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Amazing Gracie - 10 months

We went for a little walk, and she is very good on the leash, and she takes correction very well---so SMART!
She caught on to the idea that the yard is hers and raced around and found a potty spot under the line of evergreens at the back of the yard.

Right after Laura and Maggie left, Gracie figured out this was her home and staked a claim to the couch in the family room. We had a little talk and I explained I was like Archie Bunker and that is MY spot!  She watched the Hippos on Animal Planet with great interest , but I changed the chennel when the crocodiles arrived on the scene---she's not much interested in HGTV and picked up Santapup and amused herself.

Sarabeth made a special guest appearance, and Gracie went to the babygate, with some interest.But Sarabeth turned tail and ran back to the bedroom. It will take some time before they will get to the point of peaceful co-existence.

I opened the door to her crate and she has gone in to explore, so I don't think there will be a problem tonight. She explored the whole house except the bedroom where the cats were holed up. Now we are in the family room and kitchen, and she has told me once that she had to go out---and Laura when she nosed the jingle bells on the back door, we went out, so I am going to train her to jingle when she wants to go out.

I know it is the honeymoon, and she has only been here a couple of hours, but she seems very easy, and completely relaxed.  At the moment, I just heard a big sigh , and she is stretched out behind my chair as I write this.

My heart is so full.

Thanks to you both. I'm head over heels in love.

LynnSusan

         

Spartacus - 9 Months & Spartacus and Payton

Alieh - 18 Months

      

Sasha

 

Hi Ann!

I've attached some photos from Lake Tahoe of little Sasha. I can't seem to find the ones from the Redwoods. I'll keep looking as there were a couple that were really cool that included Sasha and some pretty tall Redwoods. I had to almost lay down on the soil to be able to get the right angle including the super tall trees. Next are the Sequoias! 

Anyway, I am trying to plan for his future and would really like to know what you think Sasha might have potential for aside from being a companion. I thought to see if he shows potential for being show worthy, but don't know how to go about that. And, if not, to check out what other options there may be - specialized training of some sort. I suppose the trainer will have an idea once he matures more if he might be a candidate for something beyond basic training and obedience. Anyway, I though to ask some questions about the 1st option and see what you think from seeing him as a puppy, etc. 

Thanks for looking into this for me! Hope you are doing well!

Talk to you soon,

Natasha:)

Boy has it been busy. Sasha is a wonderful handful! He finally allowed me to take a few pictures. He loves smelling the flowers around here...

 

    

Heather / Hunter & Heather

 

   

Thor as a puppy and at 11 months old.

Thor is doing great!  He is such a joy. It's like having a baby bear romping through the house. Trying to break him of a new habit of putting his paws up on the counters. His ears are so big , he'll need to grow into them. hope all is well for you both.
Sorry it  took so long to get back to you.  Peter and Lisa .......Thor's loving parents!
Ps. Keep in touch and I'll send you updates on his progress

 

    

               

      

Max & Bonni

Thought I would give you an update on Max.

When we brought him home I fed him a little, he was a bit hungry, not too much.  He looked all over the house, whining, I guess he misses his brothers and sisters.  I then introduced him to Bonni, and that went well.  She followed him all over, if he took a step she was right there.  When bed-time came I crated him and put him in our spare bedroom, which did not go so well, he barked and whined non-stop, so I got an idea and brought Bonni in the room.  That was all it took, she laid down by the crate and he was quiet.  They are getting along wonderful, she plays very gentle with him.  My cat is a different story, he does not like Max, watches his every move and when he gets too close he warns him with a growl.  My cat is de-clawed so I don't have to worry about a scratch in the eye.

Max and Bonni have really bonded.  They played all morning, Bonni got tired but Max didn't.  She laid down and he went and laid next to her, then they both went to sleep.  He still whines and looks around a little, but he is getting more acclimated to his surroundings now.

Carol

 

 

      

 Fenway

Hi Ann and Peter,

Last night went well, barring a couple of whining sessions in her crate.  We brought her up to our room for a bit, which she enjoyed.  We had both she and Lacy on the bed.  Talk about no room!  LOL  Finally, Jeff took Fenway back down to her crate around 2 a.m. and she slept fairly well from there until about 6:30 a.m.  We took both dogs out at about 7 a.m. and Fenway went to the bathroom.  We have had no accidents in the house at all, so far.  We fed Lacy first, then Fenway.  She is eating fine.  No problems at all.  She ate dinner, last night, and breakfast, this morning, like a champ.  I think she is enjoying the "obstacle course" that we call home as she has many places to explore - and is doing so.  We are heading to a local museum with a surrounding park and river in a few minutes.  Lacy loves going there, and I am sure Fenway will have a blast. 

