9/15/04 - Gipper is doing fantastic. He proudly wore his Notre Dame T-Shirt after their amazing win against Michigan on Saturday. He continues to learn better manners here at home. Walking him is now a pleasure as he sits on command when a car is coming down the street, and walks next to us most of the way. We love to run with him and he has the run of our large, fenced in back yard. Last week he was limping on his hind leg - he just woke up limping though he had been fine the night before. Later in the day, he felt warm and we were sure he had a fever. We took him to the vet and sure enough, his blood test showed Lyme Disease. He was put on antibiotics and pain-killers. After 2 days he was fine. We never saw a tick on him, and he could have been infected months ago. We are using Frontline monthly so since he's made a wonderful recovery, no worries. Our teenage boys have
not lost their excitement nor affection for Gipper. They've convinced us to let him sleep in their rooms, they take turns. Gip loves it! They all wake up early for school each day around 6:30. Early to bed as well. He's such a good boy and we just love him so much. Everyone who sees him comments on how handsome he is. He is so affectionate with us and our kids friends. He barked at my sister-in-law and he does look ferocious when he barks so she was afraid. But he's never nipped or bitten anyone - he's just a fraidy-cat is all. We make him sit when people come to the house to keep him calm and our adult guests comfortable. He can be a fuss-budget when we are eating or when he wants to play, but he's a puppy and we don't mind. His facial expressions just kill us! I
hope he is as happy here with us as we are with Gipper!

8/10/04 - Gipper continues to do quite well in his new home. He has brought such joy to our family. He is very, very affectionate and still wants to please us. His manners have improved greatly with lots and lots of consistency. He watches us while we eat but never begs and after a few minutes he goes to his food dish and eats up his dinner. He doesn't go on the counters anymore and in fact just yesterday I got distracted while putting away groceries and then left the kitchen where Gipper was. A good 10 minutes went by when I realized that all the cold cuts were still out on the counter! I raced in and Gipper was just laying on the floor - innocent as a lamb. That never would have happened a few weeks ago. He sits on command and does not jump on me or my daughter, or my husband. My sons and their friends like it when he jumps since they play with him that way so he's all over them. The other day, my husband and sons were "play boxing" and Gipper who had been dozing, jumped up and joined the fun - jumping all around them. It was very funny. We've had lots of company and he's been very well behaved with them.

One thing that was a concern was a sore spot on his left ankle. It started out as a little red bump which he licked too much until it grew large and red and sometimes bloody. I took him to the vet who extracted some cells from this lump to determine if it was a common form of cancer for young Boxers. Thankfully, it was not! They gave him a shot of cortisone and a prescription for Synotic which we apply twice a day. Of course he has to wear the Elizabethan Collar so much of the time. When we are in the same room as he is, or taking him for a walk or feeding him, we take it off so he can enjoy some freedom. He looks funny, but more importantly, his lump is healing, slowly but surely.

Gipper loves to ride in the car, chase birds, eat and then spit out bugs, get treats out of his Kong and licking our faces. Since he's been wearing the collar, we let our boys have him sleep in their beds (instead of the crate which seems so small with Gipper in his Cone-Head state), which they all love.

The one negative is that Gipper does not get along with other dogs, which is why he was surrendered. We have many dogs in the neighborhood and when we walk him while other dogs are also being walked, he barks and/or lunges and snaps at them. Even if he starts out OK - within a minute he acts out aggressively. This is making it hard for us to find a training class for him since they are full of other dogs!!! The trainers who come to the home are too expensive. We're working on a solution, though. Any advise would be welcome!

