The past year has been a tough one for Indy and a good one for Luke.

In March 2010, Indy was diagnosed with Masticatory Muscle Myositis. It is a autoimmune disease that deteriorates the muscles in the head and slowly locks the jaw shut. Most dogs respond well to treatment, some will need to be on medication the rest of their lives and some don't respond at all. Indy is getting to the point where he is not responding to the medication. His treatment started with a very high dose of Prednisone and slowly brought the dose down over a six month period. He responded well to the med. at first, but when we would get down to 10mg of Prednisone he would regress. About 2 months ago he had a bad setback, so the vet had us start at square one again. He is currently taking 80mg of Prednisone which has had devastating effects on him. He has lost almost all of his muscle. He will have blood work in a week to see how he is handling this internally. In June 2010 he got very sick again and was diagnosed with another autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis. To keep this disease under control, he will need medication for the rest of his life.

On a happier note, Luke has been training in search and rescue. For the past year my husband takes Luke every weekend to train with an organization called CARDA(California Rescue Dog Association). Luke's tracking ability has impressed everyone. So far Luke has passed all of his tests. Once Kenny takes his first responder class they will be ready to take their mission ready test.

Ken and Joni

25 May 2011

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We thought it was time for an update on the boys. They sure have come a long way in the past year. Our Black and Tan, Luke, is our sensitive guy and likes to please. When we first brought him home I thought we would never be able to eat a meal in peace. He now has close to perfect house manners(except for an occasional tip toe into the kitchen). Indy is our wild child, but has definitely mellowed in the last 6 months. We are currently working on passing larger dogs without coming unglued. So after trying every collar ever made, including a remote, we have found that beef jerky works pretty darn good on keeping his mind off every dog, squirrel, rabbit and kitty. It has been such a rewarding experience owning these dogs and giving them the life that they deserve. Ken and Joni 9 October 2009 Voodoo, now Luke, moved from Florida to our home in Newport Beach, Calif. in March. It took him a few weeks to settle into indoor living. He needed to be house-trained and taught to stay off the dining table and kitchen counters. He was a fast learner and is now a pretty mellow guy, except for feeding time. He turns into a wild man when it's time to eat. Luke goes to work with my husband every day and has learned how to open the glove box and unzip my husband's lunch pail and eat whatever is left inside. He loves his walks (he is great on the leash) and our many trips to the country where he shows us his ability to climb trees. In May we adopted Bugsy (now Indy). I saw his picture and couldn't resist. He was about 12 weeks when we got him and I was quickly reminded how much work a puppy can be. Luckily, everyone helped out with him and I am happy to say that nothing got ruined in my house. He is now about 5 mos. and close to 50lbs. Comparing the two boys, Indy is definitely dominant and Mr. Independent, whereas Luke is very loving and wants to be close by someone. Luke and Indy have been a wonderful addition to our family. Thank you AB&TCR!!! Ken and Joni Cagle 16 July 2008