It is interesting to watch Lacy in all of this.  Fenway whined - but in an "I want to play" fashion this morning.  Lacy expressed concern and checked Fenway out, but the look on Lacy's face was more of consternation.  It's like Lacy wanted to play but not only is her hip bothering her, but it's like she has forgotten how to "dog play."  OH!  Fenway tried to nuzzle in with Lacy last night and tried to nurse!  LOLOL!  Lacy was completely nonplussed and let Fenway know.  Fenway goes right up to Lacy, licks her face and bats Lacy with her paws.  Lacy returns the kisses, so all is good.  We continue - as we will for several weeks - to supervise them, but as I said earlier, we are thrilled with their relationship so far.

Oh, one more thing.  We went for a short walk (just around the block) after dinner last night.  Lacy walked in front of Fenway and periodically looked back to make sure she was there and ok...

All's good.

Later!

Kathleen

 

   

Excalibur's Deja Vu Eja

     

Hi Ann & Peter. Our puppy is now 6 months old, weighs 84 pounds and is still about 23.5" at the shoulder.

He's doing very well at his obedience classes - picks things up very quickly.

He makes good use of his toy basket - they are usually spread out all over the house at least twice a day.

He is becoming a good guard dog. He was protecting us from the invasion of the spruce trees tonight. We planted 3 spruce trees in the back yard and he must think they are "bad guys" because he has been barking at them every time he looks out the window.

I have attached the latest photos taken today. Enjoy!

Lynda & Bob

         

Emma - 7 months and 1 year

Thought you would like a pic of one of your 'grandkids'.

She is turning into such a good looking dog!

However, she still is that goofy puppy that we all know and love.

Here I just accidently caught her in one of her 'dignified' poses.......I had to be quick.

Tim

              

Nimue & Gawain on their Farm - 7 months

Hello Ann & Peter,

Nimue & Gawain are still doing well in class. Everyone who meets them is
amazed of how well behaved they are. I keep telling everyone that "they were
born with it".  Compliments to the breeders.

Thank you for checking on the registration papers.

Thank you,

Veronique

      

Justice as a puppy and at 1 year

Dear Ann,

Excalibur's Justice is doing well.  He will be graduating from Puppy Kindergarten on 9/7/06.  He is very smart and has been good with my girls.  My five year old spent some time squirting him with a squirt gun while he was sleeping.  He made no threatening moves in her direction, lucky us.  We had a long talk and went over the rules concerning proper canine etiquette.  Justice has a very calm disposition but I closely supervise because my five year old, well she's five.

Was Justice born on 5/5/06?  I would like to know his exact birthday.  If that is correct, when he graduates he will be 4 months and 2 days old.  He already comes when he is called, sits, stays 10-20 seconds, knows down, up and off.  Also we have not had a house breaking accident since early August.  He barks when he wants in and out.  He is still distractible, but hey, so am I, so I think he is coming along famously.

I love this dog.  We will be happy to send more pictures as he grows.  I think he is up to about 40 pounds.  The last visit he had put on 15 pounds, I was very happy with that.  He is not the least bit fat, some have even said to try and fatten him up.  He does not always finish his Eukanuba Puppy Chiots For Large Breeds.  I mix it with an egg and water and heat it in the microwave for about a minuet to cook the egg, then I add water or ice to cool it down.  Then he gets 4 Deter pills which I hand feed him and I bury Glucosamine & Chondroitin and Ester C in his food.

Is there anything else that you think he needs in the way of vitamins or food stuff?

Again, we all love our Justice. 

Sincerely,

Cecilia Bruck 

           

Bailey

Hello!

            Here are two new photos of our Bailey.  We just love our girl; she’s sweet, loving & very smart!

            Bailey had a vet appointment last Friday; she weighed 40lbs! We went ahead and had a micro-chip placed, and she had all her remaining vaccinations.  She did very well and even had her photo taken for the “new client” wall.

            I am pleased to report that Bailey is house-broken; she goes to the door and rings the bells we have on the handle to be let out. She caught on to that very quickly! We are working on coming when she is called as it is extremely important she learn and master that command! So far it is going pretty good.

            We take Bailey wherever we can, she has become a regular at the County Max feed store where she likes to browse the toy aisle and say “hello” to all the rabbits and ferrets. She turns heads wherever we go!

            Well, enjoy the photos; we’ll be sending along more.

