Finnegan: A Handsome Work in Progress

Hope you are having a wonderful summer! I want to give you both a quick update on our little boy.

Well, we failed our CGC exam-- failed with flying colors! Finnegan just got so incredibly excited - and was crazy about the woman giving the exam. He did pretty much everything wrong, and surprised everyone in the class because they had seen him do so well for 8 weeks! He was so excited and enthusiastic - personally, I found it hysterical! He was just having so much darn fun! They gave the little guy several attempts - please don't chew the friendly stranger. Please don't eat the brush when the groomer is brushing you. Please don't jump on the friendly stranger. Please sit and stay -- DO NOT sit for one second until mom is out of reach and then run over to the woman giving the test and jump on her..... Oh, it was no use. The instructors were concerned that I would be disappointed. I told them that I can't possibly be disappointed that he failed for being so happy and enthusiastic - 5 months ago he was not even allowed in the ring with the other dogs! So, we are signed back up and will try, try again! Class #2 starts August 2nd..... Finnegan is just a work in progress! And, secretly, I am happy to repeat the class with him. It is a lot of fun!

Thanks so much for everything you and Col Potter do! We are not quite ready to rescue another little one yet, but someday......someday..... we will be back in touch for furbaby #2!

We love our little boy, Finn. Thank you for helping us find him and bring him home!

Beazley Bumstead is Three

Beazley and his siblings turned three years young this week. This boy has really been an adventure. His latest was last night!  Sorry could not get pictures of what happened as I had to work fast! Last night the birthday boy was hanging from the arm of the grooming table in his new modified bag. Tail, butt, and back legs were groomed. Today he is a half groomed three year old which is perfectly fitting for his age.

Beazley, you are a joy and an adventure all wrapped up in one crazy package. I am not sure, but you may never grow up. But I love you and you are my heart.

Happy birthday Beaz. And Happy Birthday to all the Bumstead kids.
Deb in NM
Ashes, Bows, Bailey, Beazley, and Keisha

Brinkley Brightens Life for Many

I can't tell you how many times I intended to write you with news about Brinkley. She is doing very well; quite content with the distinction of being the most spoiled dog in New Jersey. She is such a joy and has completely taken over as the core of my life. Brinkley endears herself to everyone; she has such a love for people - she makes no distinctions (except for the UPS man/woman and any current or former employee of the US Postal Service).

We are having such a wonderful journey together (I can't believe she is seven years old). We go everywhere together (she has her own Marriott Rewards card), and when I can't take her on overnights with me, I have two neighbors who fight over who will take care of her. Last summer I had to spend two weeks in Europe and had a college student stay at the house with her. I had taught Brinkley the speak command, and I think the sitter would get freaked out when I would call and ask her to put Brinkley on the phone, and Brinkley would sit by the receiver barking in a conversational tone.

She is such a good dog and happy too. She has a box full of toys that she will select various ones to play with by herself, but her favorite is still the octopus. Brinkley is welcome in the homes of all of my friends, but the octopus has been banned from every home and most public areas of the Tri-State area - and it is indestructible. The squeakers in the toys I buy for Brinkley have an average life span of about 37minutes. I am sure this octopus will one day be discovered by a future civilization who will mistake it for a sonic weapon of mass destruction.

However, Brinkley does have another souvenir of Vermont she is very attached to - her quilt. I lay it out on the sofa for her and when she is not on the back of the sofa looking out the window (always) she loves to sleep on her quilt.

Brinkley still doesn't get along with other dogs, and she is as stubborn as they come, but she has such a comical personality. Sometimes I think she is doing a set like a stand-up comedian. She is super intelligent and not at all bashful to let you know when she wants something. She wants you to think she's the boss - but the bottom line is that she just wants to be where I am and go where I go and eat what I eat and have her belly rubbed (she decides when the latter is sufficient).

Contacting Col Potter was one of the luckiest moves I have ever made. I would have never found a dog to rescue as wonderful as Brinkley. People now identify me with Brinkley. What used to be "How's work?" is now "How's Brinkley?" What used to be "Good to see you!" is now "Where's Brinkley?" Cairn Terriers have to be among the cutest, most affectionate and fun creatures that God created. I just happened to be gifted with one of His masterpieces.

