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Holly 12/18/04
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Holly's Foster Journey - Adopted 1/8/05

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Pertinent Information
Approx. 3 yr. old Fawn/White Female Boxer
  52 lb. Shelter Surrender
Natural Ears and Docked Tail
Spayed and UTD
Being Fostered in Bay Shore on Long Island
Adoption Donation $250

1/8/06 - Has it really been a year since our little angel joined her real family?  Holly remains our precious angel.  She is spoiled rotten and loving every second, hour, day of it.  Considering I was the one sooooo against getting a dog, it amazes even me that Holly Princess girlie, girl is "MY" sweetie. She is PaPa's "yes girl, do I ever have this ol' fool fooled"! She is MaMa dog to our youngest Brendon.  And FINALLY she has found her place with our eldest boy, Chinye - they play, play, play.
Holly is completely in control of her castle and tries to be in control of the territory (those deer and squirrels will forever drive her crazy). She is so comfortable in her home she is no longer compelled to stay up all night if someone is up or if there is any action going on - she simply retreats to her bed (located in the master bedroom) for a snooze.  Since we are out in "no mans land", it is a great comfort to me knowing that NO ONE will ever tred her turf without the proper  permission.  She lets me know immediately even if a car turns into the driveway and that big ol garbage truck better not EVER stay too long (our door wont last!!)  I never have to worry about Brendon's safety, he IS the puppy of the house!
Our Princess is a smart one.  She even figured out how to ring a cow bell we have on the door knob to let us know when she needs to go out.  Her training was a piece of cake for her and she walks beautifully with us daily. She knows where her treats are and that after ever meal she gets a greenie to brush her teeth. 
We have come to realize that Holly wants to be the only Queen Pup in this house or any where she puts her paws.  It was hard accepting the fact that Holly really doesn't like other dogs since at the time we were considering a second dog (she loves children and is getting along just fine with grouchie Crossroads our cat).  After talking with Donna, Holly's foster Mom, we weight in our options and decided it is best for all of us to let Holly be Queen.  Even though Chinye would love a second dog, right now we want Holly to have all the attention she needs.  As Brendon gets older we will reconsider our options.
We can not say enough wonderful things about Holly, her foster Mom Donna, and BAR.  Keep in mind, I didn't want a dog.  In fact, I thought I would really set all of you up by making it SOOOOO hard to find the perfect dog for us, I put everything down I could think of to make it more difficult - what a shock, you found not only the perfect dog for our family but one that has taken my heart away.  She is truly and Angel.  Thank you.
 