            Anita & Ed          

       

Atlas

I'm extremely happy with him. He is a great dog. Him and Ollie get along great now. He listens real well and is completely house trained. I figure I'll wait another month or two before training. He is leash broken just fine - I take him and Ollie together for walks and they are both really good about staying right beside me and not getting tangled up etc. He already knows the usual tricks - laydown, speak, don't speak, don't bite, outside, go for a walk, treat, hungry, thirsty, nite nite, shake, sit, etc. Very smart. And he got over the puppy thing of biting all the time. Now it's kisses. They love piling in the back of the SUV and going for a ride. Him and Ollie are inseparable. He follows me everywhere in the house - can't make a move without both of them right under my feet. He's had all his shots now. He never has once chewed on anything that wasn't a toy or bone or treat. Great dog and thanks for the opportunity to get him.

 

        

Hermione

She is incredibly intelligent. Most things we teach her only take 1-2 reps. She only took a few DAYS for her initial housebreaking, and we were "accident free" within a month. (And the times there WERE accidents, it was because we weren't reading HER properly.) She loves to play, and goes zooming around the back yard chasing balls for hours. She also like tug-of-war, and if you're not careful, you're going to need your shoulder put back in its socket! Very gentle and loving with her family. Aloof of strangers. WILL NOT take food from anyone but us.

In the evenings, she often lays at the foot of the stairs next to the living room. I'll come up next to her and start rubbing her sides and neck. She kind-of "moans"/groans with restful pleasure. She CAN get rough, but it's never intentional. It's always because she's still very much the adolescent and gets "carried away" while playing. When in that mode, you can "hop" at her a little bit, and she'll zoom around the living room at warp 9, spinning and jumping in the air. (We usually have a toy that we're holding, so she jumps for that.)

A wonderful companion and family member.

Oh, I almost forgot - yesterday we left her alone in the house for the first time (not in a pen) for 2 hours. When we came back, nothing was chewed, nothing was destroyed. A wonderful dog!

She only shreds what I give her. She doesn't get into any trash at all. She does go for our shoes if we aren't paying attention though. She doesn't mind toothbrushing that much since we use her favorite kind of toothpaste, "Peanutbutter"!!! She weighed in at 50lbs last week and has been losing her baby teeth. She is getting along with the cat a little better these days. She still has a tendency to hop at her. She paws at her like she is trying to pet her if she sees me doing it. The cat is becoming a part of the family again. She will come into our room on her own at night to snooze at the other end of the bed and has started to come down at night if the dog is upstairs. I am hoping that they will be best of friends in the end.

She has the sweetest personality and most even temperament I've ever seen
D'Anne & Dennis

         

Kuma July 06 1 Yr Old, 20 Weeks and almost 2 years old

Dear Ann and Peter,

I have been meaning to write and give you an update on Kuma. He is and continues to be an amazing dog and friend.  We have been living in Prague for the last year and he has become a celebrity over here.  Wherever we go we are approached by by people young and old who can't get over how beautiful he is.  Kuma is usually more than willing to respond with a friendly lick.  Needless to say he has made many friends and has been a great ambassador for the breed and America.  I am attaching some recent pictures.

As of July, we will be moving back to Maine after a wonderful year here.  One thing has become clear and that is that Kuma is a dog's dog.  He loves and seeks the company of other dogs and it is a joy to see him get the chance to play.  I think getting to spend the first 8-9 weeks with his mom and dad made a lasting impression.  This leads me to ask the question of you of whether you think a second King is a good idea.  I saw on your web site that you are contemplating breeding Stella again with puppies expected in Spring '08.  If we were to get another King, I would definitely want to get a relative of Kuma given how fantastic he is.  Now that we are moving back to Maine we will have ample space for the two.  I hope you are both well and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

All the best,

James Lawrence

 

Ann,

I hope that you and Peter are well and of course the dogs.  I am attaching a
picture taken of Kuma at the end of July.  We have recently moved to Prague
for the next couple of years.  Kuma made the trip without a hitch and has been a big hit over here.  The Czechs have a special appreciation for dogs and he has been admired by all.

All the best,
James

Ann:  Kuma is doing very very well.  He is my constant companion and receives compliments wherever we go.  (He is currently sacked out next to me.)  He has a very sweet disposition, loving people and dogs alike.   He is growing into a beautiful dog, following very closely the appearance of his mother.  His head and shoulders are in the process of turing sable.  I believe he will end up resembling Stella's side of the family in size.  I can definitely see some of Kipling in him and his father's red coloring and beautiful eyes are there as well.  I am attaching a couple of recent pictures but will
send more fitting ones soon.  I apologize for the quality.  The shutter lag on the camera was driving me crazy.

