Hi Sharlene,

Just thought I would drop you a note, as I was visiting your website looking at all the cute new puppies. Arwen is 3 1/2 now. She is doing wonderful, getting lots of love and attention. We constantly are told what a nice and friendly dog she is - I tell everyone she is the world's worst guard dog, as she is friendly to everyone and every animal she meets. The boys love her lots and take turns each night letting her sleep on their beds. We need another portie to keep everyone happy! Thanks again for providing us such a great family member.

Take care,

Mark, Terri, Nick and Adam Shykula
Calgary, Alberta

Hi Sharlene,

I've sent you a few pictures of Pablo. He doesn't really like swimming, no blame for it, he was born in late fall, and where we live (outside Truro, NS) and he wasn't exposed to water. But we try to go to the beach every weekend, and sometimes during the week. He is very curious, and last time he ran after Natasha into the ocean, and then he got scared by big waves.

We are having an incredible time all together, he brings lots of laughter and joy into our lives. He is 8 months old now, and getting very mischievous. I am telling Wayne here comes "terrible twos".

Thank you,
Tatyana, Wayne, Natasha and Pablo

Hi Sharlene,

It was so good to talk to you a few weeks ago. I must say you were absolutely correct. I had nothing to worry about introducing a puppy into the family with Jag. Bella arrived from a rescue farm in Missouri and Jag is thrilled to have a little sister. She is half Old English Sheepdog and half Burmese Mountain Dog. She turned 12 weeks old on the 12th of July, and they are so happy to be together. Jag is much bigger than her at present, but that will change since Bella is already weighing in at 23 pounds! He is so gentle with her, he has never snapped or growled at her even when she steals his treats, pushes him off his bed, and out of his water bowl. He is the perfect gentleman and the best big brother she could have. They love to run around the yard and the house, they play really well together and even though there are two large, fluffy dog beds for each of them, they often share one and cuddle up to sleep. I love the Porties, they are so smart and loving and they make perfect companions for other dogs. I'm attaching a picture of them in the back yard together. Thank you again for Jag who is now two years old, where has the time gone? Who knows, if we ever move out of Boston and out to the country, we may be calling you for dog number 3 and it will definitely be a Portie. Thank you so much for Jag he is truly amazing!

Sadie, Larry, Tara and Ilana Mayes
Boston, Massachusetts

Hi Reinhard,

Copper is getting big - 18 lbs when we went to the vet 2 weeks ago. He can sit, stay, down and responds well to clicker training. He is currently enrolled in Puppy Kindergarten and we did private training also. He is beginning to understand that he is NOT the top dog and has lots of energy.

He loves swimming in our pool and playing with the hose. He is going for his first boat ride this weekend.

Take care,
Lauren, John, Olivia and Copper

Hi Sharlene,

We wanted to express our thanks for allowing us to see our new little bundle of joy, as well as allowing my mom and niece to see him as well. She has always wanted a dog and was bouncing off the ceiling the entire rest of the day :) It really meant a lot to see first hand how committed and caring you are with your Porty's.It warmed our hearts to see there still are breeders that breed because they truly enjoy it and love it.

Much thanks again and looking forward to seeing pics of our little butterball as he progresses :) We'll try to get time to get down again if our work schedules permit. If you'd like copies of the pics we took for your website feel free to ask.. not a problem at all.

Mitch and Melissa

Dear Krupps,

We are sorry that it has taken us so long to write but Branigan has been keeping us very busy. We love our Porty puppy! Because he is so smart and inquisitive, housebreaking was a breeze. Branigan has learned many tricks including: sit, down and roll-over. He gives his paw (a must when wiping muddy, wet, puppy paws). He has mastered off which includes off of us, countertops, tables, furniture or anything else we do not want him to have. His best trick is hide and seek. At night we have Branigan lie down and stay somewhere in the house while Sean and I go hide. We then call him and he searches until he finds Sean or me and then we play again.

