>Subject: Dear Suzan
>Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 07:34:58 EDT

This is Mark in kentucky, Teck's daddy. It's been a long time but I have some questions for you and some info for you. Teck is now 105lbs of beautiful red doberman. He is the candy in every dog lover's eyes. His teeth remain pearly white, unnaturally white even. His bark is the most powerful that I've ever heard. His stance and walk is something beautiful to watch. This dog is definantly a gift from God. He's gotten me through some hard times the last couple of years and I can't thank you enough for trusting me with on of your babies.

As much as I love him, he loves me equally. I thought it would warm your heart to hear that we are still doing so well. I'm leaving for the Navy soon, so it will be just him and Shelly. Her birthday is in March and I'd love to have a female to give her when I return from basic training. Her and Teck would love that so much. She would have another loving spirit to love her and keep her safe while I am away. I see that you have puppies now, but they are probably all gone. You have another litter coming up in november. They would be ready to leave your home by about February.

I wouldn't want a Doberman from anybody else in the world but you. Your's come with love and a quality that can only be called perfection.

Please email me as soon as you can. I'll know all my Navy info by the end of next week. I would be willing to pay for her to stay at your ranch until a few days before March 31st (Shelly's birthday) or if possible even having her on valentines day. Infact that may be better. I hope you remember me, I KNOW you remember Teck. I'm sorry I've been a stranger for so long, but with work and school and most of all TECK time is very precious.

>Part of your Extended Family always,
>Mark Steven Watkins

Oh Suzan, She is so pretty!! I want you to know that Angel is just about the smartest dog I have ever met. She is very "spoilt" as you know , but a wonderful watch dog.We love her more than you could ever know. Brenda & James - Virginia

Thanks to Suzan I have Oliver a beautiful, intelligent and quite the comedian for a friend! He is very well socialized and to my surprise, since I never went to see Suzan or her dogs, everything I hoped for! I felt bonded the very first night with him! He has been very easy to train and I am sure he will be great in obedience showing!
Rebecca - New Mexico

suzan, wanted to send a progress report on "honey" dog. she weighs about 15lbs and already thinks she rules the roost. she's beautiful to watch as she prances around because her feet and legs are really long. she got her second set of shots and stitches removed last week. ears are in good shape and your supplies work great.

thanx......george - Kentucky

Kano is doing GREAT he went to the doctors the other day got his final shots and weighs at 34lbs. I want to try him sleeping in our bedroom at night rather than his kennel but the cat still dont approve of him and growls and swats at him so I know we would definatly get NO sleep because she sleeps in the bed with us. Maybe one day she'll come around and start playing with him. I'll send you a current photo of him soon I was looking at the first set of photos I took of him he looks so much bigger. We love him so much he is the first thing we greet in the morining when we come home from work and when we go to bed.. Thank you so much for a wonderful puppy! Have a great week.

UPDATE from Florida: I typed my subject as my first dobie experience because the other day I went to petsmart to buy Kano some more treats and a new lead. As I was talking to myself I turned around a saw a dobie looking at me. The first thing that came through my mind is Kano what are you doing here?? It was my first time that I seen a dobie since we have had Kano.

Suzan, I complimented the couple with their dobie becasue I think its the right thing to do when you each have the same thing and comparing one other seems to just happen. But the truth I called several people to let them know how lucky I was and what a GREAT dobie I had. The dobie I saw was the same size as Kano I asked the man how old his was he said 12 mos. I was soooo shocked because Kano is only 6 mos. Everything about Kano from the eyes, ears, shiny coat, his stance etc... was 10 times better looking than this other dobie.

After visiting and talking to them about our boys. I was sooo happy thinking about Kano he got more treats than he knew he was getting. I have taken photos I just need to get them developed then I will scan them to.
Thanks again for our son Kano. Michelle - Florida

Greetings Ozark Family,
Well my little man is entrenched in my heart and soul. He is definetly my litte "valentino". Everyone falls for him and those soulful eyes. He's weighing in at 28 lbs now, would probably be a little more, but he was puney over the weekend. My vet checked him out, all was okay. Probably a weed did not agree with him. At 8 1/2 weeks he was playing fetch with the tennis ball, he knows sit, down, stay, can be tied, crates well, he's incredible.