How are things with you, Peter and the dogs?  Are you expecting any litters soon?

Thank you for everything!
All the best,
James

     

Rohan

Rohan just got back from having his nails done.  He weighed in at 85 lbs and stands 26" at the shoulders.  He is such a wonderful boy, even though he is only 71/2 months old I ask him to do something he tries so hard to please. He is not at all aloof.  He thrives on our attention and company.  He seems to have gotten a lot more solid on his legs, though I know it is probably a phase.  He'll probably will get awkward again during his next growth spurt.

As always no matter where I take them everybody always stops and asks lots of questions about the two of them.  Rana and Rohan look so much alike people think they are related.  I guess Rohan is the southwestern United States' ambassador for King Shepherds.  There are a lot of people very interested in this boy here in the valley.

I included new pictures of Rohan and a picture of Rana's and Rohan's new ride.  Rohan got big faster than what I anticipated and there just wasn't enough room in the Equinox for them both. Somebody had to stand (usually Rana) and that wasn't safe so Rana and Rohan got a new car with their own a/c control in the back, a phone and onstar.  They allow me to drive it to work and chauffer them around nights and weekends.

I'm thinking about showing Rohan in a fun match the end of September.  Obedience of course.

Again Thanks so much for my boy.

Stephen, Kathy, Rana & Rohan

P.S. Stephen has admitted he was worth the trip.

Good Morning,

I just wanted to let you know what a joy Rohan is.  He is 11 1/2 weeks old now has 1 ear up all the time and weighs in at a whopping 30ish pounds.  We are doing great in the house breaking department.  He loves being outside and lying next to the pound.  Rana and Rohan are getting use to each other, we have very few minor squabbles, mostly over toys.  Bailey likes Rohan when he is napping.  He says "sshh don't wake trouble!"  Funny that's what I used to say about my youngest daughter.  We knew right from the start that he was worth every penny, in the past 3 1/2 weeks we have decided he is worth the plane ride.  Thanks so much for my beautiful boy.

Kathy

         

Sadie

Hi Anne,

I hope you had a great holiday...ours was so crazy busy that we never got these pictures to you, although we had you in mind when we took them!

Sadie is doing incredible...there is never a time that we take her out when we don't get stopped by someone admiring her beauty and asking about her. She has continued on with her obedience training and is doing very well although she still has all of her puppy energy! She loves to chase her tail if no one will play with her once she catches it she continues in circles until she smacks into something! 

She has had quite a bit of fun chasing the cat around the house and under the Christmas tree until pine needles and ornaments go flying! She has seen snow once and just had a ball with it...we are looking forward to playing catch with snowballs if winter ever shows up in New England!

Anyway, hope all is good with your family and we are looking forward to seeing Sadie's littermates on your web sight.

Thanks for getting the papers for us...our address is

Enjoy the pictures.

JoAnne

Hi Anne,

I needed to send you a great big thank you from the entire family. We have just spent an incredible week with our new addition...Sadona...who we will be calling "Sadie". We just got back from our family reunion at the lake house in Canada where we had so much fun getting to know the personality of our girl.

She did wonderful in the car after a few minutes of squirming about...she is a veteran of riding in the car with 27 hours under her belt!  She seems to be about 90% house trained because she has spent most of the past week outside enjoying the Canadian air.

She has made many new friends, both human and the 4 legged type! She was the ruler of the roost of the 4 dogs that stayed with us...the two labs hardly gave her the time of day but boy did she set the Pekinese straight (he thought he was boss till she arrived)!


We actually believe she has grown quite a bit since we've had her. She was the same height as the Pekinese when we got there but a full inch or two above him when we left!

We start puppy school tonight and will be back in touch soon......

I couldn't say thanks enough!

Here are a few shots of her enjoying the life of leisure!

   

Excalibur's Alieh of Whisperwinds

Multiple BISS Puppy

2006 King Shepherd Spring Fling

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Hi A&P - hope you had a great Easter.   Ed's cousins left and are in love with Alieh - so what else is new?   Of course....    Ed just weighed her and she is 35.5# - she gained 4 lbs. this week.     Her one ear is up and the other is leaning on it - classic pic.    She is really "piss'n vinegar" as they say.    We are now confining her in the kitchen with the "boys" when we got out for a couple of hours and so far so good.    Lance is even more tolerable since she is getting bigger.     She is almost potty trained - we are keeping our fingers crossed.    She barrels thru the pet doors now so gained a lot of height and length.     Anyways we will keep you posted and naturally send more pics.  