Branigan is under the impression that the sole intention of everyone that comes into our house or yard is to play with him and his good looks and playful attitude attracts both young and old on 4 legs or 2. He has enticed the cable guy, the pizza delivery boy and many others to stop for awhile and pet him while he wags his butt instead of his tail.

Branigan has fallen in step with the rhythm of our lives. He loves going for walks every morning. His best friend, a yellow lab, lives next door and now that Branigan is tall enough to see out the window, he feels it is his duty to inform us anytime Samson is outside. Along with playing with all the dogs and kids in the neighborhood Branigan keeps us laughing and amazes us with the things he finds to carry in his mouth. His all-time favorites include: slippers, socks, shoes, sticks, stones, shingles (or any other construction material left in the street) in no particular order. He loves to eat dirt especially after I sweep it into a pile on the kitchen floor.

Sometimes Sean and I think Branigan is part kangaroo. We love to watch him bounce up and down the stairs or through the snow. We have been eagerly awaiting his body to grow into his paws and now at 50lbs he is starting to look more proportionate. His eyes are green and everyone comments on his white paws or socks as my father-in-law calls them.

My favorite Branigan story happened on the first day that all the snow finally melted. We went outside for our morning walk and he looked up at me with sad eyes and started to whine. I had no idea what was wrong and I kept telling him "hurry up" (his command to go to the bathroom). He continued to cry and circle the front yard until I finally realized that he did not know he could pee in the grass! He finally figured it out and I happily praised him.

Now that the sun is shining in Buffalo he loves to be outside for hours at a time. We can't wait to go swimming for the first time in the next few weeks. Branigan has wiggled his way onto the couch, into my lap, on every care ride, into our bed at night and most importantly into our hearts forever.

Thank you so much for our Porty puppy.

Sincerely,
Sean, Karly and Branigan Allman

Hi Sharlene,

Sorry, I have been a horrible updater! Radar is now 19 months old and doing great! He got neutered April 21 and everything went great. We saw a huge behaviour change in him (No more jumping on people!) which was a huge bonus. When he was weighed at the vet, he was 57.7 lbs.

Radar is such an affectionate dog. A little too hyper at times, yes. But so loveable! He loves to jump up and put his front paws around my waist and put his head on my chest like he is hugging me. He is excited to get in the pool this summer. We bought him a doggy ramp.

Thank you for breeding such wonderful, loving dogs! You've brought so much joy to so many families!

Courtney Moore + family

Hi Sharlene,

Now we are two!

Too cute for words. When we walk everyone stops to talk to Bridget and they always recognize that she is female.
Too smart for Jane. Every time I figure out one of her tricks she creates a new one.
Too good to be true. Everything I ever wanted in a dog and then exceptionally social and compassionate too.

Hope you and yours are well. Best wishes to Penny and Nicky.

Jane

Hi Sharlene,

We've been poor correspondents, but we wanted to share a brief update on Domingo. He is over a year old now and is everything we could have wanted in a furry companion.

He's as cute and lovable as can be and he's been through obedience training, which he basically aced once he figured out that he wasn't there to play :) What can you expect from a puppy? He's too adorable for anybody to care about a little acting up here and there.

He goes to the same doggy-day-care that his step-sister Molly goes to. They are like peas-in-a-pod and Domingo sometimes pines when he gets home. There are a couple of other Porties there and they all get along great. That's not to say Domingo doesn't have non-Porty friends. He loves everybody.

Domingo is also a great jogging partner. He started jogging with me after he turned 13 months. We do a big loop and every time we approach the side street to go home he starts to get excited and starts to grab the leash in his mouth and pull me along. Once we get past the side street and start on the next lap he settles down and just trots nicely alongside. What a great coach!

We like to think Domingo loves being here as much as we love having him.

Brent Eagle and family

Hi Sharlene and Reinhard,

We are so pleased with our new family member, Miley. She gets lots of comments as she is so cute.

