Son of Dixie Marie and Rufus II

Dear Fredericka and Lucy,

I hope this note finds you both doing well. Manny is doing well and he has finally stopped growing, I think, at a lean 250lbs. My veterinarian couldn’t believe his weight the last time we were there and weighed him three times. This make Manny 25 times larger than Peanut, our dachshund. I have also taken to giving Manny a haircut about every month to keep him cool. Surprisingly enough, Manny seems to enjoy the haircuts and doesn’t even mind when I tidy him up by vacuuming the loose hair off of him.

As always, Manny is the consummate canine ambassador at the nature trail we go to. He “suffers” thru all the petting, photos, and praise about how well behaved he is. Manny also seems to have taken a liking to soccer as he loves to chase the ball when my 7yr. old practices. Of course Manny can be a little hard on the equipment so he now has his own ball he gets to play with. It is quite amusing to watch Manny gamboling about with his soccer ball.

I just wanted to stay in touch and say thank you for bringing such a loving addition to my family.

Best Regards,

John

P.S. I’ve included a photo of Manny relaxing after his haircut.

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Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011
Subject: Manny,

Dear Fredericka and Lucy,

I hope this letter finds you all doing well. I intended to get this letter to you sooner so Manny could wish his mom, Dixie Marie, Happy Mothers Day but obviously I’m a bit Tardy. Manny is doing great, he continues to literally stop traffic. While walking Manny he is often stalked by cars slowing down to look at him and people often say how beautiful he is! So far Manny has not let all the compliments go to his head, as he is still the same gentle and humble pup I brought home.

At a recent check up Manny weighed in at 220.3lbs!! The vet couldn’t believe it and weighed him three times to confirm this. My wife says we should have named him Clifford. He still is a lean dog with a svelte waist line and the vet did remark how healthy he is and how clean his teeth are. (Manny does enjoy a good beef bone) Manny is definitely not an over eater as I have been free feeding him since I brought him home. I must admit that he does not appear terribly large to me, even with his 10 lbs. older sister peanut, a dachshund, for comparison. I guess that’s what happens when you live with him all the time, also he is so calm, well mannered and gentle that he just doesn’t draw attention to himself. Although, I must admit that if he steps on your foot you certainly do appreciate how big he is!

I have enclosed some pictures as well. One is of Jack, my son, and Manny relaxing in the foyer of our house. The other two photos show Manny sharing his couch with Peanut, she is the little brown spot in the right corner of the couch.

All the best,

John  Manny

From: John V
Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Subject: Manny in action

Dear Lucy and Fredericka,

Happy Holidays! I apologize for not writing sooner. Here are a few photos of Manny. He is such an incredible addition to the family. He is very kind, intelligent, and loving as well as gentle with my son and his “big” sister Peanut. He weighs in at a little over 110lbs so far. The vet says he is very healthy and a perfect weight. No excess fat on him! He loves the snow and he and Jack, my son, love to run around in it. As I write this he is playing with one of his favorite toys, a soccer ball. At night he sleeps in our bedroom on his bed and seems to enjoy story time with Jack as well!

I just want you to know what an incredible family member Manny is, my only regret is that I didn’t adopt him sooner. I did get a new camera for Christmas so I will be sending you some higher quality photos as soon as I figure out how to use it.

Best Regards.

John van