I am always aware that I inherited in our little friend the fruits of a labor of love that gave Brinkley the opportunity to have a happy life and to give so much happiness. I am deeply grateful to you for showing
Brinkley the ways of love and trust and for all of you who do the same for other cairns. What a wonderful way to make this world a better place.

Aberdeen is Loving Summer

Sorry I have been so bad about giving you updates on Abbs. She is just a delight to have around. She is all house trained now, and goes with me EVERYWHERE that I can take her. Everyone loves her. She went to school for six weeks, and graduated TOP of her class. She even won the gold for a very modest agility trial. She seems to love all that. I hope to continue with her classes with a goal of more agility training. She and the cat continue to get along very well. By the way, she has never made an inappropriate move towards Sedona. I have even caught them licking each other a bit. So much for "Cat Scanning".

Abbey's latest love is swimming in the pool. I bought her a neon pink life vest to wear in the pool. At first she wasn't too sure if she liked this big "water bowl", but she trusted me and as soon as I put her in the pool, she took off like a little torpedo! Her vest keeps her very boyant, and keeps her head up out of the water. In no time, she was jumping in from the side of the pool. She is such a happy little sweetie pie.

She brings such joy and laughter to my life. I can't even imagine my life without her now. She is so wonderful with other dogs and kids, and big people. I never have to worry about her acting inappropriately with anyone. I love taking her to the Home Depot with me. People comment on how good she is, as she just sits in the carriage lets people come up to her and pet her, and get their "puppy fix".

Henry - One Handsome Boy

Henry, fka Winnipeg, was born into CP as one of Vancouver's pups.

Is he handsome or what!!

A Tribute to Bonny - CP Kid Chardonnay

The Twilight of the Dogs has ended for one of them. Bonny (Chardonnay for the Col. Potter group) went down this morning around 9:45. She had an intestinal cancer.

Bonny (8/21/00-7/22/10) went as quietly as she lived. She was "Her Serene Highness" while we had the privilege of knowing her. She only barked when the train went by, several blocks away. She was the only dog I knew who said, "arf".

At least I caught on video her ecstatic procession from kithchen to her dining place, just a couple of days ago. Amazing to think that that energy could collapse so suddenly, or that, several days ago at the vet's office, her lethargy could explode into a "let's play" dance for a big young male dog.

Bonny was a great hunter: just a day after she arrived here, she sniffed out a rat under our back steps. In the last few evenings on our walks at Casis School, she found three cadavers of small animals, and got one of them home in the car before I detected it. After her first "find", while I was disposing of it the next night, I came back to her where she was crouched over something—she was licking a bone the size of a chicken thigh. That went over the fence—then she found her THIRD leathery mass.

I hope you will join us in celebrating her accomplishment of a tough life—puppy-mill near Fort Worth, Texas, for nearly five years; rescued by the Col. Potter Cairn Rescue League, who repaired a breast tumor and an inguinal hernia; a torn canine cruciate ligament two years ago; an attack by big dogs last January on the Barton Creek trail. She was the supreme stoic.

Jim and Pat

Austin, TX

Jim sent this link to a video he took just 2 days before Bonny crossed the Rainbow Bridge: http://gallery.me.com/jimhadden/100436  Her brother Gauldie fka Merlot is also a CP kid.  Our sincere condolences to the family who have given these sweet Kids such a wonderful life!

From the Desk of Bryn Lane

I asked momme to sen you [foster mom- ed.] dis leter. Jus wanted to sez hi and let you no I am a big boy now. I haz a birfday today and am 5 monz old. I haz a partee all day.

My Aunt Pattie comz over 2 timz and taks me for walks and we play ball and sticks while my momme is workng hard so I haz a real nice home. My Auntee gib me a new toy. Its so kool. You knoz dos big long round tings dat makz noise and crunches, I gotz a cober for doz tings and its real soft and looks lik me -- a bryn puppy. Now me long round tings don't lookz so yuckee.

Momme gib me a new big ball and haz a handl on it so I can carries it arond. It is big too jus for a big boy like me.

Momme sez we will hab a real big partee wif hatz cak and stuf nex February. I jus canz wait. It wil be lotz of fun. Wish you could be here.


Momme sez to tank you for teechn me to be a good boy. I's doin jus lik you sez to do and I's good -- wel most of da tyme. I jus don't wantz momme to knoz how mouch I really knoz cuz she would spect me to alwaz be good.