I am attaching a picture of her from last weekend's fishing trip. She's not that fond of the water yet: we did try to get her to go in a couple of times but she wasn't too keen. She loves the mud though when we go on our walks. Are you sure she wasn't mixed up and we received a Portuguese Mud Dog instead of a Portuguese Water Dog :)

We have only had her for a few weeks but she is fitting in so well. Her house training is going well. She still has a few accidents now and then but is starting to bark or use her porty talk and that look that sometimes feels like she is saying, "Hey Stupid, I need to go!". You can just see the intelligence in those eyes. I think we are the ones being trained sometimes.

Chewing is something we are constantly watching. Her teeth must be hurting. We got her a couple of Anklebones which help a bit. If you know of anything else we should try let me know.

I am also happy to report that the children will be keeping me. As I explained, when looking for a dog I needed to find one that was good for allergies when I came across the Porty. I said at the time, and I know it's true now because of how well Miley has fit into the family, that if I was allergic to the dog I would have to move as they would not get rid of the dog. In the first week I noticed a bit of scratchy eyes but now I don't have any problems. I even get down on the floor constantly with her and have no problems. I am very happy with this!

Thanks again for a great family member. We love her!!

Willy

Hi Sharlene,

Just wanted to let you know that we had Kibo neutered today and everything went fine. Paul and I love him so much, along with everyone who meets him! My older dog, Digger and he get along great and Digger is teaching him, just like we had hoped. We are so attached to him it was difficult for us to leave Kibo at the vet all day. My husband took the day off of work for the event. We feel so fortunate that he is part of our family - he so smart and loving, I can't say enough about him. I'll try to send you some pictures soon.

Thank you so much,

Paul and Sunday

Hi Adriana,

Sorry we have not written to you sooner. Branigan is getting very big. He is 43 lbs, and is doing awesome. We are so happy we have him. He is so smart and is very easy to train - the best dog I have ever had. We get so many compliments on him. We are going to mail out some photos this week. We also gave you an excellent reference to the woman who is looking for a porty. Feel free to use us as a reference again. Thanks again and hope to talk to you soon.

Sincerely,

Sean and Karly

Hi Sharlene,

I am so sorry for not writing sooner but wanted to finally give you an update on our girl Maggie. She is sooooo awesome! She truly is a valued member of our family. She is a loving carefree girl who loves to play with Jared (13), Lauren (9) and Holly (7). The kids just love her but she and my daughter Lauren have a very special bond! Maggie is very intuitive and knows when it is time for the school bus to come. She starts pacing in the yard until she hears Lauren`s voice call her from the end of the street and then she goes bounding down to meet her. It truly is a magical sight!

Maggie loves to play out in the yard and has fun traipsing around our cul-de-sac with all the other pooches in the neighborhood. They seem to have their own club, she tends to play well with everybody! She is quite a greeter when we get home and can`t seem to give enough kisses when we walk in the door. Maggie is especially fond of riding in the car. If I am unloading groceries she jumps right in and waits to go for a ride whether we go or not.

Maggie and our cat Oscar have a love-hate relationship. Oscar tends to be the old fart who doesn`t want to play all the time and Maggie just can`t seem to understand why. It truly is comical to watch the two of them interact.

Maggie is very fond of squeaky toys and loves to romp around the house constantly making noise with them. The kids get upset when they can`t hear each other or watch TV, they try and hide her sqeaker toys but she always manages to find them. She is quite funny and proud when she finds her toys and manages to make more noise which frustrates the kids and makes me laugh!!

We feel truly blessed to have Maggie in our family. We also feel very blessed to have found you!! Our experience with you has been wonderful and you made the process of working with a breeder quite easy and mostly very enjoyable!! I did promise pictures but I have yet to learn how to send them. As soon as my husband Tim teaches me I will send pictures of Maggie to you.

Thank You for everything!!

