8/27/04 Hello Kitsy and John; This Saturday Romeo (Amanda & Wrangler 2/21/04) turns 6 months and starts his first herding class. You may remember him as Black Tri #1 or the big “rollie pollie” of the litter. John used to tell us how he liked to “sing.” Well Romeo is a true lover and is growing up to be the most adored puppy wherever we take him. People always comment on how handsome and personable he is. He is completely socialized, loves to play with children and other dogs, has no aggression issues and is just stunning to look at. We are debating if we should show him or have him altered. We are also considering getting him a playmate. We’re bummed we missed your last litter. Since Romeo is a Black Tri we are interested in a Red Tri or Merle. Are you sure you want to keep the Red Merle Girl? We also saw the Red Tri and Blue Merle Girls on the Heartfire Puppies site. What do you think of them? We are so biased to your dogs it’s hard to imagine going someplace else. Anyway, please let us know your thoughts about a good playmate for Romeo and the pros and cons of showing him or having him altered. Lastly, we would love to take a drive and bring Romeo to see you, John, Wrangler and Amanda again. Let us know if you would like that, and if so, when would be a good time for you. All the best, Louie and Jeanine Lorenzo
10/23/04 Hi Kitsy, It's been a long time since I wrote, and I thought I should bring you up to date on how our wonder dog, Old West's Reckless Kelly Rose aka "Kelly" has been doing. She has continued to have the most wonderful and amazing personality, and is an integral part of our household. Her boundless enthusiasm and complete ease with other dogs has made her a delightful companion who can be trusted around all other dogs, people, and kids. She excels in agility, and her only real handicap has been an owner that didn't have the time to put into training as much as is needed. Now that her "dad" is training as well, we think she will get to excellent pretty quickly (she's currently in the open classes of all events in both AKC and NADAC).There is no lack of drive or fitness here! Thanks again for such an amazing dog! We love her totally! Take care, Jan Skurzynski
8/16/04
Kitsy,
Sorry its been so long since I've sent anything about Rusty (Old West New Kid in Town 2-25-02). We've just been really busy training and competing. Yesterday, Rusty earned his first Grand Prix qualification and got a 3rd!! Rusty has been an amazing companion and quite a surprise on the agility field. He's not even 3 yet and within seconds of the fastest Border Collies. He is one fast Aussie with tons of drive. Many other aussie people have asked if he was intact just because of the drive. He's really a young boy and he's got lots of growing up to do, but you can see his maturity in everything his does. He's just an outstanding little kid and he's one cute puppy. Thanks again for Rusty, he's one in a million.
Naci Rusty Bulut
7/3/04
Hi Kitsy,Here are some recent pictures of my beautiful boy, Sharky (Tori X Hot Rod 8/21/04). He graduated from obedience recently and has learned to wave and shake paws. As you can see he loves the kitty. Not sure she loves him so much though. He really has turned out so gorgeous. I get all kinds of compliments about him. He has discovered that he has a voice not only for barking, but for talking back. When he wanted to play he gets one of his chewies and growls and barks with it in his mouth. Usually with the butt up in the air. He really is a comedian. Every night around 6 pm he gets wild and runs as fast as he can around the house; ricochets off the back of the couch. I wish I had a video camera, it's hysterical. The other fun thing he dos is bump me with his cold nose on the back of my legs to get me to run around with him. If I don't run then he pushes his way through my legs so he can look up at me and growl some more.When I get home from work, or wake up in the morning he has to have his butt scratched. So he pushes his way through my legs and stops when his rear end is in front of me and waits for me to scratch it. This is our everyday ritual.Thanks for my wonderful, wonderful boy.
Tawnia
Hi, Kitsy
I just wanted to let you know how Noah is doing. He is such a lovable, sweet, and smart boy. We just finished puppy-k and we are starting dog school next month. He’s very responsive to training, and I think eventually we are going to do some agility or Frisbee because he is able to jump just like his dad. He has already been to the beach, to the mountains, and the annual Mission Viejo Dawgwalk fundraiser. He hasn’t met a dirty sock he doesn’t like, and tries to “bury” them in the backyard, so we’ve gated the room that contains the laundry and the cat box (he likes that too-yuck!). The boys love him to pieces, and he has become a beloved member of our family. Attached are some pictures I took on Father’s Day, and I’ll send you some more when he gets bigger. Thank you for such a wonderful puppy. Regards, Michelle Radmore (Mikayla X Wrangler 2/25/04)
Blaze is...well...perfect! See for yourself.
