Hello AB&TCR!!

We wanted to send along a quick update on Matilda—it’s been quite a year for her! Not only did we mark Matilda’s “1st birthday” with us in June, but we made her first trip to the Beach, and she became a “big sister” in September of this year. Matilda has been a great big sister to little Lillian (yes, we now have Tilly and Lilly)! She is most often found either sleeping on the floor in the nursery or she is found on the floor under where Lilly is sitting. Matilda did wonderfully with the new baby in the house—we did a little housebreaking before the baby arrived by playing an MP3 of a newborn crying so she was used to the noise prior to Lilly coming home. We also brought home Lilly’s first hat so she knew her scent. It has been great having both girls in the house and can’t wait for Lilly and Tilly to become the best of friends! We look forward to the upcoming Christmas season with our girls. We hope this finds you all well!

--Danielle, Steve, Lillian and Matilda

13 December 2009

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Happy Holidays to everyone at the American Black and Tan Coonhound Rescue!! Matilda has been with us for almost 6 months now and is so much a part of the family that we can't remember a time without her! She has been doing very well and has developed some funny habits and some not so funny habits...here is a sampling of some of Matilda's more interesting happenings in Rhode Island: --Matilda likes to tell us she needed a drink by opening and slamming the toilet seat for us --Matilda broke into the refrigerator and ate a portion of a birthday cake that was in there --Matilda will get up if she is sleeping and we are too loud and then walk into our bedroom so that she can get her beauty rest...and I could go on! She is such a hound--her nose is always working...often to where the food is! We think she must have been a table fed dog in her former life because she is very keen on trying to get at the people food, even though she is never given it here at home! She hates to walk in the rain--even at times refusing to go out to the bathroom if it was raining. We ended up getting her a raincoat--since getting the rain coat she is very keen to go out and walk now in the rain. We are looking forward to our first Christmas with her and are so thankful that she came into our lives--she is a clown, a good girl, and we love her! Matilda wanted to send along the family Christmas card along with her wishes of a Happy Holiday to everyone! --Danielle, Steve, and Matilda 13 December 2008 I just wanted to send along a quick update on “Janet Jackson”. We’ve since changed her name—we thought a new Forever Home should mean a new start—her name is now Matilda, (though sometimes she is Matilda Brown and sometimes Tilly). Matilda is doing very well. She is a neighborhood favorite—getting compliments from almost everyone we see on our walks. She enjoys the evenings the best, because while she gets walked 3-4 times a day, the evenings are her “long walk” time where we go to the park for an hour or so. The park keeps her nose working that’s for sure! Matilda has also been on my In-laws' sailboat (only docked though), she’s been to a local Farmer’s Market, and has had a swim in the Bay; and we’re hoping to go to the beach one of these weekends. She is enrolled in doggy class at PetSmart and is doing well—the trainer can’t get over how far she has come—not that she was bad, she means more so in her personality. She says every week she sees a new Matilda—more confident and more relaxed. It really is true though-- It’s so great seeing how she has changed over the few weeks we’ve had her. She went from a dog that didn’t really trust people giving her a hug, to a dog that will let us bear hug her. She has also gone from a dog that wouldn’t roll onto her back for a belly scratch to one that will roll over first thing in the morning for one! She is the silliest dog we’ve had and it is so much fun to see what she does. Our favorite is what we call “the 45”…if she hears a noise she doesn’t know she turns her head to a 45-degree angle and raises her eyebrows as if to say “huh?!” Everyone in our family that has met her loves her and she loves them too. It’s so wonderful to come home and have her there waiting for us—she smiles a lot and because of that we smile a lot too! We’ll send more updates along in the future. Thank you so very much for allowing us to adopt Matilda—she is a great joy in our home. It’s hard to think of our lives without her now—she fits in so very well with us. Truly a joy! Best, Danielle and Steve Crane And Matilda, too! 29 July 2008