Ed & Elaine

Morgan La Faye of Excalibur  21 Months

     

Excalibur's Conan the Barbarian

Hi Ann & Peter

I can never thank you guys enough for Conan.  He is a little angel.  He's smart, loving, and affectionate.  He is definitely my dog.  I must admit that I do have him spoiled.  I have noticed that he is starting to get protective when he meets a stranger.  He has turned out to be everything that a King Shepherd is supposed to be. Anyway I'll talk to you guys soon.

Bye Ben

            

Excalibur's Sierra - December 2005

Hi Ann and Peter,

Just a quick update on Sierra, she's doing GREAT!!  She finished all of her shots no problem. She is kitchen trained and barks to go out with very few accidents. She goes to sleep between 10-11 pm and sleeps thru the night. I wake up at 6am to take her out (just in the back yard) and we both look forward to seeing one-another. Jeannine and I walk all three in the morning @ 7am she is getting used to the walks it's a one mile walk (no running involved). She weighs 38 lbs as of Thursday and the vet thinks she's doing great they all love her there. I take her in my 4Runner every day to drop-off and pick-up my daughter from school (it's a five mile drive) I keep the seats down in the back and a large blanket spread out for her and cookies in my console. We are now in the process of switching to a new computer you know how that goes:) so as soon as we get the new one up and running we'll send plenty of updated pictures.

Hope all is well with you guys,

talk to you soon,

Mark & Jeannine

   

CH Excalibur's Golden Hunter

7 Months

Congratulations Hunter!

Best of Breed Puppy Rarities Allentown

3-Group 1 Puppy Rarities Allentown

2 BEST IN SHOW PUPPY - Rarities Allentown

         

Excalibur's Verda

Hello Ann,
 
We are enjoying Verda very much. She is especially bonded with Liza, my oldest. She is playing and going outside the most with Verda. Rina, the youngest a little bit scared of Verda but we are working on it.
The ride home was great - she cried just a couple of times. We got her her bowls, collar and a leash. She didn't like it at first but then she understood that it mean she is going outside and now she is ok.
First night was good - we put her into the crate in our room when we went to sleep and she slept through the night, just turning time to time. She had her training pads, the toy (purple bunny you gave us), old shirt and she was fine. She woke up at 7 together with us. She didn't have any accidents during the night, all dry and clean.
She loves her puppy food mixed with plain yogurt.
She knows very well already where her bowls are. She is very very playful.
Talk to you soon.
 
Thank you,
Victoria

CONGRATULATIONS CH DUCHESS!

ON YOUR ARBA

RESERVE BEST IN SHOW & RARITIES BEST IN SHOW JR PUPPY

   

Excalibur's Duchess

We wanted you to see how great Duchess is doing.  As you can see, we often have on ear up and she has grown tremendously.  We have gone to week 2 of puppy kindergarten.  Duchess is doing well.  There is a GSD male in the class that is about 3 weeks older than Duchess, so he is the biggest one.  She comes in second, but not by much.  I tried to weigh her on the scale they have, but she would not sit still.  She is al least 40 lbs., but I can't be definite. 
 
I will be sending in our registration for Sat., May 7th this week.  We have been holding off because we can't think of the perfect name to register Duchess.  Is that a necessity before the show since she is only a puppy?  We hope you are doing well and we will see you soon. 

 

Ann:  Peter told me you had an emotional goodbye.  I can understand how attached you could get since she is so sweet.  Duchess got a little sick in the crate during the ride and was a bit scared when she first go to our house.  She quickly warmed up and seemed to love bounding around in the snow with Steve and Dinah. 
 
Peter probably told you that Andrew and Duchess seemed to be bonding.  Andrew is very interested in everything she is doing.
 
She has been terrific about going on the piddle pads or outside.  We haven't had any accidents on our rugs.  She is afraid of the steps, but has gotten the courage to go up a few. 
 
She is very gentle and sweet and we are grateful to have her.  We will definitely take some pictures and stay in touch. 

 

Kali

Hi Peter & Ann,

Just a quick note to update you on Kali. Sorry we haven't written in a while.

She is doing great. She has grown up to be a wonderful family member. She still loves her food, and loves to go to the park. She and her house mate, Jax, have become inseparable. We can't pry either of their butts out of our car if they think they are going to the park. She still has a sensitive stomach, but it's under control. With regular exercise, she weighs in at a solid 92 lbs. She shares a big bucket of toys with Jax. They play argue over which one plays with which toy. She loves to go for walks in the nearby town, and visit everyone who walks by,(if only they had food! :). Everyone who sees her thinks she's a show dog, and says how beautiful she is.

