Nelson
Son of Brego and Rachael, 02/20/2007
Subject: RE: Nelson
Hi Fredericka,
Here is an update on our great puppy Nelson. He has graduated from Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog class earning him his “black scarf”. He had already earned his white and green scarves so this was his equivalent of his karate black belt. In December he passed the AKC accredited CGC test and received his certification. We are now working on taking and passing the TDI certification test which I hope we can take later this month. So far he has been the youngest and the biggest puppy/dog in all the classes and has made many friends. He learns so quickly and gets bored just as quickly. After he has accomplished something he then expects to lay down and watch everyone else work to the great amusement of our instructors. The big sighs when he has to get up and continue on is funny and it is hard not to laugh at him.
Because of the bad ice storm that hit Oklahoma City the beginning of December and then Christmas we had small grandchildren here almost the whole month. He is so good with children and I think he was disappointed when they all went home! I am always so pleased at how good he is when we are out in public and he is so gentle with the children that just seem to flock to him.
Of course he is still a puppy at heart and is just hilarious to watch. One of the things he does with a new toy or rawhide is jump on it several times very much like a cat jumps on a toy mouse. He doesn’t play with it until he considers it completely subdued. I can’t remember ever seeing a dog do this before. He still thinks he is a lap dog and will back up and sit on me or just climb on up if he gets half a chance. He still hasn’t entirely made peace with the cats. He has never tried to hurt them but doesn’t seem to understand that they are intimidated by his big paws and don’t appreciate being licked no matter how easy he is with them. Every dog knows cats can be silly about that sort of thing.
I have attached a couple pictures of our beautiful boy. We received his CKC registration and again I want to thank you for breeding these absolutely wonderful dogs.
Mandy
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007
Subject: Nelson
Hi Fredericka, Just an update on Nelson, son of Brego and Rachael, 2/20/2007. He is growing like a weed. Seems to be all legs and even though I worry he is “skinny” our vet assures me he is very healthy and “just perfect”!
He has finished both his puppy foundation class and his basic obedience. We will be starting intermediate obedience in September. I think it is always hard, since he is usually the biggest in the class, for others to understand that he is much younger than his classmates. He has never pulled and as you can see by one of the pictures I have attached, he will walk on a car harness for our 3 year old grandson and never even act like he wants to go anywhere but where Mason is headed. The whole training experience has been very easy and he has picked up everything faster than his “older” classmates. He did, however, take his diploma off of the chest of drawers in the middle of the night and nibble the corner off of it….
Nelson has been a wonderful puppy and he is so much fun to just watch. He and our lab, Brandy, have a game of tag they play. Brandy stands in the middle of the family room and Nelson tries to race past her from the love seat to the recliner without her catching him, the furniture apparently being “safe”. He has gotten so big that when he hits the recliner at full speed it rocks back so far it stops just short of tipping over. Guess we should begin to curtail this activity but they have so much fun and they are so funny…. He still has issues with the cats but it is getting better. One of the cats loves dogs and will rub on him until he realizes it is happening. We had neutered at 24 weeks and I will fax, or if you prefer send, the neutering certificate to you.
Thank you again for raising such wonderful dogs!
Mandy
June 25, 2007
Hi Fredericka and Lucy, Just wanted to give you a quick update on Nelson, son of Brego and Rachael. He is an absolute darling for starters. Our only difficulty is he still has a “tinkle” accident once in a while and that is generally because I don’t notice when he goes to the door. Compared to our Lab he is so not destructive. She ate everything in sight including a piece of cabinet and a column on our patio! Now I am not saying he doesn’t chew because he does but, for the most part, he just chews his own toys. He hates it when I leave in the morning and has to go in his crate. He has managed to climb out of everything else including the 5 foot pen, (used his crate to crawl on top of and get out that way which when you think about just shows he is imaginative). Puppy gates are a joke, if doesn’t knock them over he pulls them out of the doorway!
He is very social and loves people. We came up to the hospital to see fellow workers and he greeted everyone including the patients that were passing by. Then we rode an elevator in the doctors’ building and went to see a couple neurosurgeons I work with. Was totally unfazed by any of it and I may try to take him thru to Therapy Dog training since he is such a lover of people. We met a very nice English Mastiff at basic obedience when we were leaving who is a therapy dog – very beautiful except for the drooling! (I was able to brag we didn’t have that problem at our house). Nelson has done his puppy foundation class and is now in basic obedience. He is facsinated by the lake and has no fear of walking down to the edge. So far he hasn’t fallen in but did find a low spot and put his front paws in. Now this is the same puppy who refuses to walk in the wet grass after it rains.
We tried weighing him acouple weeks ago and he was 50 pounds on our scale. I keep food out for him all the time and he doesn’t overeat. He has learned to protect his food from his “sister” as she will eat anything that even resembles food. Other than that he is always very submissive to her. I could go on and on about how great he is but I won’t. I will try to send a picture of him with our 3 year 0ld grandson, after I download it from the camera, who just loves him and it is definitely a mutual thing.
Thank you again for breeding such great dogs.
Mandy
4/25/07
Hi Fredericka and Lucy!
We had a long drive home on Saturday with our new puppy, Nelson, (brindle pup from Brego and Rachael). He was the best little guy other than refusing to use the piddle pad so we ended up stopping in very out of the way places so he could relieve himself. He certainly let us know when he needed to stop! We were both very impressed with a pup so young letting us know his “needs”. (He has only had one accident on the rug so far and it was because I didn’t listen to him). He slept most of the way but when it got dark he realised he wasn’t with Mom and brothers and sisters anymore and was pretty inconsolable for about 10 minutes. Of course he ended up in bed with us at night but he wakes up once to go out and then goes right back to sleep. Better than any of the kids ever did! He has not had any runny stools or any eating problems. He went to the vet on Monday and got a very clean bill of health and we were told we had a “darling” little pup. His meeting with our lab was eventful in the fact that he got very territorial about me, but after a few little “humblings” he and the lab have become fast friends….. with the understanding that our lab is “alpha” dog. (Of course the lab is so gentle we began to wonder if she would let him know who was boss, but she got around to it in her own understated way.). In reality it is the two cats who rule the roost here and both dogs give way to these little declawed kitties who make a lot of noise.I will be taking lots of pics and will sent you some soon along with Nelson updates! Ended up getting him an American flag collar because after all he is an AMERICAN mastiff.
Thanks for our beautiful little boy,
Mandy and Jack