7/10/05 - Holly "Princess girlie girl" is doing just FABULOUS. The last few months have brought new excitement into her life starting with the pool setup for the summer. She refuses to go in the big pool preferring the Walmart $6.00 baby pool for her own. The hot days finds her there now for soaking up the coolness not just for baths (though those baths don't bother her at all specially when the 2 boys climb in with her.)
Holly had a taste of her first camp out on Fathers Day. What fun we all had! After the excitement of tent set up and grilling a great dinner, we thought everyone was crashing for the night. Brendon fell asleep curled up with Holly.  Then the excitement started - what was that noise? Holly and Chinye HAD to go out to investigate; one never knows if a bear or cougar is in the area (we were camping out in the back 80 behind our house by the way!!). That ended any sleep - Chinye and Holly where up almost all night chasing fireflies and whatever else they were after. The geese kept Holly on guard all night. Needless to say the next day, Holly and Chinye slept and slept and slept. Holly continues to guard the house against groundhogs, squirrels, turkeys, and foxes. In fact there is an all out war with the squirrels. The deer keep her busy too but recently those 2 baby fawns who DON'T run away have caused a major crisis in her battle plans. To make matters worse one of those little buggers has the nerve to stomp his feet at her - now what is a big tough girlie girl boxer to do?!
The horse thing is solved but we aren't sure how she will do with other dogs since she still gets her gander up whenever a dog is within her sight. When we go out walking we stay very vigilant. Her trainer is coming again at the end of July to go back through her training and to address our other dog concerns. We believe she will be just fine but don't want to take any unnecessary risk specially when I am with the 2 boys. Not that this is a daily concern of ours at home but Chinye has big ideas that we have considered but won't follow through on until Holly is 100% ok with the idea - another boxer?
Crossroads (our cat) and Holly are doing just great together - holding there own turf and with Crossroads permission, allowing Holly to enter his kingdom on occasion. Holly, being the sweet Princess she is, will also allow Crossroads to "touch" Fluffy (the HUGE pink bunny that she received from her foster Mom, Donna). Holly's beds are still off limits to that pesky cat but I KNOW Crossroads wont give up easy on that issue (he use to snuggle with our DeeDee nightly so I know he will keep giving it a try until Holly gives in or is just too tired to argue). Holly has full run of the house now including the upstairs. This has worked out really well. When the boys keep at her until she is too tired to be pooped out, she retreats to her bed upstairs. As long as she thinks everyone is staying put, she can actually get a nap in the middle of the day - don't I wish!
She is a GREAT guard dog. If anyone even dares to enter the driveway, she lets them know that they do NOT have her permission. Brendon she protects like a newborn - dare those birds try to come near the bird feeders when Brendon is playing in the sandbox! As protective as she is, she gets along charmingly with the playgroups we have and has never pushed anyone over or jumped on anyone. She does give really, really big kisses and has washed several little ones heads! Surprisingly, on those playdate days, Holly just doesn't seem to eat as much as she usually does; must be all those goodies she gets shoved into her mouth by all those little hands. PaPa and her patrol the grounds with walks which take her out pass the back 80 and into the woods by the stream. FUN, FUN - watch out frogs and whatever else is lurking there. Things always seem to go very well until those boys go walking too - how did they ALL get up in that tree?! The adventure continues!!!!!
 

4/25/05 - Holly is such a SMART girl!! Now we KNOW its true since our trainer, Gunny, has told us so - up until now we thought it may just be our own love of her that had convinced us of her unbelievable smarts. After an intense month of training, Holly and MaMa successfully completed basic training. Gunny walked us all through the basic commands making sure we all got them down. Holly is such a little lady and such a good girl. She now has the heel thing down pat even when walking with 2 very active little boys and pushing a stroller. She also has been ignoring the horses (Gunny's secret to success)with the warning to us just to keep our eye on her to make sure she doesn't cross into the correls. Gunny will be back in fall to check up on all of us and continue Holly's socialization with other dogs (right now she prefers the 2 legged kind which works out ok for us but we want to make sure there will be no problems with our neighbor's dog.) Oh ya, and Chinye says to make sure she will also get along with "his" dog when the angels get us another boxer - we're still
thinking about that idea!!). A final thanks to Gunny for all his hard work with all of us and for loving our Holly as much as we do.

4/11/05 - Holly is LOVING spring. It has her getting into more trouble than one could imagine - attacking PaPa's flowers, destroying soccer balls, telling off horses, taking control over squirrels, etc. Thankfully the Easter Bunny was prewarned about the newest member of our family and was able to sneak in when she was sleeping (the boys were afraid that Holly would think the Easter Bunny was an
ordinary bunny and would attack the basket full of eggs). We were very lucky, we had a great egg hunt, received some great goodies and are very confident that the Easter Bunny made it past Holly.
Thankfully her trainer arrived last week. She is now in class and doing very well. Gunny took the first evening easy with her just taking time to get to know her. The next morning her schooling started and she did great. She has the heel and sit thing down pat. She is doing pretty good at stay and she has no problem with come. Gunny isnt too sure about the horse thing and how he can get her to stop her nasty attitude towards the horses but he has a few weeks to work with her. She is getting her daily exercise in plus - between school and playing with the boys, nap time can not come soon enough on some days.
Brendon remains her favorite - he's the short guy with all the food. Chinye remains the one she wants to play with rough and tumble but unfortunately after several more falls, Chinye isn't as interested.
We attempted the frizzbee thing but after Holly "ate" two of them, we are back to soccer balls. Even with her tear em up attitude on outdoor toys, she remains MaMa's little Princess and does a good job of "kissing up" to MaMa - that cute face thing goes a long way.  Happy spring all you Bar people and furry friends. Hope you are having as much fun as we are.