She learns something new every week. With food as her # 1 "favoritest" thing, she could learn just about anything. When she is naughty, I put her in "Time Out" (sit & stay in corner).  After about 5 minutes, she gets that pathetic look down to a science, so I let her out.

She is everything your website describes for the breed. We really appreciate the opportunity you gave us to accept her into our family.

We seem to have misplaced the survey you sent out when she was two years old. Could you please send another one? I will make sure we fill it out and send it back this time.

When the weather breaks, we will send some updated pictures of her.

Sincerely,
Jim, Jackie
Jax & Kali St.Cyr

Ann & Peter-

I finally got off my duff and, with Jackie's help, snapped some pictures of Kali for you.  She has developed into a gorgeous lady though she still acts like a doofey kid.  In spite of the cool weather we've been having she has just about finished blowing her puppy coat.  The pictures don't really do justice to the shiny coat she now has.

During the week we normally don't have time for more than taking her for a walk through the fields behind our house.  We make up for it by going to a state park on the weekends.  Once there she and Jax have a nice brisk 2 -3 mile hike over 'rustic' paths.
  Kali has the added joy of wearing a doggy backpack filled with two good sized water bottles (you drink it, you carry it).  All of us enjoy the walks and it really helps burn the energy off the two dogs (and the humans).  Jackie will occasionally invite my sister in-law and her dogs along.  Five shepherds, two women and assorted kids gets peoples attention in the  park.  The dogs established their pecking order and now get along fine.

We had her spayed back in March and had one of those tracking chips put in at the same time.  Her recovery was uneventful.  She has been in great health.  She has always loved (I mean really loved) food.  She is fed plenty and is at a weight and rib padding (92 pounds) that her vet considers ideal.

When the weather cooperates I'll get some pictures in the park.  Hope that all is well with you and yours.

Jim & Jackie

Peter & Ann-

Jackie and I swear that overnight Kali grows a noticeable amount.  She now weighs over 24 pounds though you wouldn't think so from just looking at her.
She's the picture of health.  She is definitely a fan of
mealtime.
 
She enjoys exploring the yard though the barks of neighborhood dogs or anything unexpected will send her scurrying to Jackie or I.  She doesn't stay cowed for long.  She enjoys chewing on grass and leaves.  I was looking at your website this morning and saw a
picture of Willow as a pup where she is carrying a leaf.  Like mother, like daughter.  She enjoys car rides and visiting.  She has gotten along will
with all the dogs my brother and sister have.  My brother has a GS pup who is 8 or 9 months old.  Though bigger than Kali (for the moment) Kali won't
give an inch when they're playing.

I guess that's all for now.  Take care until we talk again.

Jim & Jackie

Summer '03

Dear Ann and Peter,

 We hope that everything in going well at your house.

Zoe is still growing and everyone comments on how beautiful she is. She is (as we have said in the past) our perfectness. She is all that we had hoped for. She is getting more protective and brave everyday, but she still is very gentle with Hallie(3 years old) and plays in the yard with the older kids.

 Here is a recent picture of our Zoe.(Her good side) We Love her so! we think she looks like Willow...

-The Lavins

Zoey Kismet Excalibur

Dear Ann and Peter,

We have been most remiss in writing!  We picked up our female pup two weeks ago, and brought her home.  We have named her Zoey Kismet Excalibur, and she is perfection incarnate!

We all love her!  We named her Zoey, just for fun, and Kismet, for fate or destiny.  We feel like we just stumbled upon her -- first our dog died, then we saw the breed in a book, then saw your the web site, then she was the only one left -- so, she was ours, and meant to be!  Kismet!  She is so sweet and so intelligent.  She can already sit, come, lie down and (almost) stay.   She is calm in the car and goes everywhere with us.  She is gentle with our toddler, and plays rough with the big kids.  We think she is the perfect dog for us!

 We are smitten with her, and can't thank you enough for making this Christmas a joyful one!

Thanks again,

Chris, Judy, Amelia, Sam, Hallie and Zoey Kismet Lavin

 

Excalibur's Emperor Charlemagne of the Meadow

Hi Ann and Peter,

Just thought I'd send some pictures of Charlemagne so you can see how he's doing. We've come to the realization that he must have some Husky in his background because this dog loves snow!! Once he goes in the yard, it's almost impossible to get him back in.

