2/27/08 - Just a note to let everyone know that Jack is doing wonderful with us in his new home.  He's only had a hand full of potty mishaps in the house, for the most part, he knows to let me see when he has to go out and he can hold it until I get him out the door.  Id say he's pretty much fully potty trained.  He's doing great with the cats too, he's still very curious, but doesn't feel the need to chase them around anymore.  He's definitely not an alpa dog, my two cats seem to be the pack leaders.  He's growing fast, I sure he's gained at least 10 lbs over the month.  We have wonderful long walks in the park, he's a neighborhood favorite and everyone wants to know how he's doing.  The other dogs love him too and he's making so many friends.  In fact, on Saturday, he had a small celebrity experience.  Ty Pennington from America's Extreme Home Makeover was with his film crew in the Boston Common after a lovely snow storm the night before, shooting life in the city during an episode they were filiming.  Ty and his camera man found us romping around with a tennis ball and decided to join in the fun.  Ty had a blast with Jack and the camera man was dying to join the fun.  They filmed the whole thing and say it will air soon.  Just another adventure for my pall Jack!  He's full of curiosity and loves meeting anybody who walks by.  Everyone loves to say hi back too, who could ignore those cute eyes and ears and the wiggly tail begging to say "hi!"? 

2/24/08 - Jack is doing so great and learning very fast. He is totally fine with the cats now and he has completely lost the chase instinct and now they are all pals. Today he had a celebrity experience in the  park. Ty Pennington from Americas Home Makeover was in Boston and  found us playing in the park and came to play catch and romp around  for a while. Ty loved him and the crew too and he will be put on an  upcoming show. Just goes to show how much love and fun he has even the  stars can't get enough of my pal Jack! I love him like a child and can't  imagine my life without him!

1/28/08 - Just wanted to touch base, Jack is doing so great here.  He's made himself so at home and it feels like he's always been part of the family.  We love him dearly, the cats are great with him, I have to watch out carefully, even though he pounces them and cannot be in 1-1 contact with them, and supervised constantly, they still continue to just romp right up to him with reckless abandon, and try to play!  Soon though, he'll be ok enough to play, I'm working with him constantly to obey commands and even have a trainer coming by this week for special instruction on leashing and the cats.  He's a smart boy, so we have no doubt he'll be coming around soon enough.  So far only one accident in the house, he's coming around nicely.   Well, I just wanted to say thank you and Anne and everyone again, Jack is so loved here and I so look forward to the many many years of joy he's brought me in just 8 days!

1/20/08 - Utah left with his new mom tonight.  Rachel was so excited to meet him and take him home.  She has waited patiently for him for a long time.  She has the time and energy to give Utah a wonderful home.  He got into her car for the long ride to his new home without hardly looking back - just a look that said on to my next adventure.  My house seems very quite now and we will miss him.

1/13/07 - Utah is doing well.  He goes to be neutered on Thursday and then it will be on to his forever home.  Housetraining is going slowly - some days he has no accidents and other days 3 or 4.  It just depends on how closely we are paying attention to him.  He still keeps his crate dry overnight and for a few hours during the day.  We have been walking him with a backpack in order to use up some of his energy.  He liked it so much he decided to chew off one of the plastic fasteners.  We don't leave it where he can reach it now.  He will need to be supervised because if he can get into something - he will.  He loves to tear up papers out of the recycling bag.  He has eaten cookies left on the kitchen table - which is easy since he stands as high as the table.  Counter and table
surfing have not been a big problem with Utah - but if the opportunity is there he will take it.  He has also managed to pull both ends of our cable run out of their attachments - even bending a heavy metal S hook on one end - along with pulling the metal ring out of his collar.  He was only out on it about 5 minutes but he really loves to chase the squirrels and at only 8 months he is a very strong boy.   Good thing he's a sweetie who only wants to please his family.  He has found the couch is much more comfortable than the floor.  I have sent a picture of him enjoying the couch - the 6 1/2 ft couch that he almost fills.  Also a picture of him helping Gladys with her bottle.  He makes sure her face stays clean.  Today when I gave Utah his kibble, Gladys decided to try some and he just let her.  He is not at all a dominant dog.  With love, lots of attention, exercise, and training Utah is going to make someone a wonderful companion.

1/11/08 - Utah is pending adoption

1/5/08 - Just a short update on the results from Utah's examination at Cornell.  Good news - the tests did
 not show any major physical problems with Utah's urinary system.  His problem appears to be
 behavorial since he is able to keep his crate dry and clean overnight and for 3 to 4 hours during the
 day.  When he is not in his crate, he needs to go out about every hour or two.  In the past 2 days
 he has had only one accident in the house.   Utah will be neutered as soon as I can schedule an
 appointment and will then be ready for adoption.  Don't miss the chance to adopt this great puppy.

