Manny (formerly Cool Lester Smooth) continues to thrive! He's a little over a year old now, and we think he's almost stopped growing. We haven't weighed him in awhile, but I would estimate he's around 90 pounds now. He was 83 (very lean) pounds at his last vet visit in December, and he's definitely larger three months later! He's the most lovable and trusting dog that I've ever met! His favorite thing to do is to gaze at you with those big, golden eyes until you hug him, and then he falls over in your arms. He is great with food and toys (no fussing or fighting) and doesn't even mind getting a bath--once he's in the tub, anyhow! He still has a lot of puppy curiosity that gets him into trouble (like eating one of our plastic Christmas tree ornaments), but he has been a super easy dog most of the time. He's very good about only chewing on his toys, though he will occasionally steal a "prize" out of the laundry room and run around the house with it if we're not paying enough attention to him. He loves every dog and human he's ever met. We are still working on jumping up on people, but he's getting there. He's good about going to his crate when we have to go to work, and he sleeps quietly in his own bed all night until we're ready to get up. He loves to snuggle with us on the couch and play, play, play with Honey. He's learned all the basic obedience commands like sit, down, heel, come, and look, plus some adorable ones like shake, high five, crawl, and wave. He can balance a biscuit on his nose, and I'm starting target and search training (just for fun) with him now. Manny is extremely smart and loves to learn any trick that gets him food. He's reasonably good on lead, but he's still a hound.

Honey (formerly Sweet As Honey) is four now and is also doing great. She's definitely the queen bee where Manny is concerned, but worships her people. She wasn't very interested in cuddling and petting when we first got her, but all that changed when Manny arrived. I think she saw Manny getting a lot of attention so she decided that she wanted some, too! Now she will roll over on her back to ask for a tummy rub. She has also started to snuggle into us sometimes, though I don't think she'll ever be as cuddly as Manny, who just sprawls across our laps on the sofa. Honey has also learned a lot of practical and fun tricks. Honey is much happier with Manny around, that's for certain. They chase each other around and around the yard, and really seem to enjoy playing together. Sometimes Honey pushes Manny around and takes his toys. But he just waits for his moment and steals everything back when she's not looking, so it all works out. They always work things out nicely, so I just let them do whatever seems to work for them. They are perfect together, and perfect for us! Thanks so much for making this possible! We definitely feel we got the BEST pup in the litter!

Jackie

21 April 2014

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Just wanted to let you know how great Manny's doing. He's up to 52 pounds, and as he's not quite six months old, we are thinking he is going to be a very big boy. His tail, legs and feet are huge--quite a bit to grow into! He is a WONDERFUL dog! He's so cuddly and has such a sweet nature. He is very submissive to humans and other dogs, so he and Honey are the perfect match. They play so well together! Manny is in a basic obedience class and is doing really well, especially considering that he's still an energetic young pup. He knows many commands now. We plan to more obedience work with him, and perhaps even agility when he's 18 months old. We walk about four miles a day with him, and he is doing very well on a leash. He's still getting used to the idea that he can't meet and play with every single person and dog we see, but he's getting there. He is a great pet dog! I'm so glad he didn't go to a hunter--I don't think it would've worked out very well! He has a fair prey drive, but he hates being wet or cold, he is scared of the dark and he's actually pretty lazy when you get down to it. We have to be careful on warm days when we walk him, even if it's just in the upper 70s, because he will flop down under a shady tree and it can be hard to get him moving again. While Honey is staring out the window, looking for chipmunks in the landscaping, Manny is generally snoozing away on the couch. He'd much rather chew on an antler in the air conditioned house than chase squirrels in the backyard. He really is such a good boy. He's at that rebellious age now, but even that is so mild we hardly notice. He's been a very healthy pup. He has nearly all of his adult teeth in and did not destroy one household item in the process. He hops right in his crate when we need to leave for work, and when we get home, he wants to jump in our laps and cuddle more than anything else. He has not bayed so far, and we're wondering if he will. It's fine with us, either way. It's a joy watching him grow and seeing him develop into such a gorgeous young dog. His personality is absolutely perfect for our household. Thank you so much for suggesting him. We love him very much! Jackie 21 May 2013 Cool Lester (now Manny, after the Red Baron, because of the way he swoops down on Honey) is doing well! Honey is being a great adoptive mom. They've had loads of fun together, and Honey is very good about setting limits without overreacting. He did well in his crate overnight and only woke us up one time when he had to go outside. He's been into everything today, of course! He seems to have the idea of potty training down, though I am still learning to recognize when he needs to go. Lots of false alarms! But we'll get there. This photo is from last night with little Manny falling asleep on Honey. The Rosenbergers 5 March 2013