What a great Christmas present!  I was so completely surprised when Seth (Samson, Little Buddy, Sambo or Sam) arrived.  I think he was a little scared and confused when my son carried him in to me and at first I wasn't sure he was a real, live dog or a adorable stuffed animal.  He was so still and I could not see his eyes at first but he soon warmed up and is doing great.  I took your advice and had him tethered to me for a few hours but now he follows me everywhere and is absolutely wonderful.  I had some questions about how much to feed him but I have usually fed other dogs we have owned twice a day.  I just cut the daily amount in half and it seems to work fine.  He has adjusted well and is a very well behaved dog.  I had no idea that he was coming and he is perfect.  Just the right size and I couldn't be happier with him.  Thank you so much for allowing us to adopt him.  I can assure you he will be well taken care of.

I tried to get in to your web site but have had difficulty pulling it up.  Could it be down at the moment?

If you have any questions or information I should have please e-mail me.  Thank you for sending all the information about him.  I was so interested in his "family tree".  He has such a great lineage and we are proud to have him.

 

Caroline Fraser

Hello dear Deb -

 

Hope your holidays were wonderful!  Just got back from our trip - Michael is still in Florida with his grandparents.  I spoke with Caroline and she mentioned that she emailed you, but I wanted you to know how very wonderful Seth has been doing - and how much he is already - loved.  She sounded so thrilled and really delighted at how sweet and dear Seth is.  He follows her everywhere she goes - they have truly "bonded".  She said he is helping to fill the void and loneliness she has been feeling with the many losses she has experienced this year.  Don Sr. loves him too - but he is definitely connected to Caroline - which is perfect.  He is doing really well with housebreaking and they have bought him everything he could possibly need.  She said you gave her tips on his feeding and I'm sure he'll get lots of meat and vegetables!

 

Thanks, Deb - Seth has really given her joy and we are all so very grateful.

 

Wishing you a blessed year - filled with beauty and happiness.

 

Carrie

Hello, Debby

 

You have my permission to include Seth in your "scrap book" page.   He is continuing to adapt to our life style and is a great addition to our home.    I  have discovered that he definitely has a mind of his own.  I take him for walks in the morning and when he decides it is time to go home he either stops and sits down or turns around and starts walking back the way we came.   He has also developed into quite a "mama's boy".  If I leave him for just a minute and go outside he starts crying, howling and woofing!  My husband, Don, is getting his feelings hurt when Seth ignores him and just wants me to come home.  I'm sure that will get better in the future though.

 You asked if we had ever had  a dog that needed grooming.  We did have a poodle at one time, a brown miniature

and except for the longer legs  he looked much like Seth.  We have had many dogs and they all lived to a ripe old age .  I take good care of them and love them to death.  Our last dog, a terrier mi x, died this past summer after having her yearly shots.  She developed a auto-immune disease and it was heart breaking to watch her go down.  She was 16 and in great shape until the shots.  I'm going to be very careful what shots are given to Seth in the future. 

I'll update you on future developments with Seth.

Caroline

 

Hi Debbie,

 

 We would love to have the certificate.  For bragging rights we can show off a little!

 "Our boy"  is doing very well.  He's still a "mama's boy" but will warm up to Don, I'm sure.  When I consider he has only been with us about 2 weeks I am really amazed at how well he has done.  He has become used to our routine and his favorite place is in our bed.  I didn't intend for that to happen but it has and it's fine.  He still howls and woofs when I leave him for a short while.  When we both leave I put him in the crate and he's fine with that. 
 

Many thanks,  Caroline

 

Hi, Debbie,

    Samson is fine, absolutely adorable and we love him.  He has settled in very well considering his age and that he had never been in a home very much. 

     I finally found the dog food that you had been feeding him and I am also giving him a concoction that I make up composed of chicken, oatmeal, carrots, wheat germ, a little oil and a couple of other ingredients.  He seems to be thriving on it.

    We live in a gated community where the dogs must be leashed at all times.  I take him for walks several times a day and he seems to really like it.  He struts along looking just like the champion he is until he sees another person approaching and then he stops!  No getting him to move until they pass.  Then off we go for a short way and then he turns around to see if they are following him, I guess. Very peculiar but there is no moving him until they pass.  Any reason for this behavior? 

    Another thing he does (or doesn't do) is when I want to take him outside he won't come close to me.  If I start to go without him then he will come closer to the door but still I have to go get him to put his leash on him.  He is better about coming in the house when we call him, however I know he wants to go outside and I don't understand why I have to go get him.