8/2/04 - Gipper is making progress. You were right about the "honeymoon"! He was on his best behavior for those 4 weeks or so. Not that he's bad now - just more comfortable to take a wrapper or two out of our recycle bag. He also helped himself to some blueberry muffins I left unattended - my bad.
The class I signed him up for was with the Town of Bloomfield. They called last week to say there weren't enough dogs signed up so they cancelled this one. The next one starts late September. So I called Tails U Win and he starts next Tuesday. I'm a little concerned because the classes have other dogs and we know that Gipper doesn't especially like other dogs. I put my concerns to Joanne who runs the Tails program. She said that dogs who don't get along with other dogs don't have a happy life!! And if Gipper couldn't get along we'd have to go to classes in Manchester in a large warehouse. I'm not keen on that. So I called The Teacher's Pet where they come to your house. A king's ransom is all it costs!!! He does sit on command, though and is much better when we go on our nightly walks - he's less apt to pull us along and stops on command. But if he sees a rabbit - whoa - he's very strong! So were going to see how he does with Tails U Win next week.
He is a happy dog for sure. He is very friendly now to people who come to our door. He's affectionate and loves to ride in the car. I'm taking him back to the vet today because he has this lump/abrasion/sore on his back ankle. It started as just a bite-like thing -but he licks it constantly and it's gotten larger. I hope it's nothing that some cream or antibiotics won't solve.

7/14/04 - Our Gipper continues to delight our entire family. He has a funny personality and is as happy to see us each morning as we are to see him. His jumping has eased with Ray & I - he responds to "sit" even when he's excited. With the kids (teenagers) he just jumps and jumps and they pretty much jump along with him. He's good with their friends as well. We spend a lot of time outside and Gipper has become familiar with his surroundings. He still barks and growls at our neighbors dogs but loses interest after a while. His Vet visit went very well - he's healthy as can be and he got his nails cut. He's a little finicky with his dog food - and every day he knocks his full food dish until the food spills on the floor -even though Jennifer warned us about his little habit - and we bought a dish we thought would be impossible to tip - he still does. I leave the food on the floor and he eats it up when he's darned good and ready. He's a good dog, for sure. So far, so good and so much joy! All the best to all you Boxer Angels! Kathi

6/17/04 - Gipper is doing great! It's only been 4 days and we can't believe he hasn't always been a part of this family. I admit I was apprehensive about getting Gipper - jumping and a bit of growling when we saw him both times. But he is such a love. Tail going a mile a minute!! This morning I got up to let him out to do his business (my husband Ray has been getting up) and Gipper whimpered until Ray got up! Then the wiggle and delight. He reacts that way now to everyone in our family! He's been a good boy and we have a LOT of company - schools out and the kids are having friends over every day & evening. Gipper did manage to eat 2 of the Tuna Salad Sandwiches I made for the kids this afternoon. I left them in a plastic bag up on the counter and I thought - out of reach. When Pat got to the kitchen, he was munching away through the bag! I hope it doesn't upset his stomach too much. He gets a lot of exercise, playing, running and a walk every evening. This doggie is pooped at the end of the day. He does nap in the morning and some in the afternoon. We are so happy we adopted him and we think he feels the same!

6/15/04 - Good morning!  We picked up Gipper yesterday at Jen's house at 5PM and brought him to his new home.  Our whole family is so excited that he is "home"!  We played and ran, we let him sniff and explore.   He really behaved very nicely, too!  He didn't eat too much last night though - probably nerves.  Two of Pat's teen friends came to visit to see Gipper and he was quite good.  He sits on command believe it or not and responds always to his new name - gratitude and thanks to Jen!!!  He did manage to get a couple of apples out of the basket we have on the counter~!
We put him to bed at 10PM after he went out.  He was in his new crate and did whimper for about 15 mins or so, but since Pat also sleeps in the finished basement, he knew he was not alone.
This morning when we got him up, he was soooooooooo happy to see us!! He jumped around and in circles.  We tell him "off!" when he jumps up.  He's a love and we can tell he wants to be good.  He relieved himself by the wood pile and got a treat!  One by one when the kids got up, he danced around with joy!  We are loving him.  After everyone was gone to work and school, I went out for a run.  I could see his little head up in the window as I ran by. Soon, I'm hoping he'll run with me.  I think that'll be after our Obedience classes which begin in July. Later today, I'll take him for a ride when I drop off Pat for his job.
Thanks to Tina, Jean & Jen for all they have done to allow this grateful family to enjoy our new member!

6/14/04 - Scooby now named "Gipper" has been adopted.

6/8/04 - Scooby is pending adoption.