She is smart, a quick learner and sweet. She completed puppy classes and can sit, down, wait, stay, get busy, roll over, leave it, bring it, get it and heel. Being our first family dog we wondered if we should spend so much for a puppy. We have no doubts now, Blaze is worth every penny and then some.
Thank you for making our hearts and lives richer!
The Shultz's
(Mikayla X Wrangler 2/25/04)
6/7/04
HI KITSY,
Just thought I'd drop you a note and tell you that "Rider" is doing great. We have started hiking about 3 miles each morning and he is holding his own with the girls, Lilly and Crystal. We will be increasing his distance as he gets older. He sits, stays, comes, and does his business on command. Just a smarty. We start Puppy kindergarten next week.
Will send you a better picture soon
Georgia Reece
(Amanda x Wrangler - DOB 2/21/04)
5/28/04
Just thought I would send you a picture of Scout and Kaitie. They are becoming great friends. Scout is in puppy kindergarten and is doing well. She does like to herd the other pups though. We are very happy with our new puppy!(Reno X Bloomers - DOB 2/25/04)
4/2/04
Hi Kitsy!
Just a note to say how much we adore our two girls, Presley (Willie x Amanda 9/10/02-black tri) and Kiwi (Willie x Amanda 8/02/03-blue merle). Both are so adorable and Presley is such a big sister to Kiwi. It is cute how they try to "herd" each other and Kiwi will jump into my lap to let Presley know that she (Kiwi) is possessive of me! It is pretty amusing until both start to "air snap" at each other and whine; but I can tell that Presley is happy to have her sister with her for company regardless!
Presley has a mellower disposition than Kiwi. Kiwi loves to "talk"...everything still seems new to her. Both do their "wiggle-butt" dance when it is time for their daily walks. We have 2-3 other Aussies on our block that "the girls" like to say "Hi" to.
Our family enjoys these two immensely. Attached are 2 photos. One was taken the week we brought Kiwi home to Northern California Oct.'03, she was 8-9 wks at that time. The second one was taken just last week, March '04.
We enjoy seeing the photos of their brothers and sisters online! Thanks!
~jodeene
(Willie X Amanda - 9/02 & 9/03)
1/22/04
Update on Chance Glass. Here is Chance at 14 months old. We were at our home in lake Arrowhead and he was just running around and being a Aussie. My son Michael thinks he is human--Chance has now learned how to open all the doors in the house, so he is taken for walks frequently. He loves to trail ride and sleep in the bed. He is a great addition to the family. Here is some photos as well.
-Christina Glass
1/13/04
Hi Kitsy,
I was thinking of you yesterday as I had my Aussie, Zoe (purchased from you in 1998) out cross country skiing with me. I wanted you to know that she brings us so much joy - I just had to send some pictures of her for you.
Her temperament is very mellow and she rarely shows any emotion - unless you "really" know her and can read her eyes/eyebrows, it is hard to tell if she is enjoying herself! However, since we have moved to Lake Tahoe, her favorite activities are hiking, swimming and accompanying us cross country skiing in the back country. She gets very excited when I ask her if she wants to go hiking or swimming! She hops around and makes a cute little "chuffing" sounds. When I was very ill for 2 years and didn't know my outcome, she was by my side every minute of the day - she is very special to me. We have 3 other Aussies; 1 we purchased and 2 we rescued (we now do purebred Aussie rescue). Don't get me wrong, we love them all, but Zoe has been my little "freckle-faced" angel.
Thank you for allowing her to come into our lives
Debi Griffiths
1/9/04
Hi Kitsy,
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write and send some pictures of Sharky (Sharkbait). It has been really crazy since I picked him up.....He is truly the most wonderful dog. He has so much personality and absolutely loves my niece. Right now he stands at 17" at the shoulders and is just over 4 months old. Needless to say I'm really excited about how big he is getting. He's been to the vet and they just love him. His markings are unbelievable. Beautiful is the only way to describe him. He is very attached to my mom's kitty too. He thinks that she is his live squeaky toy. But he is very gentle when they play.
Just recently his bark has become very deep. No more puppy bark from him. he is very protective of his backyard and most of all, his toy basket. When he is protecting the yard he has a very intimidating bark. The other day he growled because he heard something out front and I was so surprised at how deep it is. I wouldn't want to be a prowler trying to break into my house.
