[Mackenzie’s Admin]

Intake Date – 2/17/2006
Adoption Date – 12/18/2008

12/27/08
Tango’s 1st Week at Home
They had a very nice Christmas! Mom said that overall things have gone pretty well this week. Tango has been so well-behaved, so mellow and relaxed in the home. He’s been getting lots of exercise, and enjoys every minute exploring outdoors in their yard. Tango also loves to lay under the table at their feet, it’s so cute. Tango met their grandkids over the holiday, and he was so good with them, so calm and mellow. He’s not pushy or overly affectionate, so he didn’t bother the kids one bit.

They are making sure to only leave the home for short periods of time or make arrangements to leave Tango with a neighbor/friend while they’re away, as Tango does have a little ‘separation anxiety’ about being left alone. He will poop in his crate when they leave, not because he’s scared of the crate (he loves to lay in it to chew his toys!); it’s more that he gets nervous about the family leaving. Luckily they are all very patient and understanding, and are working with Tango slowly to get him more comfortable and confident. Plus Mom is home most of the day, so Tango won’t ever be left alone for very long. They’ve read lots of articles and the ‘I’ll Be Home Soon’ booklet by Patricia McConnell which has helped a lot. In a few weeks, they expect him to improve even further as he gets more adjusted to their new home & routine.

Mom said that aside from that, Tango has truly been great in every other way. One positive is that surprisingly Tango has not been a chewer at all – he doesn’t shred anything ever, which is nice! In the past they’ve had young puppies that went through the chewing, and the crazy/hyper stages too, so they weren’t sure if they were ready to do a puppy again . . . but Mom said that this has been such a different experience adopting an Adult Dog. Tango is so well-behaved, totally relaxed, and such a loving boy. They couldn’t be more pleased.

February 04, 2009
Fugi (Tango)

Hi Kristi,
Fugi seems to be settling in, though he still has accidents if left alone (or, we have discovered, if he thinks he is alone.) It doesn’t happen every time and we’re confident that he will outgrow this behavior. Mostly, his behavior is wonderful. In fact, we decided to postpone the dog-training classes until spring or summer. I know there will be some benefit – but he is already so obedient and polite, we thought it could wait for the warmer weather.

He has occasional play-dates with the Labradoodle across the street – they have a large, fenced-in yard and he runs harder and faster during those times than on any walks or runs he has with us. He has met many other dogs, mostly during visits to friends’ houses, and he has always been friendly during those visits. We’ve also been very happy with his behavior around our grandchildren and other kids. In fact, one morning I was watching a friend’s five-year old, Nell – who immediately informed me that dogs always like her. I still wanted to be cautious, but within minutes, Nell was sitting on the floor with Fugi stretched out on his back and his head in Nell’s lap.

I will be sending the survey and our adoption story (though it’s not much of a story) very soon. In the meantime, I just wanted you to know how happy we are with Fugi and how happy he seems to be with us. We were all so impressed with Mackenzie’s. Your obvious committement to your work is admirable. When you left after the home visit, I said to Jacob and Henry, "Whatever it is that you end up doing with your life, if you can feel about your work the way she feels about hers, you’ll be happy."

Thanks so much.

Eileen

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