Karen, Tim, Jared, Lauren & Holly Cardoza

Hi Adriana,

Doggy is my best buddy and I spend more time with him than with any other breathing animal in my life. My poor husband!

Doggy is such a wonderful little dog and he goes everywhere with me that I can take him and I miss him while I am at work, but our nanny is enjoying his company. A number of people have expressed interest in owning a Portuguese Water Dog and I have given them your name and kennel so I encourage you to use my name as a reference.

I particularly enjoy these qualities in Doggy: his athleticism, gentleness and bravery. As mentioned, his best friend is a 106 pound German Shepherd; Doggy now keeps up with him. He is constantly mounting Guiness and Guiness just tolerates this with a look of "good luck" on his face.

When anyone comes to visit, Doggy will pick up a toy or some other prize and come over to greet the person with his prize in his mouth. The good news about this is he does not bite or jump on people but wiggles with a toy in his mouth. Is this a usual approach by a PWD puppy?

He is wonderfully gentle around small children and they adore him and he adores them. He a great dog. When I take him to the vet for his surgery tomorrow morning, I will weigh him again. 2 weeks ago he weighed 32 pounds and I believe he is approaching 35 pounds.

Sincerely,

Shari Sturm

Hi Sharlene,

I just wanted to share Molly's graduation photo. She finished her clicker training basic obedience course tonight. While she's been a bit of a personality in the course (sometimes she pretends she doesn't know her commands while at home she knows them perfectly), she was a star performer tonight. She pretty much outshone everyone else. Even the trainer's puppy couldn't do the "leave it" command with a treat in an open palm (sure, the dog can do paw, wave, etc, but hey!). Molly could have it dropped in front of her and still leave it!

My favorite part of the night was when we were doing recalls - Molly had the third fastest sprint time (her footing isn't good on linoleum tile as that's the one surface she's not used to), but a lab mix was pretty quick, until she bolted around the course and took a minute to catch.

All the dogs went nuts. Poor Molly wanted to play! She also did 4 or 5 puppy push-ups (sit... down... sit..., repeat) in 10 seconds, so we're pretty proud.

That's about it, just wanted to share!

Kyle

Hi Sharlene, Chris & Sharon,

I just wanted to share photos of Molly and Mira from their walk today.

I was finally able to capture them in action (most shots I miss one or the other). They certainly had fun together today! Meg and I are very glad that Mira and Molly get a chance to play together. They are two characters together! I couldn't get over how well they did with their recalls. Molly slept for two hours on the couch tonight after their walk! The two of them are teaching each other to swim (albeit by pushing each other in).

I hope all is well. I just wanted to send a quick note to share these pictures.

Kyle

Hi Sharlene and Armin,

It's been awhile since we sent you an email to update you on Chico (a.k.a Cheeky Little Monkey).

We thought that you would enjoy seeing a photo of his first Birthday Party, he was 1 on May 8th. The time has flown by, and it's hard to believe he is all grown up already, and over 50 lbs. He is still "The Best Dog Ever" (and we tell him this every day)...he is still full of beans and still smiling and wagging his tail constantly. He finished another obedience class and we are waiting for the next one to start. We also should mention that he is so smart that it is a good thing that there are two of us so that we can keep one step ahead of him. He is so good at playing hide and seek it amazes us. He still goes to doggy-daycare and loves all his dog friends.

He is the love of our lives...and so much so that we are starting to think about getting another one!

We remember that you mentioned that you sometimes place your older dogs in homes when they "retire", and were wondering if you would keep us in mind. There is still a possibility that we could cave and consider the puppy route again as well, and also wondered when your next litters will be?

Wags and licks from Chico

Kim & Steve Brown, Bedford, N.S.

Hi Sharlene,

Ruthy does talk in all different 'octaves'. I love it - she makes me laugh! She will hold a short conversation with me when I talk back to her. She isn't 'shy' in letting me know what she wants - they do have a strong personality and are hardy dogs.

