Merlin

A Home Near the Water

Merlin update - December 2007

Thought I’d provide another update on our dog, Merlin, whom we adopted from HSEC back in May.  He’s incredible!  He’s been excelling in obedience training and is starting to learn some agility.  He’s a very smart boy and, more importantly, is a wonderful addition to our family. 

We went on a great hike this afternoon and I snapped a couple of cute pictures of him that I thought I’d share.  He sure does have a lot of energy…especially now that the weather has cooled down.  He will run and run and run.  Last night we took him to the beach and he ran back and forth from the surf to the dunes….full speed.  He’s so funny, because even when he’s tired out, he hates to close his eyes.  He’ll fight it for as long as he can….it’s fun to watch. 

Thanks again for saving him for us. 

Alex

Merlin having the time of his life on the beach!

Merlin sharing a hug with one of his human friends.
 

Merlin on the way to his new home near Beaufort, NC

Hey, We just wanted to let you know that Merlin is doing very well so far in his new surroundings.  He enjoyed his ride home in the car very much.  We stopped and visited a pet store to let him pick out some treats, toys, crate, etc.  He played with his stuffed toy the whole ride back to Beaufort.  Then we went for a long walk around town.  We took him to the waterfront and he immediately jumped into the water and began hopping around, so there is no doubt that he’ll be a great water dog.  We’ll take him swimming tonight or tomorrow after he’s groomed this afternoon. 

He seems to be okay with our 5 cats, but we have not yet let him off the leash in the house.  We’re going to take things pretty slowly just to be sure.  He also does very well in his crate.  He whines a little bit, but actually slept all night very quietly.  This morning we got up and went out to play in the yard.  It looks like he’ll be a great Frisbee dog.  I actually managed to snap a photo of his first catch.  He doesn’t seem terribly interested in his food right now, but got a little bit agitated when some of the kibble fell out of the crate and we tried to pick it up.  We then took him out of the crate and fed him in the kitchen and didn’t see any signs of food guarding (though I didn’t stick my hand in the bowl).  Any thoughts on this?

I think he’s going to make a great pet and that he’ll adapt to our household very well.  We’re feeling pretty lucky to have found such a great dog.  It’s hard to believe that nobody wanted him.  I’ve attached a couple of photos for you and will send a few more after we get him spruced up a bit. 

Thanks for everything,

Alex Houston

Merlin in action with the Frisbee.  What a smart boy!

Merlin's coat was in need of some care, so we had him shaved…here are a couple of post-grooming shots of him.  He may look a little bit silly now, but he seems to feel a lot better.  He’s doing great.  He is adapting to the cats pretty well (he’s now free in the house when we’re home).  With 5 in a very small house it can feel a bit chaotic at times and he handles it well.  He does great off leash at the beach or hiking in a park.  We’ve also been taking him lots of places so that he can become accustomed to meeting a lot of different people.  He’s now been to the wine bar several times, and he enjoys his afternoon walks around downtown Beaufort!  He gets lots of attention everywhere he goes!  He’s having a great time!