As you can see, he getting taller and I know he's getting heavier, my arms can attest to that. We have a Vet visit on Monday for his second series of shots so we'll weigh him up and see what the number is. He's already a hit with the Vet staff! 

Next Saturday we start puppy Kindergarten and I'm not sure who is going for socialization, Charlemagne or I. He already loves people so we'll see how he does with the other dogs.

Lastly, I'm amazed how quickly he took to housebreaking. We've gone almost 2 weeks with no paper on the floor in the kitchen and he hasn't had an accident in the last 5 days. In fact, he sits by my back door when he has to go out and that's my cue to put on my coat and take him. We decided not to crate but have confined him to our kitchen and utility room (he's made the utility room his own and that's where he sleeps and eats).

Anyhow, I'll keep you posted as to his progress and will speak to you prior to the holidays.

All the Best,

Mike, Deidre, Matthew and Charlemagne

 

Excalibur's Lily of the River Valley

Dear Ann & Peter,

Here are some pictures of "Lily".  They were taken on her first birthday, May 5th, 05.  She's a beautiful, smart, well behaved dog; is very affectionate and very gentle with our 1 1/2 year old granddaughter.  She weighs 110 lbs and has been stable at that weight about 3-4 months so she has probably stopped growing!  Thought you would like to see some pictures.

The DiBernardo's

Hi!  We made it back OK, but that George Washington Bridge is something else.  Lily only cried for about 15 minutes.  She's adjusted quite well.  Yesterday I went out and bought three baby gates.
 
I sent in her registration papers this morning. Her registered name is Excalibur's Lily of the River Valley (we live in a valley near the Connecticut River) and all of our Lilies are in full bloom in our garden. It seemed appropriate.  I've educated soooooooo many people these past few days on the differences between German Shepherds and King Shepherds.  Only one person has ever heard of them. Lily had her first car ride today and her first licks of an ice cream cone. She had a truck ride last night with my husband while I was at a meeting.  I think she's getting used to them.
 
I'll keep you posted.
 
Ann

         

 

 

CH PTD Excalibur's Zora Princess Star

Hi Ann,
How are you? .Zora is doing great she looks a little ratty her fur is really coming in, she is also getting all of her teeth.  Zora is so good that we let her slept upstairs without her crate. As of now we will be at the show on the 7th  Gerard  

 

 Kipling's Warrior Trooper of Excalibur

Hey Guys,

I thought I’d drop you a line and update you on Troopers progress.  In a word, Fantastic!  Peter, you were right, he’s got quite a personality, also very vocal, he talks to us all the time.  He’s almost totally paper trained, just a couple of errors.

He loves it outside, half of the time he does not want to come inside.  His favorite game is to stand on the deck and bark at us until someone chases him around on it.  What a knucklehead!!  His cohort in crime is Shadow, they play ball, chase, wrestle, explore and wander around the yard and woods.  After they come inside they normally curl up together and go to sleep.  Trooper loves to ride in the truck, Lisa takes him everywhere.  Everyone who sees him comments on how beautiful he is.

He knows and loves his family.  When I get home from work, Lisa says he loses body parts trying to get outside to me and comes running down the walk as excited as he can be.  The Kids adore him, he snuggles with Joey and tries to use Erikka as a chew toy. ( We’re working on that one.)  He knows his name and “go outside?” he runs to the door as fast as he can with the other two to roar out the door and start the fun.  I’ve got a least one trooper I work with wanting a King, he’s still hashing that one out with his fiancé.

We think we’ve decided on his official name:  Kipling’s Warrior Trooper of Excalibur.  What do you think?  He’s happy, healthy and has adjusted well to his new home.

Well that’s it for now, hope everyone is well on your end, we’ll stay in touch.  Don’t forget to let us know when you're in town.

Joe

 

                                     

Excalibur's Bruin and  King Arthur's Sabre, Excalibur

 

Ann and Peter,

"The boys" seemed to do great together, especially after a day or so.  Sabre just wants to play the entire time and the little guy gets tired - plus Sabre forgets how big he is.  They both want to eat the other's food, but no issues, fights or anything - they are sharing just about everything [other than food] and get along great.

As for the all important name - we are going with Bruin. [Other than the fact it means bear in French - it sorta went with our hockey theme............that means the next one might have to be Ranger -hahaha]

It was great to get a chance to visit with the two of you. It's so much fun to see all you dogs, and the puppies too.

Anyway, thanks again for everything - we promise Bruin will be in great hands.  We are looking forward to watching him grow into another beautiful king!