Ruthy is the cutest, I feel so grateful to have come across your website! I love your dogs - you can tell by the pictures how nice they all are. I went to a show a month ago and there were 54 Porties registered and even though I didn't see all 54 of them, I saw quite a few. Although there are closer breeders to me, I would still recommend you if someone ask where to get a Porty!

Thanks for getting back to me regarding the matts. I do have several different matt combs.(I look like a professional groomer's shop - ha-ha) My groomer did show me a trick to get the matts out - she uses the blade on the scissors to work through the matt and it does help. I have one of those blade de-matters and Ruthy hates it, so I use the scissor process and she is much more comfortable. When I keep Ruthy's hair long I have to comb through it everyday and I think that is too much for Ruthy (& me), so I have been clipping it shorter on the body and I keep her head on top longer (I love the look). I give her a bath every two weeks and clip her about every 6 weeks. I think I might do away with the 'skirt' because that is one of the areas that does get matted along with her underbelly. She has a very wavy coat - it is beautiful when it is long. My groomer wanted me to do the lion clip. She loves Ruthy's hair and Ruthy also has all these black spots on her rump & underbelly (she looks like a Dalmatian when it is short) it is adorable! But I like the retriever clip with longer hair on her head. Since she is not doing conformation, I can groom it anyway I like! She also allows me to scrape her teeth with the dental instruments which will help when she really needs her teeth cleaned. I hope I can do a good job, then she won't have to be put under by the vet to get it done. I started working with her on all the grooming as soon as she came home. With Reinhard starting them so young with the bath helped a lot! Tell Reinhard hello & thanks again!

Take care,

Pierette & Ruthy

Hi Sharlene,

Just a quick update on Jag. We had our vet appointment last week and he weighed in at 54.6 lbs. The groomer discovered a small cyst on his right elbow. Our vet checked it out and drained the fluid out of it. He will have it removed on the 29th of this month. Nothing serious, according to the vet, and it doesn't seem to phase him at all. His hair is so thick that we never even saw it until the groomer felt it. I took some pictures of him just before we went to the vet. I'll attach them for you to see how handsome he is. He poses for the camera like a movie star.

He is a smart, strong, muscular boy who loves to run, play, and eat. Jag continues to amaze me. He is so smart he will hit at his water dish if he is out of water and then sit and look at us as if to say, "Hey, I need some water over here". He knows the difference between "go get your ball" and "go get your bone". He'll retrieve either from wherever he has left it last and if it is outside he'll go to the door and hit it with his paw. He sleeps upstairs in our bedroom at night and he knows when we say "time for night night" to go upstairs, wait for his treat and then go to bed. His hair is growing in for the winter and he is enjoying the sudden cold snap that we got this week.

Lastly, I am trying to decide how old Jag should be before I consider getting him a playmate. He loves playing with other dogs! Do you have any thoughts on the subject and would you recommend a puppy or an older dog?

Thanks again for our wonderful Portie!

Sadie

Hi Guys,

I've sent a picture of Ruthy and me camping at Lemon Reservoir in Durango, CO. We had a great time! She is 8 months old now and is about 36 pounds. She loves the outdoors and water! She always stays close by and loves to chase and play with her buddy Misty! Ruthy is friendly with everyone she meets and thinks they should all just love her...(and of course they do - haha...)

She is just doing wonderfully and is such a happy dog!

Hope all is well with you and of course all your porties,

Pierette

Sharlene,

Just wanted to drop you a quick note and let you know that Chester is still an awesome dog!! He is my best bud and we do a lot of Father/Dog activities such as Mountain Biking. He's a great mountain biking dog! Stays on the trails and is never far from me when we're cruising through the woods. He still doesn't swim much so we call him a Portuguese Wading Dog!!

Thanks for breeding and sending us such a cool character!

Ward Bennett

Hi Sharlene,

Things are going well, wanted to send some recent pictures of Olivia. She is almost 2 now, and turned out to be quite the dog. She surprises in many ways.