3/9/05 -Holly's life adventure continues!! Our "little" girl gave us a good scare by limping on her back leg - MaMa went into a panic and loaded everyone into the van for a trip to the vet. Holly was thrilled to meet everyone at the clinic and wiggled her butt off making sure everyone KNEW MaMa was half off her rocker - WHAT SORE LEG!! The vet believes she may have twisted it or sprained it. We think her tornado attack on the steps or leaping into the air doing her deer imitation did it!! She is on leash law now and has restricted activities until it heals - after a day of leash law, she is already crawling the walls ready to chase deer or wrestle the boys. While at the vet she also was checked for heartworm and she now gets preventative meds for it. She also had her teeth cleaned - yuck, Holly did not like that one little bit. With help from Brendon our "little" girl now weighs in at 61 pounds - the vet said to try to keep her at this weight; perfect for her size and frame (we may have to cut down the dog food since Brendon makes sure she gets to try all his goodies - like the chicken breast HE had for dinner a few nights ago; how did he eat that so fast?!) Brendon continues to be her pal. In fact, we have to protect Holly from all his loving. He loves to check her teeth, her toes, her nose - ya that too - NO NO Brendon!! Chinye has given up completely when it comes to walking or playing outside with her - she gets too rough with him. But he does enjoy a good tug of war in door and loves to cuddle with her by the fire. PaPa is trying the heal thing - Holly plays along with it most of the time (that is until a deer shows up). MaMa is loving the company at all hours of the day and night. Holly loves bear (her favorite toy from Grandma) and continues to drag it everywhere. She still is napping when Brendon takes his nap - so, everyone is sleeping; it is my turn to get something done. Hoping spring arrives soon for all the furry wonders and us two legged kind also. Loving life Holly, Bear, and Family

2/11/05 -We are all having so much fun with our "little" Princess - Holly. She gets up at the crack of dawn with Brendon and Chinye to greet the day. She still cries when Chinye gets on the bus but has definitely decided that Brendon is "her" pal - the two of them are constantly together (much to Chinye's dismay!). The little one we were most concerned with (that is the baby Brendon) has turned out to be Holly's shadow or is that Holly is Brendon's shadow - anyway, they LOVE each other. Chinye is a little disappointed that Holly is so connected to Brendon (he keeps asking about getting another dog from the angels! - we keep saying no; that is until Holly is 100% comfortable and we are too!) Holly actually has had some time alone while we went out shopping and to the library. She does beautifully out of her crate which is what we were hoping. She watches out for the house and lets us know whenever someone is coming up to the door (again, just what we were hoping for - she scared our poor FedEx guy from here to tomorrow when she first introduced herself!). We also found out that she is a perfect lady in the car or when meeting new people (she meet everyone at the municipal building when she got her official township license). Holly has finally mastered the coo-coo clock/grandfather clock thing and has moved on to new things. She is still guarding the house against squirrels, turkeys, and deer. She has also taken up the challenge of protecting us all against the geese who dare land in the "back 80". Her greatest challenge is going to be getting use to the neighbor's horses - to save her soul, she has decided they are the enemy. Real smart girl - sure take on a 1500+ pound animal to show who is boss with a little barking attitude!! So if anyone has any good horse/boxer reintroduction methods, we need them. Until then she will bark her head off at the patio doors telling off the horses when ever they come up to the top pastures. Holly's trainer arrives in April - with this horse thing going on it is a good thing. She also continues to pull on her leash when we are out walking (so hard that she actually pulled Chinye to the ground - again, much to his dismay!). Holly loved Grandma who came to visit for 3 weeks. Grandma brought her a "bear" which giggles and kackels. Holly has decided that "Bear" is her favorite toy and rarely leaves him alone. Grandma also had the patience to teach Holly to "say" please before she gets any treats, Bear or her dinner; she says please a lot now right next to the pantry where her treats are kept. We all love her butt wiggles, smuggie kisses, and perky ears. She is just too, too adorable. From Holly and her family - again, thank you to all who made this happen.

