28 October 1995
Dear Mike and Vicki,
I am glad you have offered to provide a home for Lothar-the- Lab. Our talks have reassured me that you will give him the medical care, maintenance and companionship he needs.
The main conditions I make in giving him to you is that he not be de-clawed, de-barked, have his ears or tail clipped or be otherwise altered, except that it's OK if you remove his dew claws or have him neutered.
Because he was probably hit by his previous owner, you should be extra careful how you train him. I've used lot's of positive reinforcement (praise/petting) keeping the negative to angry tones, sharp tugs on the harness and the occasional rough shake by the shoulders. This will take patience because, believe it or not, he likes to tease and test you. But any sign of hitting and he'll cringe. Your experience with dogs and your willingness to cultivate his trust and confidence is one of the main reasons I want you to have him.
Lothar is a very sweet dog. He has real puppy-dog eys and loves to be held and tussled with. He approaches other dogs with playfulness and curiousity. I think he will grow to be very loyal to you. But he's an oaf. When he's happy and excited he gets carried away, looses all awareness of where he is or of his own strength. He'll run around wildly. If he thinks you're joining in he'll start to pounce and play bite too roughly. This isn't viciousness. I think he just wasn't taught to moderate his play. Mike's technique of raising the knee works; holding him and calming him down a notch or two also works. Since we've had him, he's pretty much learned to "sit" and is getting the idea of heeling. He stays close to "home" on a trail and will come back or wait if he's lost you on his radar. But he still thinks a street is a trail and has no awareness of cars. He's crazy about swimming; every chance he gets he wants to take a plunge.
I've enclosed copies of the vet's report. He checked out healthy and normal and has no parasites. He did have tapeworms. There was a mix up/delay in getting the pills, but gave them to him yesterday. He was given a full set of shots, including rabies. The vet already sent the notice to Oakland Animal Control, so I had him stamp a copy for you.
We've been feeding him Hill's Science Diet, Canine Growth formula, kibble and canned. This has improved his stool. He also likes Cannine Growth Formula (dry) Treats... but hell, he'll eat anything! The "starter kit" I am bringing can be used to mix with any other brand you might prefer.
That's about all I can think of. I am very grateful for your open invitation to come visit Lothar and of course I'd call you beforehand. I think it would be a good idea to check up on how things are going sometime in three to six months. I think I've covered the main points, but if you have any questions during his adjustment period, feel free to give me a call. Poor doggie! He'll have changed three homes in his six month life, and I wouldn't be surprised if he gets disoriented and unhappy at first. He seemed to like Mike a lot and I think he'll start to bond with him pretty quickly. I doubt it will be necessary, but if you need me to come to help bridge the transition, give me a call.
I will miss him but take consolation in the fact that I was able to find him a home with people who love dogs and know how to care for them. I wish you a wonderful life and much happiness with a beautiful dog.
.
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