6/6/04 - I sent in some new pictures of Scooby today. This silly boy actually posed for these pictures! I'd tell him to freeze in a particular position, and he would -- not a budge until I told him it was OK to move. This amazed me, because, while Scooby certainly is a good dog, I don't think he's ever been accused of being particularly OBEDIENT. Scooby pretty much does what he wants...when he wants to. So to have him sit or lie in any pose I choose, quiet as a church mouse waiting patiently for me to tell him he can move...kind of had me scratching my head and wondering. Could this be a foreshadowing of the great dog Scooby will become when he outgrows his puppy ways and has a little more training? Or is he just vain?

6/2/04 - Scooby returned to us after a brief stay at another foster home. He received high marks. They were impressed with his good looks, smarts and loving nature. Scooby had the opportunity to interact with other dogs during his stay there. He did not seem to like them, so he was kept on a leash when they were around. So once again, I feel strongly that Scooby should be the only dog in the family.
I am simply amazed that no one has snapped Scooby up. If it weren't for the fact that Scooby and Murphy don't like each other, I wouldn't hesitate to adopt him. In fact, we seriously considered keeping him, taking the chance that he and Murphy would grow on each other. Unfortunately, with Murphy being older than dirt, we decided that we'd never forgive ourselves if she wound up in a serious fight. But if it were just me and Scooby, living in the woods somewhere, no doubt I'd keep him. He is going to be a loyal and protective companion for that special someone. With structure and formal obedience training, I think he will continue to make progress on the behavioral front -- namely chewing, counter surfing / stealing food, and jumping.

5/24/04 - Scooby had a great weekend! Every day we see progress with him. Scooby no longer jumps on me. He continues to jump on everyone else, however. Along those same lines, he will not steal my food, but thinks nothing of swiping a loaf of bread or a hamburger off the kitchen counter if left alone for even a few seconds. Thanks to Scooby, my 18 month old has now mastered another new word -- NAUGHTY!
Scooby has been here about three weeks, but only just discovered that we have a herd of cows behind our back yard. He has been having a ball running around trying to figure out how to get through both the chain link and electric fence to get to them! Scooby helped dismantle our above ground pool this weekend. He had a blast playing in the mud hole that was left behind -- he was filthy! And so Scooby had his first bath with us on Saturday night. He was a very good boy in the tub!
As I mentioned in an update last week, Scooby has really grown on us, and has become so comfortable here. While I still watch him like a hawk around my little one, the rambunctious behavior is pretty predictable, and most of the time Scooby is as calm as can be. He allows my son to cuddle with him and the two of them are very sweet together. Scooby continues to behave wonderfully at night -- sleeps right through. We've had the opportunity to test him further with cats -- my two indoor cats and a kitten who wandered into our yard this weekend. While Scooby does appear to have only the best intentions.....he does seem to be just a tad overzealous with the kitties. The more I come to know and love Scooby, the more firmly I believe that he will thrive in a home without furry competition.
I hear there are a few families who are very eager to adopt Scooby and that their applications are in the final stages of completion. It sounds like he'll be going home soon. This is great news!

5/20/04 - Scooby has been a good boy this week. I see improvements in his behavior every day. He has been scolded a few times for fishing stuff out of the garbage, including a chicken bone that I literally reached down his throat to retrieve. Scooby is getting much better at off, and his jumping has decreased dramatically, particularly with adults. What he'll do now is jump straight up in the air, twisting in mid air so that his rump taps us. He is a nut sometimes! Chewing is still a problem at times. It seems like Scooby has an hour or so just before bed time that he is compelled to pick up everything that isn't nailed down. I tell him to drop my shoe and he head immediately for a kid's toy. I say no to that and within 10 seconds he's picking up something else -- this despite the fact that he has at least half a dozen of his own chew toys right there! As I mentioned, this behavior lasts about 30 to 60 minutes, and just when I think I might strangle him, he settles down with a kong.
I have become attached to Scooby. He is going to make someone very happy. Scooby will be going to his new "forever" home very soon.

