppy who came to live with us 2 months ago. When we adopted Jake, his name was Albert; Pat and her kids called him Albie, which was really cute. Our daughter's name is Allie, however; the names were too close, so we changed Albie's name to Jake. 

We got a little lover when we took Jake home! He loves to cuddle and lick and ask for pets - and we give the love right back. He walks with me and my children to school every day; he doesn't want to leave the kids! He knows when it's time to pick them up, too - he's ready for the walk back to school to see all the kids again! And all the kids coming out of school look for him, too - he's so great with kids and other dogs. And cats - he doesn't get that the cat next door doesn't like him...he keeps trying to win her over! 

We keep trying to figure out what Jake's mix is - his mother was a dainty yellow Lab, so we know there's Lab in him, but with his little bat-wing ears, and his small size, we're just stumped! All we know is that he's the perfect dog for us, and we wouldn't trade him for anything. Thank you for helping us find the puppy that fits our family to a "T"!
 
From the Stahmer family - Jeanne, Warren, Kevin and Allie 

Kasey

I just wanted to give you an update on a dog we adopted back in November of 2002. Her name was formally Lucy, and now we have changed it to Kasey.

She is an adorable lab and loves to cuddle with anyone and everyone. She gets really excited whenever anyone new comes over and runs around the house as fast as she can. She makes us laugh so much with all the crazy things she does. She doesn't bark unless you have her kong. At first she would not even go into the water and now we can't keep her away from it. As soon as she is near a lake, puddle, or river she is in the water exploring. She is an excellent retriever and just needs a little help to bring her toy back to you. We have used an e-collar to keep her on track.

She also loves snow. She jumps and plays in it whenever we get it. She also loves eating snow. She will bury her head in the snow just to get a mouthful and she will also drag her jaw to scoop up a little snow for refreshment on our walks.

Her favorite toy is a black kong which is the only toy she gets because everything else is torn apart. Rawhides last about 10 minutes, even with the big ones. A black kong usually lasts about 2 months because she will chew on it for hours at a time. My wife and I are now immune to the squeaking and sucking noise she makes with them.

However I would like to mention all the things she has eaten in the past year we have had her. I figure this will provide a little humor to anyone who has labs. They include: two pillows, a cable remote, a cordless telephone, two text books from college, two stuffed teddy bears, numerous plastic cups, a night light, a cross-stitching my wife was making, a pair of sandals, a whole bag of Oreo cookies, a labrador calendar, numerous envelopes, Kleenex and she also dispenses her own toilet paper. All of these things we never gave her or intentionally left out she just would grab them when we were doing something else. She doesn't have separation anxiety, we just think she is just a dog with lots of attitude.

Besides all she has eaten, (well at least me, I can't always speak for my wife) we still love her very dearly and she keeps us very busy. We are just glad to be able to give Kasey a good home.

We have a couple of pictures to share. One is of his first Christmas enjoying life. Thanks again.

Dakota

This has become Dakota's house. She quickly determined, as so many self-respecting labs do, that the bed is a much better place to sleep than the floor. She adores her human brother and sister, and has mom and dad wrapped around her paw. She has also come to love horses and looks forward to going to horse shows and to visiting the barn. (She did run the other way the first time she saw a horse, however. It was quite funny.) While seemingly a tom boy, more like a bull in a china shop at times, she thoroughly amazed us last summer when trying to "protect" our young nephew while he was swimming in the pool. Completely frantic, she kept putting herself between our nephew and the pool when he was on the deck, and actually jumped into the pool 3 times in order to try to grab him and pull him to safety! She'd never shown any interest in the pool before this, nor since. 

She's such a good girl, and we're very lucky to have her. Thank you, LEARN, for taking her into foster care (Joanne, we love her as much as you did), and for allowing us to give her a wonderful forever home. If we ever decide to add to the family again, we'll definitely be in touch.