1/15/05 - Holly is WONDERFUL!! We had such a fantastic first week with our little "princess". Brendon continues to give her all the hugs and loving she needs (sometimes too much, he even crawls into her crate!). Chinye is her wake up call around 4 am to get to it and play, play, play. There were a few nights when she didn't eat her dinner and had us worried; now we realize that she was probably just too exhausted to eat - just too much excitement meeting a new family and checking out so many new things.
Donna, Holly's foster Mom, said I should make sure I tell you all about Holly's clock crisis!! We have a grandfather chiming clock and a coo-coo clock; they are set minutes apart so they do not go off together. Holly runs like crazy the second she hears the grandfather clock in the living room just to get there too late, then she high tails it to the dining room to catch the coo-coo clock in action. This has become an hourly event - she is determined to catch them both in action. It is hysterical to see her try and get there on time!!
Holly is also busy smooging up our huge picture window watching out for deer, foxes, geese, and turkeys. She does the same out the patio doors on patrol for those bouncing squirrels which are everywhere. And those squirrels are driving her "crazy" - what are they doing out there anyway!!!Crossroads our cat has decided not to have anything to do with Holly and remains his aloof self hiding for no one to see him (but then he does this with anyone - we keep telling Holly not to be offended, we have friends who have known us for 10 years and claim we don't really have a cat!!)Donna was right about the training for Holly. She is a dream inside and sits or stays whenever asked. She also will go to her crate when we tap on it. But our morning walks have become a challenge - she is one strong girl and loves to pull on the leash. Her trainer will be coming in March or April to stay with us for a month - he says he'll train "US" well (dogs are too smart to be trained, its the people he works on!!) Until then he has given us some basic homework.Life has been busy for our little girl - she is rarely alone. In fact she was home only for a half hour alone last week; otherwise she has always been with someone. Her day starts at 4 with Chinye trying to get her out of bed to play. She gets a good walk before breakfast and has to see Chinye off to the school bus (she has cried everyday since she realized that big ol bus carries him away). Then Brendon has to be "taken care of" - Holly doesn't let him out of her sight until nap time; both of them crash around 1:00. If we haven't got a good hike in the late afternoon, Holly is sure to have more action starting with Chinye coming home from school. She is one busy little girl! By the time bedtime comes she crashes after everyone is safely tucked in and asleep - she is
just such a good girl.
Thank you again to all the BAR people who helped us bring Holly home. We just love her - she is such a little doll.

1/10/05 -Thank you to everyone at BAR who brought Holly home to us. A special thank you to "Grandma"
Donna, Holly's foster Mom. Holly is WONDERFUL and she is doing really great (ok so it is only day 2 since
she is home but we are having so much fun with her). She is loving "her" 2 little boys. Our 2 year old, Brendon,
is in charge of hugs and reassurance along with tummy rubs. Chinye, our 5 year old, is in charge of wake ups,
playing, playing, and playing. She is still settling in and figuring out the lay of the land but is enjoying every
second. We will update you this weekend on how everything is going. She is just WONDERFUL.

1/8/05 - I'm so excited to post this update! Holly girl was adopted today and united...I want to say "reunited"!..with the family, I believe, she was destined to be with forever! My goodness, the "love connection" was so obvious from the start. What a wonderful family and wonderful life they have to offer her!
Pam, Morti and their 2 children, Chinye and Brendon drove in the awful rain from NJ to L.I., NY, by no means a stress free drive. Arrived with toys, leash, etc...but most of all love already waiting for her! They called when they got home, after the grand tour of her new domaine, little queen bee that she is! Said she was an angel on the ride home, and got up now and then and "snuffled" the boys...love that! Oh, I miss her snuffling...
As for my first experience as an "official" foster home, it was trying at times and sometimes exhausting (Holly and my top dog did not get along at all), but Pam's goodbye hug as she said in my ear, thank you, thank you, thank you...for all you did for Holly and us, made it more than worth the effort!! BTW, thought I needed to see a chiropractor for my back, but Pam's grateful "hug" took care of that!!!! Best of luck and a long, happy and healthy life to Holly and her new family! Much love and Boxer Slobbers, Grandma Donna (Chinye and Brendon gave me that name, and I'm proud of it!!)