She is just under 40 lbs, all muscle and sinew. She loves other dogs and has the knack of getting them to play even when they are a little growly. She is a little slow with people, but is well behaved around them. She remembers people she has met before and greets them. She notifies us when there are bears around. On our walks we have run into bears, and if she smells them from afar, she stops and refuses to go forward. She is very serious.

I must say that she has gotten me into shape. We walk extensively, and she is quick to remind me that it is walk time.

Hope this finds you well.

Derek and Nancie Kite

Hi Sharlene,

Zoey is in obedience class now and is doing great - very bright! We are enjoying her so much. Her nipping is getting less all the time. We expect soon it won't be an issue. She is an exceptional traveler. We take her in car often and even took her 3 1/2 hours to St. John's and stayed in a hotel with her. She was very well behaved and enjoyed watching all the activity going on around us. She has been around plenty of other dogs, all breeds, and is very social. She also really enjoys the cabin like the rest of the family. I just thought I would give you an update and let you know she is doing well. Thank you for a great puppy who loves having her belly rubbed.

Susan

Dear Sharlene,

I thought I would send some photos of Pico, since he is about to turn two! He is such a smart, sweet, funny dog. Everyone who meets Pico is charmed by him. A stranger on the street the other day was so impressed with Pico's good looks and repertoire of tricks that he asked if he could give Pico some of the pizza he'd just bought!

We left Pico with my parents recently when we went on vacation. After we returned, my dad emailed to ask when they could dog-sit again, since they missed Pico's constant good mood... and his ridiculous antics with the lawn sprinkler.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you again because I'm pretty sure we have the best dog EVER!

Elizabeth

Ralphie is wonderful! Our neighbor got a puppy, a now 5 month old golden retriever, and it has taken Ralphie back to his youth. The two of them wrestle and tumble and chase each other for hours. My little toy fox, Jewel, just sits up on the patio and watches them like the mother. Ralphie is very glad the weather has cooled off. He spends most of the day outside now and just lays in the front yard keeping watch. Couldn't be a sweeter, more gentle dog. We have a great 27 acre dog park about 4 miles from here, which I try to take the dogs to once or twice a week. They LOVE it, and have made some good friends there.

Take care,

Tracy A. King

Hi Chris,

You absolutely can't go wrong with Sharlene and her puppies! I have a male that I purchased in July from her May litter. Odon is 27 lbs. and 4 1/2 mos.old. He is a wonderful and smart dog, mostly white and wavy. He is quite large for his age, or so Sharlene tells me. She thinks that he will be over 60 lbs. so as you can tell I still keep in touch with her. She was wonderful throughout the entire process. Any questions, silly or not, that I had were answered promptly.

I think that the hardest part was picking when the puppies were so young and tiny! And then there's the wait time... so anxious to get your puppy! Oh it is such a fun time, I would trust Sharlene again and again. She truly loves her dogs, and is such a wonderful caregiver.

Odon is such a wonderful puppy. He is quite smart, mischievous, and yet a loyal companion, which is exactly what I wanted for our family. I will eventually therapy train him to come to my classroom with me as I teach special needs kids.

So I hope that I have helped you decide that she is a most fantastic person and breeder.

Valerie

Hi Sharlene,

Nibbles couldn't wait to get his picture taken yet again. Friday he was neutered, yesterday and today he is acting more like himself, his incision is healing nicely and there is little or no swelling.

Nibbles has a great personality, one of the family he is, sleeping with us, and having too much fun playing with Ethan and all his friends.

During the week he goes to the office w/my wife. All her patients love him and give him much love and attention. Hope all is well in Sydney, we are doing great, looking forward to some colder weather and continued great days w/Nibbles... will talk at you soon!