Oh yea, momme sez wez votn morrow on da CP site. Weeeeeee, I lub beng me. I haz so mouch funz.

Hugs,
Bryn

Brodie's Blankie

Here is an update from Brodie's Furever Mom:

When Brodie came to live here he came from his foster dad in PA with a blanket made by someone in the Col. Potter network. Brodie was understandably unsure of life, again, when he came here to new surroundings, a new human, and two new dogs. But he had the security of HIS blanket. The first evening here he dragged together a piece of fleece from one of the dog crates and his blanket and a few toys and made a 'nest' right in front of me. It was very endearing. I think whoever makes the blankets for the dog-kids are wonderful! I'm attaching a picture of him in his 'nest.'

-- Susan, Conor, Emmy, and Brodie -- Watertown, NY

Yes, Brodie, ever Col. Potter Kid gets his or her own blankie, lovingly made by a "Blankie Auntie".  The Aunties donate their time and materials, then send the blankie to the foster home, usually within a few weeks of the little cairn's arrival.  The blankie then becomes the cairn's very own and follows them to their adoptive home.

There is a video tribute to the Blankie Aunties on Media Central, via http://www.cairnrescue.com/, as well as instructions how to make the blankie.

Brodie, we're so glad that you love your blankie as much as you love your furever home!

First Foto of Fizzywig

Hello all! Into week 2 with this adorable, SWEET, obedient!!! cairn, Fizzywig (Fizzy)!

I don't know why you all let her go to be mine, but I'm glad you did!

She's almost like a reincarnation of my first cairn, Razzle Dazzle. I love her and wanted you to see her in her new home. 

Thank you all - especially foster dad Ron,

Margy O'D

A Message from Tucker aka Canada

Hey Ebrybody,


Dis heer is Tucker, but you mite no me as Canada. Col. Potter let my new fambly dopt me back in Nobember of 2008. And I gotta tell ya, dis new furebber fambly gots some really gooder stuffs. I no I only beend heer for a year and 8 munfs but I can tell ya, dis is where I wanna stay. Deese folks must weally lub me. No why? Dey gibs me da goodest food and plenty ob it and so much cool, clean water I can't ebber run out. And Mommy's weally picky bout what she feeds me -- no wheat or corn for me and none ob dat udder yucky stuff neeber. She eben makes my tweats homemade --- cooks 'em ebry week or so wite in our oben and dey is de-li-shus! And you no dat bossy Westie sister I telled you bout before, well she's still bossy, but she teached me some good stuffs, and she helped me not to be so doggone skeered of ebryfing. Well, I dis want to say fank yoo, fank yoo, fank yoo Col. Potter for gibbing me my furebber fambly. Dey is sooooo good to me. Dey gibs me hugs and kisses and tells me how handsome I is. Dey keeps me clean -- no bugs at all! Dey takes me for walks and wides in da car and eben to da pet stores all da time. So all yoo kids out dere dat still don't gots furebber famblies, just hang tite. Dey'll find yoo soon and boy are yoo gonna lub dis life! Fank yoo Col. Potter -- yoo is my hero! And Mommy wants me to say fank yoo for her too. And dat ebber since she dopted me, she tells ebrybody to dopt pets. Round our house, we say "used dogs rule!" Lubs yoo Col. Potter :)

Tucker aka Canada

Cassie & Hunter: Star-Spangled Cuties!

Hi, I'm Cassie and I looooove hotdogs!

I'm Hunter- picnics, hamburgs, people and fun - what a great holiday this is!

Thank you Founding Fathers, Service Men and Women, anna Col. Potter Cairn Rescue - heroes one and all!

Happy Independence Day!

Thank you to our troops and all of those serving our country. We wouldn't have the freedoms we have now if it weren't for all those before that also protected our wonderful country.

Below are (left to right): Rebel, Callie and Roary, celebrating their freedom, too. Aren't there kerchiefs the very best?
--
Nancy B
Lake in the Hills, IL

Timofey Archibald Says

From the Binns Family to Yours

The Binns boys are ready for the festivities to begin! Bring on the fireworks...hmmmm on second thought bring on the hamburgers and hot dogs!!!
 

Happy 13th Birthday to Ginger

Ginger was rescued in 1999 after being hit by a car.  She and her year-old puppy both found loving homes.  Ginger is celebrating her birthday with her family in Mehoopany, PA.
Happy Birthday, pretty girl!