1/4/05 - Holly is pending adoption

12/29/04 - Holly's personality is emerging every day, more and more. She is feeling much more secure. She's wagging her tail now and wants to play. We've had a few accidents in the kitchen, but as I look back, it's been after a play session, so now I put her out right away and things seem to be fine. No accidents at all in the crate. This morning at 3:30 she gently put her paw on my arm to wake me up. I thought she wanted on the bed, but she needed to go out.
Her kennel cough is clearing up nicely and her appetite has really improved. She will let me know if she is hungry, but has not jumped up to see what's on the counter or beg at the table. She sits patiently for her food and to put her leash on. She has already gained some weight. This girl is sooooo good! She just wants love, love, love, and asks for hugs.
This girl would make a perfect "first" Boxer for anyone. Whoever had her, trained her...hopefully with love. She's not timid, but very obedient and so very gentle.
We did have some issues with my boys. Especially with my top dog. I think she wants his job! She also took it upon herself to put my 95lb'er and JD (aka Kobe) in their place. I think she wants to rearrange the pack order. Haven't really been around females that much, so can't compare the behavior. But things have settled down. Loosing interest in the cat.
She was very fearful of my staircase, would go up, but not come down. She figured it out 2 days ago! So proud of her!!

12/23/04 - All I can say about Holly is WOW! What a wonderful girl she is! So smart. Came to me already knowing "crate up, sit, no, and quiet" Is now walking without pulling...took one day to teach her. Loves her crate. Does not seem to be possessive of it, but knows it's her spot. If she should bark, it's very lady-like, and only if someone she doesn't know enters. She is responding to her new name. Went to the vet for her physical yesterday. She rode beautifully in the car and hopped right in. Was the perfect patient and full of "Miss Manners"! She does have kennel cough, (being treated) but negative on fecal and heartworm...very good news. Stopped eating for a day, but ate all of her dinner tonight. BTW, her cute thing about
trying to bury her leftover food is not so funny anymore! I've learned to pick up the dish, otherwise it's a mess as she scoots and tips the dish with kibble scattered everywhere and proceeds to put it in every nook and cranny! She also buries her treats in the crate...for later! It makes me laugh and I really don't mind the mess. I've never had a Boxer that did this...guess she might have come from an environment where she had to hide her stuff. Don't know how she would be with another female dog, but with my 3 boys, after the 5th day of gradual introduction thru gates and walks, my boys have basically bowed down to her. No fights, just some initial posturing, mostly by my top dog. She definitely wants to be included with the pack, but will go back to crate on her own. I'm blessed by the "Angels" to have such an easy first foster. She's a little "velvet" girl, and I'm not just talking about her coat! She's getting used to the cat. But don't know how she would be with young children, as she hasn't been exposed yet while in my care, but my guess is, that she would be fine. She's not a jumper or a mouther. This girl is such a love muffin and would make an adoptive family proud to have her. I'm blessed to care for her in the meantime, especially over the holidays.

12/19/04 - Holly is a very sweet girl. Unsure of her surroundings...to be expected. Very thin, but has a beautiful coat. Hearty eater, but most of it comes out the other end. She's so funny...if she doesn't finish her meal, she pats down the food in the bowl with her snout and then scoots the bowl to a place where it's hidden!! Huge poops for such a small girl...problem with absorption of the food? Maybe cause of her situation...needs to calm down and feel secure. No problems with the crate, no accidents. She can be snarley thru the gate towards the other guys, but her tail is usually wagging, hackles up sometimes. Not bothering her stitches from spay or her leg where a growth was removed. VERY curious about Ina the cat. Walked her with each boy separately today. Went very well. She got her walk X'3!! Seemed friendly with an 8 year old girl across the street. No jumping. Started showing her "Boxer" play this afternoon. Good sign.

12/18/04 - Welcome to Donna, our newest foster home, who stepped up at the most opportune time for Holly, her first foster. Holly was in a long island shelter, needing to get out, and Donna stepped up to help her. Donna is not new to BAR, as she adopted Kobe in April of this year, and has been a wonderful mom to this boy.

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