I haven't had any trouble training him. No chewing problems, digging or otherwise. He seems to understand "no" immediately. Potty training was easier than I had expected. He just goes to the door and whines a little and we let him out. The funny thing is that every time people see him they think he is a Husky mix. I figured after all of these years that more people would know an Australian Shepherd when they see one. But I guess in that sense they are still kind of rare. I will send more updates and pictures. I'll try not to wait too long next time. Thank you so much for such a beautiful, smart and loveable dog. I can't tell you how happy he makes me.Sincerely,
Tawnia
11/24/03
Hi Kitsy:
I just got home from the International Dog show where Rocky (Old West Rocky Mountain Cowboy) was entered in his first show at 4 months old. He received the highest ratings at all three shows. Some of the judges comments are, quality puppy, good attitude, nice to see an outstanding puppy, happy, energetic, great attitude, moves with happy heart, coat good texture and condition, well developed for age, hocks perfect for breed, perfect movement, enthusiastic baby boy.
All three judges were extremely pleased with Rocky and said he was an excellent show puppy. Rocky won his class and Best of Breed at two shows. He went on to show in Group and won both with Group 1. He then went on to compete for Best in Show. What an exciting weekend. Rocky came home with a Baby National Champion title. One more show with high ratings and Rocky will have his Baby International Champion title.
All day long people were stopping by to tell us what a beautiful puppy he was. He won the hearts of many. I can't wait until he is six months old so we can show him at the AKC shows.
Thanks again Kitsy for such a beautiful, sweet, energetic, happy little boy.
Linda Scheid
11/19/03
Hi Kitsy and John,
I hope you're doing well; I thought you might like an update on our puppies. Both Maverick and Hobie are thriving! At 12 weeks Maverick weighed 19.1 pounds and Hobie 17.7. They'll go for their final shots this Saturday, at 16 weeks, and we'll see how much they've grown. Christopher had a hard time with his school/work schedule and keeping Hobie in the condo, so he brought him up to my house to stay and play with his brother. From the moment Hobie arrived it has been a non-stop wrestling match. Fortunately, I have enough room for them to have lots of fun. I think Hobie will go back to San Diego with Christopher after the holidays. They're enrolled in a puppy obedience class and can come, sit, lie down, stand, heel, and stay on command--most of the time, at least. Here are a couple of pictures I took yesterday morning (about 6:30 AM--these guys are VERY early risers!). It's hard to get them to stand still, but I got lucky.
Take care,
Chris Marki
11/11/03
Hi Kitsy,
Toby turned two on Oct. 13, 2003, and we had a bash. He is such a wonderful companion, that my whole family just adores, as you can see. We celebrated with trivia games, video games, throw the ball, Frisbee, and hula hoops for Toby games, and finished with hitting the ole' Piñata. I am sending just a few photos of his birthday celebration, and Toby says Hi. I still remember when I saw him, the last of the litter who had not found a home after several weeks. He was different (Pet-Quality) and small, he had the bluest blue eyes I had ever seen, but I never thought he would be the pet he is today. He is, well just, HUMAN!
Have an eventful Thanksgiving, and thanks for my little guy TOBY!
Toby and his favorite cousins, Diane and Gabe Delosreyes
10/7/03
Hi Kitsy,
Toby will be 2 years old on October 13th, and I just love him dearly, He is so smart. The other day, he took a doll that is forbidden to play with outside. I told him to bring the doll back inside upstairs, NOW, I wouldn't have believed it ,if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Toby picked up the doll, brought it upstairs, and sat down by my feet with the doll in his mouth. When I told him to put it down, he did and hung his head, as if saying Mom, I'm sorry. Thanks again for such a wonderful companion and friend. By the way as my husband and I took him on his daily night walk, two women told us he was a beautiful dog. Here are a couple of my favorite photos.
Cathie and Rod Lumpkin
5/11/03
Hello again John and Kitsy!
Didj is a year and a half now and the BEST dog in the ENTIRE WORLD! :) |
We are so, so happy with him! We entered our first ASCA stockdog trial this weekend. The Tri-County ASCA club held a trial in Murrieta, and we had five runs over two days. We qualified on both our sheep runs on the ASCA "C" course and earned a started title. Cattle was a different story! Didj had never even seen a cow before, much less attempted to work five! Our first run was quite a learning experience for both of us, and we went home that evening thinking about how we should alter our approach. The next day we earned a qualifying score on the ASCA "A" course on our second cattle run ever! Now that's a learning curve! Our third attempt was another good training experience, but I called time and didn't receive a score. We are so very proud of Didj, and he absolutely LOVES herding!