5/16/04 - Scooby had a terrific weekend. He has settled down very nicely in the past week. Scooby is a devoted and protective soul. When he is outside with the children he doesn't keep his eye off of them. He rarely gets carried away with them, although we do keep close watch on Scooby as he does have his impulsive moments. It is touching to watch Scooby and the baby when they are both feeling affectionate. Scooby will lie very quietly while Michael softly pats Scooby and puts his head down on Scooby's shoulder. A couple times Michael has decided to explore Scooby's ears and paws. Scooby patiently put up with the poking and prodding, even when Michael tentatively stuck his fore finger straight into his ear.
Scooby's decided he likes my mother after all. She came over for dinner tonight and there were no signs of aggression at all. I really don't believe that Scooby will be aggressive towards people -- however since he tends to be somewhat timid with strangers, first introductions should be done slowly and on a leash.
Scooby is beginning to respond to "off." He is not consistent yet, but we are definitely seeing progress. My son has mastered the command, and now bellows "OFF!" each time he hears me say it to Scooby.

5/13/04 - Scooby is still doing great. He seems less and less concerned with the cats and Murphy every day, although when the cat ventures into the room with Scooby, he gets very excited. Scooby's appetite has improved a great deal. I think it must have been the shots that made him feel icky for a day or two. Scooby has been working on stay, and now will sit and wait for my OK before he eats his breakfast and dinner. Scooby still takes advantage of every opportunity to steal food from the counter, garbage, or even right off our plates. However, he does respond to "uh uh Scooby" and will abandon a plan to poach if he realizes we're paying attention.
Did I mention that Scooby is FULLY house and crate trained? He is also a dream on the leash. With regards to the crate, we leave the door to the crate open when we're all in the room. Scooby frequently goes in on his own, just to hang out. On the occasions that I do have to crate him, I just put some treats in his kong, and toss it in the crate. He's so smart -- this morning as I was preparing his kong and bone he sat waiting, and when I finished up he literally dashed to the crate and danced around wanting me to let him in.

5/9/04 - Scooby continues to do just fine here.  He is so calm for such a young dog.  He is improving on the jumping.  When he sees me for the first time in the morning he's so excited he can barely contain himself, but he manages to -- he's more likely to jump straight up into the air than to jump onto me.  He still will jump on the children, however, so we leash him when they greet him first thing in the morning.  The training re: stealing food and counter surfing is starting to pay off too.  He now thinks twice (and looks around to see if I'm paying attention) before visiting the counter.  If I catch him, all I have to do is make a soft hissing sound -- the squirt gun sound :)  -- and he hops right down.  He still misbehaves frequently, but Scooby is absolutely trainable.
Since my last update, I've had a chance to introduce Scooby to more people.  He is VERY apprehensive with strangers, and growled at my parents today.  Scooby warmed up after several minutes.  His new family should plan to bring Scooby to obedience classes so that he will be less fearful with strange animals and people.  He might do really well in an agility class someday.  Scooby is people oriented and he really wants to please us.  He just needs the right situation -- based on the week he has spent with us I recommend a home without other pets.  He is usually very gentle with children, in fact he just loves them ... but there are times he gets carried away playing and has the potential to accidentally hurt a smaller child.  What a wonderful boy, though.  I am sure there the perfect match is out there, and he will be off to his forever home soon.

5/7/04 - Scooby is settling in very nicely.  He is used to our routines, and is beginning to respond to training.  He rarely jumps on me, and does not steal objects that don't belong to him quite as often.  He did eat the best pages from Mr. Brown Can Moo the other day.  He still is a little pushy when there is food around, so we do not allow him in the kitchen at meal time.
Scooby and Murphy still have a baby gate between them during the day, and there are occasional arguments through the gate.  They seem less and less interested in each other as time passes.  My strategy is to eliminate the baby gate once both dogs act indifferent at all times.  At night Scooby sleeps next to our bed with Murphy only about 6 feet away, separated by an empty laundry basket.  Scooby is wonderful at night.  It takes him about a half hour to settle in, usually because the cat lays on the bed mocking him.
Scooby's appetite has been a little light for the past day.  That could be the effect of the immunizations he had a few days ago.  The baby and Scooby like to eat Scooby's food together when I'm not looking.  Michael gives one piece to Scooby, then pops one in his own mouth (yucky, but not toxic, I'm told).
I had to return to the vet to pick up Scooby's rabies cert and tags, so I brought him along.  He did well the second time back.  He didn't growl at anyone unless they growled first.  Scooby rides well in the car.