1/2/08 - Utah arrived here about 2 1/2 weeks ago - just before Christmas.  Thanks goes to his transporters - Tina, Jack, Allyson & Larry.  He has settled in quite well even though we are a very low energy pack for this high energy pup.  He definitely needs a forever home with a younger dog he can play with and younger pack leaders with a lot more energy than my husband and me.  My boxer Ellie at 10 years old just growls or barks at him when he tries to get her to play and he flattens my foster Gladys when he jumps on her to play.  My son's 2 year old boxer comes to visit and Utah can sometimes be overpowering for her also.  He likes to nip the other dogs' legs when he is playing so that needs to be worked on.  He loves to chase anything that moves - squirrels, leaves, cats.   He is constantly chasing my inside cats to get them to play.  My one cat Missky who thinks she is queen of the house will not back down so we have had many hissing/spitting - barking/pouncing matches.  She also tends to locate herself just out of Utah's reach so it's not all his fault.  The biggest problems we have had with him so far are using up some of his energy and chasing the cats.  He likes to tear up papers and steal the soft stuffed Christmas ornaments off our tree but that was solved by moving the papers and closing off the room with the tree.  He needs to be supervised or he'll find something to get into.  He's just a puppy  - however a very big puppy.  At 57 lbs. he stands taller than my big girl Ellie.  Utah is a super dog.  He's affectionate and fairly well trained.  He does really well with sit and stay.  Come, down, leave it and off need more work.  He will sit and stay at the door to get his leash on and to go out or in and he sits and waits for his food.  He's not much of a jumper unless he is excited.  However I would not recommend a house with children under 5.  Utah, because of his size, would easily overpower young children.  He was very good with my 1 year old grand daughter but in a very calm controlled situation.
 
Housetraining and Utah's possible kidney problems are the other issues we are dealing with.  He arrived with his "tinkle trousers" and they worked great preventing accidents in the house.  On Dec. 19th, Utah was evaluated and tested at Cornell. I do not have the final results from the tests but have been observing Utah's peeing behaviors without the trousers - at Cornell's request -  since then .  So far I have not obsevered many of the problems previously reported.  Utah keeps his crate dry for at least 6 to 8 hours overnight and  during the day.  If he is not crated he needs to go out every 1 to 2 hours or he will pee in the house but it does not appear to be uncontrolled.
Once in a while - if we are paying attention - he even whines or goes to the door when he needs to go out.  Also he is not drinking an excessive amount of water.  I don't know why I'm not seeing what others have reported - maybe it's the low energy of my household, the fact that I'm home most of the day, or Utah's urinary system has matured in the last month.  The verdict is still out.

Anyway, if Utah gets a clean bill of health - consider adopting this wonderful boy.  The perfect forever home would be a family with older children where someone is home most of the time and there is another young boxer or large dog to play with.  Utah needs someone with time and energy to burn.

12/11/07 - Utah is spending a couple of days here at the Guardian Angel Boxer Haven as a pit stop on his way to a foster home near Cornell where he can have some specialized testing done to find out what is going on with him.  So far all the vets are sure it is a kidney issue but not sure from what...Utah has many pee accidents during the day through no fault of his own....as you can see in his photo we have bought him what is called "Tinkle Trousers" to wear..so far they seem to be doing a SUPER job...it is a type of harness and inside you put a diaper (his uses a size 2 diaper) and it catches the leakage...they can be found at www.tinkletrousers.com if anyone is in need for their dogs.
Utah just loves the other dogs here in my home and is a SUPER active boy...he would play 24 hours a day if he could...wears me out just watching him...he and Dexter have hit it off and Dexter is thrilled to have a buddy as playful as he is.  Utah is also good with the cats in the home...tries to get them to play with him as well but they just walk away.
He is very good in the crate..he cried for a while but I put the crate in my room next to the bed and he is fine.
He will need to eat two or three smaller meals a day as when he eats once a day he tends to not be able to keep it down which most likely has to do with the kidney problems as well....he drinks quite a bit of water so fresh water is a must for him....he is being worked on for his house training and is doing better as long as he goes out with in 5 to 10 minutes of eating and as soon as he is let out of his crate...not sure he has had much in the way of training with his previous owner...kind of a wild child waiting to be tamed :o))
Keep this boy in your thoughts and prayers that we can find out what is going on and help him live a long happy life.