Nicky and I would both like to thank you again for the high standard you hold for your dogs. We were pretty much laughed at the first day of the trial at sign up because Didj is such a beautiful breed/show standard dog. Much more handsome than his working line counterparts. By the end of the award ceremony on the second day, those same people were very interested in his pedigree, and were trying to recruit us for their trainers and schools. "Ha, Ha Sure" I said, and invited them to meet us in the conformation ring!
Speaking of that, we would very much appreciate any info/links you might have for conformation classes in the San Clemente area.
Thank you again for our wonderful companion!
Chris and Nicky
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4/15/03
Hi This is Douglas and Federica Carrion.
In Sept of 2002 we were give a gift, a blue merle male puppy named Ellington. Purchased by Francesca Avincola for us as an early Xmas present.
Anyway, Ellington is great and super active !! Enclosed is an image I took via digital camera ( it is the only time he EVER stopped to take a photo in his first 7 months !! )
We are going to get him fixed in late Aug or early Sept of this year and soon afterwards would like to get him a friend. Could you please put us on the waiting list for a Blue Merle pet quality female puppy.
Thank you in advance... Ellington is amazing and we love him dearly!
Best,
The Carrions
Our little princess Maya is doing well (Cisco x Patches 02/21/2002, Mika's sister). She's the sweetest, nicest, most caring & cuddly dog. We absolutely love her. She's really really girly and she loves to bring her toys and our socks to us. She knows sign language and she's smart as a whip. She's been to 2 different puppy schools and she's now studying for her bachelor's in agility at a really good private school. We love her dearly! (can you tell?) People stop us at the dog parks and around town and go out of their way to comment on how absolutely beautiful she is. Of course, we politely nod and say "yes, we know". :) She absolutely loves water. We can't keep her away from the hose when we're watering the garden, and she has her own pool (spoiled thing!). We're so glad we have her, and we recommend you to everybody we come across that's interested in an Aussie. Thanks for everything, and we look forward to getting a brother for her soon. Love, Mike & Allie.
10/25/02
"Kitsy, We celebrated Toby's First birthday October 13th. We all had a blast. I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful new member to our family. He is loved by all who meet him and Jeremy our Rott protects him from all harm, especially on their walks. I am sending 2 photos, one with most of his birthday presents and the other with the costume my mom bought him for Halloween.Cathie and Rod Lumpkin"
11/8/02
"Kitsy,
Here's a picture of Rusty at about eight months. He doing really good and he's just been a fun dog. He's still the star pupil in the agility class, I think he's going to be awesome... Naci"
11/11/02
"Hi Kitsy, here's a couple pictures of mika (one of the girls from Cisco x patches 2/21/02). She's about 6.5 months in these pictures. She's a great puppy and Kathryn and I are enjoying her company immensely.
Thanks again!
David Watkins"
11/16/02
"Hi Kitsy!
Here are a couple of pics of Presley's first day at home with us after the 5 hour drive from Southern Cal to get her. She is almost 8 wks.
She is an extremely quick learner knowing how to "sit", "down", and "rollover" after training for about 8 minutes each on the tasks during a 2 day period. Her latest thing is to come running at us full speed while we are sitting on the floor and at the last minute throw herself into our laps (rear end first) trusting us to catch her. She probably thinks that we will keep catching her like that when she is full grown! Uh-oh!
What a great pup!
Thanks again!
Jodeene"
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11/14/02
"Hi Kitsy, we named him "Tucker". We think it fits. He is just a wonderful little guy. He likes the cold weather and is getting all the attention he can stand! I'll be sending pics occasionally. Thanks,
regards, Dan and family"
11/29/02
Hi Kitsy
Well its been 2 weeks since we brought our little boy home.. We named him Chance. He is already crate trained. He sleeps from 9p.m. to 5a.m. He cannot possibly have anymore chew toys . If he does not find a chew toy he is after our toes... Ouch.. We took him to the Ranch to see how we would do with our Arab Horse and every natural instinct came out .. He stayed right with us on the trail and would not take his eyes of the horse.. Even at such a young age 9 weeks he knew his job .Then after a hard ride and went for his first swim in the creek.... We love him so much.... Thank you.. He also has learned to go in butt first with the cats... We will send pictures...
His eyes are still a beautiful blue... .
Christina Glass
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12/30/02
Dear John & Kitsy,
Just a note to let you know that Abbey continues to delight us. She has really enjoyed having our family around during the holidays. She is such a social little puppy. We have heard many times that she is the cutest puppy people have ever seen. We tend to agree. Enclosed are pictures to prove it.
Hope your holidays were nice.
Eric & Marci Slater