This lady drove a thousand miles, alone, thru a January blizzard to get her puppy!!!!
Update received March 30, 2005

ATHENA SAVES THE BABY!!!!!
Scroll down to mid page to read this story!

Hi Fredericka,
We are doing great with Athena, in these pictures she is 14 weeks and 40 lbs (daughter of Taffy and Ralph). She is now 17 weeks and 46 lbs. She is a gem. You can see in the pics I sent how much she loves the baby! She sits very still for him and lets him hug her (and yes, they sometimes sleep together on the playroom floor! — that pic is a candid photo, I did NOT plan it, and it came out SO adorable!) She is so loyal, I cannot believe it sometimes, she worries about the kids like she is their mother. Friends come to visit, and they tell me they can’t believe she is still a puppy, she behaves so well.

She makes very little noise, so I bought some bells (yes, jingle bells) and put them on every door that she goes out. Now, my wonderfully intelligent dog learned in about 2 HOURS that ringing that bell would get her through the door. The next morning, she learned in an INSTANT that ringing the bell would wake me up AND get me out of the bed!!! And don’t worry, this week she figured out how to bark! But still uses the bells anyway!

We love her so much, if the baby or my older son cries, she goes running to check on them. She doesn’t like me giving the baby a bath because it makes him cry; she will pace in the bathroom and try to get in the tub to be with him!

My husband was deployed to Afghanistan recently, and she got a little upset. She would roam the house and sniff at his shoes in the closet and then sniff all over the house. I could tell she wanted to find him. She has become more protective of the boys since then (I didn’t think it was possible) and when I get home, she runs past me and goes straight to the car and “counts” them! LOL. She will run to Joseph and sniff and lick him for a minute, then go to the baby and sniff and lick him, then everything is ok, she runs back inside just happy as a clam (watching every moment to make sure they are coming in behind her). One day, I didn’t realize the baby had gone outside without me, out the front, where the street is. The door had been left open on accident, and he went out by himself. I saw her run outside and since she is not allowed out front either (to avoid running in the street), I immediately went after her. I found her sitting by the corner of the house, just sitting there. I had no idea what she was doing, so I called her and told her she needed to come in. Usually she responds very quickly, the first time, almost every time. She sat and blatantly ignored me. I called her again. Nothing. I was getting upset because I was afraid if she ran, she would go in the street. She had never disobeyed me before (or been out front without a leash). I walked over to her to get her by the collar and bring her in and as I got near her, I could see around the corner of the house, and there was the baby! I had no idea he was out there!! I was so shocked, I told her she was a good girl and petted her and picked up the baby. As I walked in the house with him, she was right on my heels, I didn’t have to call her again! I don’t want to imagine what could’ve happened to him had she come in when I called her.

She is such a sweet dog, so full of life and energy (for about an hour a day!) The rest of the time, she loves to lie on the floor and let the boys hug and kiss her and rub her tummy. I’m sorry this note is so long, I just had to let you know how happy she is and how much she loves the boys and how much we all love her. She is so much a part of our lives that I just can’t imagine how we did without her before.

Did I mention my vet may be asking for one soon? She grew up with English mastiffs and when she met Athena, She was amazed at how dry Athena’s mouth is! No drool on my furniture and walls!! Thank you so much for this wonderful dog! God Bless,
Connie and boys.

We received this email from her on February 4th, 2005;
Soon after, she and puppy got home.

Fredericka,
2/4/05
We named the puppy Athena. (Daughter of Taffy and Ralph). She is wonderful. Completely potty-trained and loves to romp with the boys in the back yard. I am sending pictures of when she first came to the house, she is much bigger now. I don’t have the pics back yet from the party, but I will get you some. She did not want to sit still with all the action, so I don’t know how many of them she is actually in!! Her favorite spot in the house is under the baby’s crib, next to Joseph’s bed. She follows the boys EVERYWHERE and does not let them out of her sight. She knows what and where her “cookies” (doggie treats) are and will show off or make sure we are watching her “good behavior” to get one!! If I ask her if she wants a cookie, she sits up pretty and tall and perks up her ears!! We are having beautiful weather here and some days she just wants to sleep out in the sun in the grass!! What a pretty girl!! I wouldn’t trade her for anything, the vet said she was one of the healthiest puppies he’d seen!! The baby got sick last week, and she was very worried. My older son and I were sitting in the living room watching tv and the baby was sick and sleeping in his crib. She didn’t know where to go. She paced back and forth between us and the baby, would sleep in with him for a few minutes, then be back out with us doing circles. She doesn’t like it when I put him down for naps in the other room, she doesn’t know who to be “watching”. I reassurred her and went and got the baby and kept him with me the rest of the day, and she curled up at my feet and finally got her nap.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFUL DOG!! God Bless you and yours,
Connie and Boys
Here are a few photos of the boys with Athena!