11/24/07 - Utah had his very first Thanksgiving.  He was a good boy and enjoyed the company of his other dog
 friends (Michael, Tippi, and Coco)...Yes he even ran around in our fenced in yard with Coco.  Coco is eight years old and has a very weak hind end so he tends to fall easily.  Utah wanted to play with him the whole time they were outside but Coco said "I'll play but not at your speed"...  Utah is in fast forward all the time.  When Coco had enough he put Utah in his place by yelling at him and than Utah would quickly back away. 
I don't think that Utah would do well in a house that has older dogs as he constantly wants to play.  Our one year old yorkie and two year old pug sometimes get annoyed by his constant action but tolerate him all the same.  Utah definitely needs another puppy or young dog to play with. 
I am waiting for the results on his urine sample as the tests from previous vet showed no major problems with his kidneys.  He will hopefully be getting neutered in the next few weeks once everything else is determined to be ok and then he can go on to his forever home.  Utah is going to make some family very happy as he has so much love to give.  I got the doggy belly band today and put a depends in it to help with all the accidents Utah has in the house.  He hasn't seemed to mind it too much.  I don't think he can quite figure out why it is on there. I'm anxious to see how it works. 
Utah has made friends with our rabbit however we are not sure if he thinks he is a toy or food as he constantly jumps up on the cage and whines...  He does the same with my two parrots.  Maybe he thinks he lives at a zoo (my husbands version of our home) and they should all be allowed to come out and play...
I have also tried to touch Utah's head and ears while he is eating and even pull at his bowl and he is fine with all of that.  You can hold him and kiss and pretty much do whatever you want with him.  I have never heard a growl out of him except the "boxer play growl"...  He is such a sweet boy.

11/17/07 - Utah is still as playful as ever.  He loves to play with our two small dogs.  Our boxer Coco growls at him and I really think its because Utah is overwhelming for him.  Utah is on the go 99% of  the time.  You think he would get tired but he doesn't.  Once in a while he takes a quick snooze and snores instantly but those times are few and far between.  He continues to chase our cats (outside cats) so I don't know how he would be with an indoor cat.  He spends a lot of time at the parrot cage trying to talk to him.  He also jumps up on the cage and can't figure out why he can't get to him. I don't think I trust him with birds as one time our parrot flew down and he went right after him.  He has met our rabbit and so far has only kissed him but again common sense says "Don't trust it!"
Utah still pees a lot.  His crate continues to be wet much of the time.  I am taking a urine sample to the vet on Monday...  I am praying he can tell us what is wrong with this little boy.  He eats normal.  He drinks all the time.  You have to put the water dish up at times or he will have it empty every five minutes.  We love Utah and he has really just fit right in.   What a great personality....!

11/13/07 - We are at day 3 of Utah's arrival.  He is doing great in our house.  He continues to be very playful and active.  I took him to the vets office today and we are awaiting vet's plan for Utah.  The vet assistant said "he is very high-strung"...  I think at times he is, but then he settles down and can be a very quiet young boy.  He is play boxing with my two little ones all the time.  He puts his foot on them and wants to play.  Our older boxer continues to growl at him.  I think he is just scared and doesn't want the activity level Utah presents.  We are going to try them outside together this coming weekend and see how they react.  Utah jumped over the baby gate yesterday so if  you plan on keeping him locked up - He will find a way out.  He lays by me when I cook in the kitchen and snores away.... Utah is a great little guy...
We are praying the vet can find out what's wrong with him so he can stop his uncontrollable peeing.  He pees and walks at the same time and its not just dribbles its puddles...  I am going to look into depends for him... Hopefully that will help us in the meantime.  He met our turkey and parrots today.  He barks at them.  I'm not sure if he wants them to play with him or if he is scared.  The cats he continues to chase... but not in a mean way just wanting to play.  More to follow on this great boy!

11/11/07 - Utah arrived safely at his new foster home.  He is absolutely gorgeous.  He is all puppy and hasn't stopped running since he got here.  He is already playing with our pug and yorkie.  We haven't introduced him to our boxer yet only through the crate.  He saw our outside cats and didn't quite know what to make of them.  Of course they immediately hissed and he just looked at them like "what's that all about".  He already had an accident in the house and seems to be drinking a lot of water.  He came to BAR with a possible kidney problem so he will be seeing our vet on Monday.  I will update more on his condition once I find out.   So far he has been really great with our girls who are 10 and 13. He does not mind the crate and lays down quietly.  More to follow on this little guy...