Charley has settled in...

Hi Chris,

Sorry I haven't written sooner. It's sure been hectic around here. We've all had the swine flu (except for Charley!), and then we all got better and Charley got sick (vomiting, diarrhea). The vet thinks Charley had giardia, although he tested negative for it. (Apparently if you test at a certain time during the parasite's life cycle, it won't show up on the tests they do.) So, Charley's been on antibiotics for the past week, and is finally feeling better. Whew! We were pretty worried about him. They even did some blood work to make sure there wasn't something more serious wrong with him. His bloodwork came back fine, though, which is a relief.

Aside from that big scare, Charley has been great! He's a wonderful addition to our family and we all enjoy playing with him. He loves his toys and loves to play fetch. He lets Joel hug him and pick him up, and has gotten used to us and our home. He's also been very mellow with all the dogs he's met, including my boss's corgi, so I've taken him to work several times. It's great not to have to leave him at home when I go to work.

Charley and I go for walks everyday. We're both a little tired of the wind and rain we've been having, and long for some sunny days! I think it may be harder for Charley, since he's from a drier and sunnier climate! We're enjoying getting our exercise though, and I've had several people stop me during our walks to say what a cute (and well-behaved!) dog he is. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have a dog living with us again!

Here are a few new photos of Charley - I did trim the hair around his eyes, but after the photos were taken! In two of the photos Charley has his favorite toy - a stuffed hedgehog - which he's managed to tear most of the fur off of, along with almost all of the stuffing. Charley still likes hedgehog, though, because it still has the squeaker in its head. We still have the duck you sent Charley home with - and that's also one of his favorites...

Hope you're well. Now that I know how to download the photos into my computer, I hope I'll be able to send you some better ones soon.

Warmly,
Debbie, Frank, Joel & Charley