3 Aug 2007

Hi Julie,
Ernie is now Sunny. We tried to find something that wasn't going to sound too different from his old name and this is what we settled on. He has a sunny personality and even his coloring goes with the name. Sunny is fitting in better than we had even hoped. We had figured on an adjustment period of a month or so and within hours the other dogs had accepted him. I think he was so calm they didn't see him as a threat at all. He sleeps in our room with Diva, our female, and when our daughter goes back to college her dog will join them too. He has learned to climb the stairs and is already able to run up without stopping to rest. Our bed is high and he couldn't jump up at first but he is able to do that now, although it isn't easy yet. He seemed to be much more sedentary and less fit than our other dogs but he is steadily getting stronger. He has learned from our other dogs to bark when someone comes to the door but doesn't bark excessively. We have kids over our house sometimes and they all love him and he loves them back. The toddlers make him nervous so we keep him away from them, but he has been great with every other age. Sunny is very curious about new things and has noticed things our other dogs have never noticed. He even noticed the fish in our pond and bugs in the yard. He likes the cats and pays attention to them too. The only problem he has is that he still doesn't understand that he can't go out the front door or gate. We have to watch carefully if we open the door or go out the gate as he is very fast at trying to go out.  House training is going well although he isn't 100% yet. He goes out when the other dogs do but so far he hasn't asked to go out. If we are not home we leave all the dogs in the family room/kitchen area where the floor is all tile, just in case. All three dogs hang out together and go out in the back yard together but they have only recently started playing together. They like to pat each other on the face like they are playing tag. Puccini and Diva play with toys mostly and love to fetch a tennis ball over and over. Sunny is not very interested in the toys and has no interest in chasing a ball yet but he may decide to join in sometime. He is eating well and has had no diarrhea and we have added him at our vets office. I attached a picture of  the dogs together. It was taken the day after we brought Sunny home so you can see how quickly they accepted each other. Puccini is on the left, Diva in the middle and of course Sunny is on the right. Puccini and Diva don't like having their picture taken much but Sunny loves it. The other picture was taken right when we got home. It was the first introduction of Puccini and Sunny.
Thank you so much for what you do. If there weren't people like you to foster these pets I know Sunny and other wonderful pets like him would have no chance. I looked at Soda and the Pops online, they are adorable! Thank you again for fostering Sunny as he is a sweetheart and so loving and deserves a great life.

Alice Mallinger