5/5/04 - Scooby is such a good dog.  There are times I forget that he is here, because so often he is happy to just lie nearby.  We still have not pushed to test Scooby with the cats and Murphy because,
quite frankly, I am concerned that my animals will start something and get hurt.  Scooby is nice to other animals so long as they are nice to him.  However, if the cat or Murphy growl at him, he gives it right back.  When Scooby woofs at my animals, the hair on his back is raised and he bears his teeth.  The tail usually is NOT wagging.  Scooby came from a home with other animals and did OK with them until he was about 12 months old.  Maybe he'll do OK again...or maybe this guy needs to be an only child.
Scooby continues to get into all kinds of trouble here.  He likes to steal food, counter surf, and munch on all kinds of objects he's not supposed to have.  He is such a smart boy though!  I've been working with him on this for just a few days and I'm already seeing progress.  Now Scooby gets off the counter when he hears me coming.  I can tell what he's going to pick up before he does it, and now I can say "Scooby, Uh - Uh" and he'll quickly very away.  He responds well to treats and verbal praise, but the squirt gun really gets his attention.  I think in time Scooby will become a true gentleman. 
Jumping is another issue for Scooby.  He just can't control the impulse to tackle us when we've been away for a little bit.  While he is marvelous with kids at all other times, he's made me a little nervous with both of my children and I keep him on leash when they get home from school/day care at the end of the day.  We will continue to work with Scooby to resolve this problem.
I brought Scooby to the vet for his check up yesterday.  Everything looks great, and he is ready to go.  He also went to a softball game with me last night.  He was very nervous at first, but after a while the tail was up and wiggling.  He was a hit with all the ladies on my team.  They could not get over how cute he is.
Scooby only spent the one night in the crate -- that was the night kitty was looking at him funny and he couldn't stop growling.  Every other night he's stayed in our room, next to the bed.  Scooby sleeps soundly, and doesn't ask to go out during the night.  When I get up during the night to let Murphy out at 11:30, 2:00 and 4:00 :( , Scooby stays where he belongs with out fussing.  Come and get him -- this handsome guy won't be here for long!

5/3/04 - Scooby has been here for two days and we are starting to get to know him much better as he begins to feel more at home. Scooby was initially timid but has warmed up very quickly. He is a friendly dog, and especially loves children. Scooby is crate trained and housebroken, and has not had a single accident in the house, which is a first for any foster here at the LOMAH B&B! So far he's spent one night in our room, and one night in the crate -- last night he was crated because he would not go to sleep. He couldn't get over the fact that my cat was sleeping next to me and would not stop growling. After two hours I called it quits. Scooby was quiet in the crate and I had to wake him up to bring him for a walk at 6:30. Speaking of walks, Scooby is very good on the leash -- another LOMAH B&B first.
He is calm with us for the most part, but has had moments when he has jumped and climbed on us, particularly when he sees us for the first time after we've been away for a while. Consequently, we make sure he is leashed and far apart from the kids when he is excited. As I said before, Scooby is a very mellow guy for such a young dog, and the excitable moments when he jumps and gets carried away pass quickly. I am unsure of how Scooby will be with other animals. He initially was indifferent about the cats and our dog Murphy. When Scooby is growled at or spit at, he reacts defensively and appears somewhat fearful. We are going to take introductions very slowly and not until he seems like he is ready.
Scooby had basic obedience training when he was a pup, but it is clear he could benefit from a refresher course, as he pretty much does whatever he feels like, whenever he feels like doing it. It seems he is constantly climbing on the furniture and chewing things that don't belong to him, despite having a wide variety of toys and other doggie chews at hand. He likes to beg at the kitchen table and has put his front paws on table, right in front of me, on a couple occasions. He took my daughter's breakfast right off her plate this morning. So...we have a few disciplinary issues to work out (he sits well, I'll grant him that). But Scooby is a beautiful dog and really does have a great personality. He has a nice disposition and with a little more training, structure and positive reinforcement has the makings to be the perfect family pet.