Kara and Greg   

  

Excalibur's Zoe Queen of the Rockies

Hi Ann, I found this picture from March of this year. Zoe wanted to go off the trail but that was as far as she could go. the snow was as high as my husbands chest.! Zoe loves the high country! as you can tell she was tunneling. lol , Karen

       

  Crackers 150 lbs

Excalibur's Black Panda Padfoot, aka Crackers

Ann:

We have to thank you, everyone's in love.  There's really no better way than to let the puppy pick you.  He came home, played 'tag' with Evan, took a nap, went outside and slept THROUGH the night.  Not a peep until 5:30, which is when the baby wakes up.  He hasn't soiled his crate at all and if I'm not hallucinating, he sits on command.  His call name will be Crackers, but we've decided after looking at his pedigree that his registered name will be Excalibur's Black Panda Padfoot.  (with Hagrid around, I'm sure you'll notice all the upcoming Harry Potter references).  My husband made a comment this morning with a booboo face that Aidan doesn't have his own puppy......  That didn't take long, did it?  I think I may have created a monster. 

Thanks again!

Lori, Darrin, Evan, Aidan and CRACKERS!

  

Excalibur's King of All Hearts aka Zack

Hey Ann & Peter

Just wanted to drop you a quick line or two and let you know how great Zack is doing.  We recently got a new puppy from Annette (Lance's daughter), and Zack has become a terrific playmate and "watcher-outer" for our new little girl.  Zack is soooooooo handsome.  He has such a stately sit.  His personality couldn't be any better.  He is laid back most of the time but has recently discovered his "barker".  

When Gracie (our oldest girl) barks, Zack runs behind her and with his deep bark bark bark - ain't no one coming around - ha!   We thought he would never learn how to bark but now that he has discovered his barker button we just have one question - how do you turn the thing off?  Ha!!! 

We went to the vet today - Zack at 7 months weighs 80 pounds.  Zack is like any teenage boy - he wants to know what's for supper, where's my spot on the bed, and can I have the keys to the van yet?  Go, go, go, sleep, sleep, sleep, and food, food, food -- that's our motto for now. They are all priceless to us. 

A few of the real cute things Zack has done since the new arrival is that he has taught no name how to go in and out the doggie door, play-mouths with the new one and we caught one picture of them with Zack putting his "arm" around the new one.  Poor Zack has really had to put up with a lot the last week out of the newest arrival.  She's a firey one that doesn't back up a bit.  Her favorite place is right in Zack's face (all the time I might add).  Zack takes it and takes it and takes it and every once in a while he turns around and says o.k. ENOUGH ALREADY! He's a real trooper. 

Thanks again for sharing with us the gift of a great son.  We truly love him.  Hope all is well with you guys. 

The McCoys

Excalibur's Autumn

Hi Ann:

Happy Thanksgiving to you!  Our girl who we decided to name Autumn is doing great!  She was 18 pounds when we took her to the vet on Monday, and is growing everyday.  She is eating well and loves to play with us and our other dog Abbey.  Autumn has learned to love her crate and sleeps there without a peep.  She has learned to go outside and is using the paper less and less often.  She has a million chew toys to occupy her.  She is growing so quick.  We love her so much.  She has grown to be part of our “pack”.  Thank you.  She will grow into a wonderful dog!

Autumn is doing very well.  We have a picture for you of her taken yesterday.  She is huge!! People can’t believe she is only 7 months.  She is a very fast learner and doing great in obedience class.

The Bariles

 

Excalibur's Lady Chloe of Camelot

Dear Ann & Peter

Chloe is doing fine.  We took her to Pet Smart the other day and we put her in the back of the cart and wheeled her around the store.  Everyone was coming up to us and asking if they could pet her, and telling us how beautiful she is.  She was showing off giving the people her paw & all.  We love her very much.  Hope this card finds you both well.  I will keep in touch.

Love,

Candy, Bobby, Mackenzie and "Our Chloe"

    

CH Ptd. Excalibur's Jeri Rose Garcia

hey guys,

jeri is so amazing...she is such a smart dog !  she went for her first ride in the car without the crate..

she just chilled in the back seat. I was so happy to see that...what a great dog...I call her the queen of kings...

joni      

     

Bonni Lady of Excalibur

Hi Ann

 Just thought I would give you an update on Bonni.  I have never seen such a smart puppy as she is for her age.  She is completely leash trained now, took her for a walk last night and again this morning.  Also, she now has the idea to go to the bathroom outside, it didn't take her long to learn.  I still have the papers down as she is still a young puppy, but so far today she has gone every time I take her out.

Carol