Diamond
January 22, 2005 - Diamond's perfect family arrived today! Andy, Zandy and their Black Russian Terrier 'Pablo' decided that SHE was their match made in heaven! "Everything is going really well! We decided to change Diamond's name to Dharma, which she has no problem recognizing. She and Pablo had a great time playing outside in the snow on Sunday. We used pink and purple tennis balls for fetch in the hope that we might not lose them in the snow (we still lost one) and practiced walking on leash for short walks (too cold to be out for very long!).
Dharma has been sleeping in her crate with no complaints and has barked at/chased the cats very little. The cats only seem to bother her when they are sitting on the stairs for some reason. Brok, the one year old cat, took a swipe at her yesterday evening, and she seems to have lost interest in him now.
We are starting to teach her Pablo's commands and she seems to be a quick learner! We make them sit and wait for their release command (Free Dog!) at meals while the bowls are on the ground, and that one has been a bit of a challenge for her, but she is coming around :)
We can't thank you enough for letting us adopt such a wonderful dog. She is absolutely adorable and fits so well into our family its amazing. Pablo still seems to be under the impression that Dharma is just visiting, and we do anticipate him being a little depressed when he realizes she is here to stay, but her energy is already bringing out the puppy in him and we are sure they will be great friends. Thank you again for all your help throughout this process. We will be sure to send you pictures soon! "
July 6, 2005 Update! - Thought you might like an update on Dharma (formerly Diamond) as we are approaching the sixth month anniversary of her adoption. Dharma has fully settled into the routine of our family life now and is having a great time. She and Pablo have become good friends (though he does occasionally find her puppy-like exuberance a bit trying!) I've attached some pictures from our fourth of July weekend in Maine. Dharma is a wonderful swimmer and enjoyed fetching her orange ball out of the lake (and knocking it back in off the dock into the Lake!). She also rode happily in the boat with us and was wonderfully well behaved at the lobster bake!
Dharma has adjusted very well to life with four cats, and only chases them occasionally. 
She has formed a rather odd friendship with Brok, our maine coon cat, who spends time every morning and evening licking Dharma's head clean.
We are still working on trying to get Dharma to slow down while she is eating, and resist the urge to eat food that doesn't belong to her. We haven't had a "counter-surfing" incident in several months however, despite some tempting opportunities. She has slimmed down to a girlish 75 pounds which our veterinarian tells us is just the right weight for her. I can't tell you how many compliments we get on what a sweet and adorable dog Dharma is!
Thank you again - Zandy, Andy, Pablo, Dharma, Casco, Kennebec, Brok, & Mr. Darcey
Diamond
Diamond's family could no longer care for me so she ended up at the shelter. She loves a good game of fetch, and would enjoy plenty of walks (because her girlish figure is somewhere under those extra few pounds). Diamond is a 3 yr old rottie girl and who loves everyone (even kids since she lived with them before and misses them very much). Diamond could use a nice warm, loving home and will give you tons of love in return. Diamond loves belly rubs, shares her toys, and takes treats gently. She has basic manners, and could use a little fine-tuning of her leash manners. Diamond is an absolute dream to foster, aside from a few adventures in counter surfing. She is completely house trained, and good with dogs and cats. She rides perfectly in the car, knows her basic commands, and comes when called. Diamond loves kids and has had the misfortune of being "Home Plate" while a 3 year old boy practiced his sliding skills. Diamond awaits... for the family as perfect as she is.