     Other than those two problems ( ? ) he is very playful, races around and plays with us and his toys.  He is pretty standoffish with strangers and that is fine with us.  He is becoming better acquainted with Don, my husband.  At first he really had little to do with him but lately they have become good buddies.

    I had him groomed once and they did a good job, I think.  I also took him to the Vet because he was scratching so much.  She said that some dogs have to get accustomed to the weather down here and they develop allergies. He had an infection from all the scratching, gave him something for that and a salve to put around his eyes.  He seems fine now and what a good patient!  He just stood and let me put on the salve without a bit of struggling.

    I guess you can tell we are smitten with him.  Thank you so much for allowing us to have him in out home.

 

Caroline Fraser

Deat Debbie,

It's been quite some time since I reported on Samson's new life in Florida and I thought you might be interested in

how he is adapting to his new home.

 

He is definitely my dog.  He still follows me everywhere and if I am away for a time he sits at the screened - in lanai and waits for me.  As soon as he sees me he barks, wags his tail vigorously and jumps around.  What a clown.  He is very adept at helping me make the bed in the morning.  As soon as I start he jumps up on the bed and claws at the sheets and blankets as though he knows how to arrange them.  That is our morning ritual and he loves to get under the covers and hide.  When I say "Where is Samson"  his tail starts wagging and he pops his head out!

 

Last night we had a thunder storm for the first time since Sam has been with us and I was surprised at how afraid he acted.  He was trembling and couldn't get close enough to me.  This behavior made me wonder how he reacted when he was with you.  What kind of environment did he live in?  Was he quartered with other dogs or was he by himself?  He heard the first thunder and I could tell immediately that he didn't like it.

 

I have to tell you that he had a such a trauma a couple of months ago.  I took him to the groomer and she asked if I wanted him to have the same cut he had before.  I said I did but as I was leaving she said he was matted on his chest and it would hurt him if she tried to comb it out.  I said okay, thinking she would clip it there and the rest of the cut would be the same as before.  When I returned a couple of hours later I couldn't believe my eyes - she had shaved his whole body except for his head and tail!  I was furious but there was nothing I could  do about it.  Well, anyway, he was mortified, didn't want to go outside and was freezing most of the time.  We kept him covered up as much as possible.  Finally his coat has grown in enough that he is no longer embarrassed and he is starting to look and act like his old self.  Naturally I will never use that groomer again.  There was no reason to do that.  He was not matted all over his body and I don't even think his chest was in bad shape.  We brush him every day and he looks great now.  I was too shocked to tell you before his hair grew back but now I  thought it was safe to confess!

 

Samson is a real watch dog, barking when people walk by our condo. Everyone thinks he is adorable (which he is) and they want to pet him but he is still leery of people he doesn't know.  That's okay with me though.  I don't like animals to jump all over me.

 

We will be returning to Ohio in a couple of weeks for the summer.  It is getting very hot here, upper 80's every day and I will be happy to be in a little cooler area.  Sam doesn't seem to like the really hot days either and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to another home.  I'm sure he will do fine.

 

That's all for now from Samson and me,

 

Caroline Fraser

 

Dear Debbie,
 

    This is just an update on Samson's life with the Fraser's. 

     He is a wonderful, happy, playful dog and we are so happy he has come into our home.  We have been in Ohio since late May and he has been introduced to a different lifestyle from his life in Florida.  We live in an area where he must be walked on a leash but in our own yard he follows me around as I inspect the garden.  He is quite interested in our neighbors next door and I have found him several times "window-peeking" in their kitchen door!  When I walk him in the afternoon he greets a few other dogs he has met and is particularly interested in Bender, a yellow Lab who is owned by my friend Mary, also known as the "Cookie Lady" who always has tiny dog biscuits in her pocket.

    Sam retires in the evening at the end our bed (he's spoiled rotten!) but before he settles down he rearranges the blankets to his specifications which entails lots of pulling, scratching and turnarounds.  He remains there until he decides it is time to wake up and then of course WE must wake up also.  I'm not always in agreement but he is so adorable that I can't stop smiling at him and finally give in.

    We will be returning to Florida in about a month to get away from the gloomy, cold Ohio weather.  Our Colorado son, Don Fraser, and our grandson,  Michael, will be joining us for Christmas so we are looking forward to that.

    Hoping that everything is going well at your kennel and that you are well also,

 

Your grateful new mother of Samson,

 

Caroline Fraser

 

 

 

Seth is a stoic, masculine dog, gentle in nature. He'll enjoy being a devoted companion!

 

Debby Rothman