Regards,

Paul

Hi Sharlene,

I just wanted to stay in touch with you & let you know that our puppy who now has a nickname of BOO, is doing just wonderfully. He's nearly 20 inches and is growing so quickly. He loves his exercise & routine. We've continued to socialize him to many different things. This morning while going potty he got to hear the scary coyotes hollering in the hills. They have taken a dog or two from down here so we never let our dogs out without us. Anyway after they quit, Boo barked at them!

He's begun his puppy classes and is ahead of the class of course. He's so darn smart! We'll take him through 3 class levels & hope to go for the therapy program. He's also a very affectionate pup! We couldn't be more thrilled. Many people say he's SOO cute, he looks like a cartoon character! Many folks have not ever seen a white Porty.

Sharlene,

How are you? We are doing great, especially with Alaska in our lives. He continues to fill our lives with so much joy and happiness! He is quite the character, so loving and affectionate.

One of his favorite activates that he loves to do is catch balls in the air. He attracts so much attention and he knows he special.

Hi Sue,

Bridget is everything I hoped a dog would be! She has a kind disposition combined with tremendous determination. So far she hasn't attained sainthood, but she learns quickly and easily mastered basic obedience. She is very quick and she's a thief. Like most dog owners it has been my practice to replace things she is not to chew with one of her toys. The other night I took away a shoe, and I know she knows not to take shoes, so I just said, "Bad dog", and went to put the shoe away. When I finished, Bridget presented me with one of her toys.

Bridget is very sound and healthy. She has grown to be just the correct size and weight for a female of her breed. When I visited Sharlene's kennel I was particularly impressed with the two story dog houses. The adults can jump to the second story and get a little respite from the puppies; but still hear and see everything the puppies do. I also was impressed that the males help out with the puppies.

If I was smart enough to deal with two PWDs I would get another puppy from Sharlene.

Hi Sharlene,

Kit Kat is thriving and we love her to pieces! She is such a little clown one moment and just a cuddle-puss the next. When we got home from picking her up, Jelly Bean, my Labrador, seemed to be saying "OK, she was cute when she was up there, but you had to bring her home?" Two days later they were sleeping together and Jelly was bathing her. She also took on the Mom role and gently taught her how hard she could bite. It is a lot of fun to see them together.

Kit Kat is almost 11 weeks now and she's growing fast; her legs are really getting long. She's already had her first swim, we were at the cottage last weekend and when I went in for a swim she jumped right in and took off after me. I don't know who was more surprised, her or me.

We will write again soon, we're back and forth between the cottage and the city. Thank Penny for bringing such a beautiful baby (inside and out) into our world.

Hi Sharlene,

I thought I'd send you a quick status update from the Rock. Domingo is doing very well in his new home. He and the kids are as thick as thieves! His new Mom & Dad are deeply in love with him!

Domingo's personality has been a big hit with everyone he meets. He's unbelievably patient with his giddy fans (especially for a puppy!) What an unbelievably great companion!

Domingo's steady intelligence is also a real treat. He's still just a baby but he has some basic commands down pat already. He's already really good at sit/stay/come. What's up with that? Training Domingo and keeping him challenged is going to be a real treat! I can't wait until his shots are done and we can get him out into some puppy classes and out in some water environments!

Hi Sharlene,

Just visiting your website and noticed that you've been posting some great letters of recommendation. With a 2 and 5 year old and children in and out of my home constantly, I would be happy to take any references about my experience with Ralphie, his temperment and kids. I know this was my BIGGEST concern in selecting a breed of dog and I spent the first year of his life socializing the heck out of him. My neighborhood just LOVES him! The kids get off the bus about 100 feet from my yard, and all of them come running over to get a lick from Ralphie. You told me you thought he would turn out to be a calm and gentle dog, and you could not have been more correct. Although he's big (about 60-63 pounds like Nicky), he is just a big softie, happy to flop on his side to have the kids scratch his belly. We just got a new dog park about 4 miles from our house (27 fenced acres!), and he is equally gentle and kind to other dogs.

Take care, and say "hi" to Penny and Nicky from their son, Ralphie.