Suzan, this is no exageration, Tino is the smartest dog I have ever had the pleasure of sharing my life with. I'll be developing some photos soon, so I'll forward some your way. The bluebonnets are just now really starting to bloom, I think that would make for a beautiful picture.

It's hard to put that kind of faith in someone you've never met, much less hope and pray they pick the right pup for you. What can I say....God has blessed you both with putting a potential family at ease, and choosing exactly, the right pup for each.
Carolyn and John - Texas

Suzan,
I have to tell you this dog is no good. We will be shipping him back asap! NOT!!!!! We absolutely love this little guy, not so little anymore. And if we could we would get another one. He is so smart. He leads and can sit. Close to being housetrained! The vet thinks he is great, but they are partial to dobies. He just loves to be held. And he loves the kids. What a great personality! I can't say enough good things about him. We call him "Stone". And he knows it.

When we brought him home on Monday,we took him to the vet on Tuesday. On Friday took him again and he had gained just over 1 pound! We had to put a collar on him to leave the ears alone. They are healed already but still taped up, I change them every 4-5 days now. He has his own pillow to lay on and when he gets himself all worn out he goes over on it and goes to sleep and at nite when he is ready for bed off he goes into his kennel without even asking and then you can't get him out! He goes to bed at 9-9:30 and wakes us up at 6.

I would say that is a pretty good deal. Although not that way the first week. We were up every 3 hours it seemed! But we love him and thanks so much for providing such a good friend for us.

I will keep you posted on his progress. Thanks!
Denise & Andy - Colorado

Hello- This past summer I was in puppy class with 2 other dobies (one of which came from you).
I was very impressed with the other lady's dobie puppy, and asked her all about him
(red dobie she named Oliver, Flame was his mother). We got our dobie locally from a breeder
(not a backyard breeder). Our dobie was actually my husband's choice (not my first choice
but we love him nonetheless with all our hearts).

I am interested in getting our next dobie from you. I am very impressed with the fact that you crop the ears and let them heal BEFORE you place your puppies (that is something I don't want to go through again!).

I don't mind doing the wrapping and taping once they are healed. Actually I think they
learn patience and it's a time for bonding between you and them. The other thing that
I liked about you is that you have horses. We currently have 3 horses ourselves. My passion is the horses, but I will always also have at least one dobie. My original dobie came from the pound, and she has permanently lodged the breed in my heart.
My background: I am the office manager at a 6 doctor vet hospital (small animal), but I have also worked at an equine hospital. My animals all receive excellent quality care. We are not wanting a puppy right at this moment, but please keep us in mind in the future. We are not interested in breeding or showing, so we would be quite happy with a strictly family dog (pet quality). We do believe in spaying/neutering, basic obedience, crate training, and socializing for a happy puppy/dog. Our current 2 dobies (9 year old and 1 year old) are indoor/outdoor dogs. Actually their beds seem to take up as much room in our bedroom as our bed does!

If you ever have a puppy that you think would be a good match for us, please email/contact us. We are planning on having kids one day, so preferably a dobie from a line that is good with kids. Our current 2 dobies love kids, even if they don't get to play with any very often (hopefully it's just part of the breed, but I figure it can't hurt to let you know our future plans). Thank you-
Chris and Rachel Roy Albuquerque, NM

Hello again! Just want to keep in touch and let you know how our guy is doing. I was going to say 'our little guy', but he is filling out and growing muscular so quickly, he barely looks like the pup we first saw. We have our fence up and he enjoys his territory. He likes to tell the golfers that he owns everything he can see...so, we're trying to break him of that habit!
Suzan, he is just so sweet and we have bonded so well. I don't have any hard feelings about getting up early in the morning on the weekends (my husband takes him out during the week as he leaves for work much earlier). we enjoy the quiet, Kaiser and I!

Yes, I agree with you. God blesses us and we in turn give Him thanks by our care to one another and animals we have in our lives. One day we will buy a digital camera and I'll send you a photo.

We hope to always keep in touch with you. We thank you very much for taking the time and care and money to breed such beautiful dogs such as Kaiser.
sincerely, ilonka - Oklahoma

Elke is a little darling!! We have absolutely fallen in love with her. I find myself doting about her like she was one of my daughters. She has not had a poopie accident in the house, we have that one pretty much under control. We are extremely impressed with her intelligence level - she has already learned that when we take her to the dog run, she is suppose to squat and pee whether or not anything comes out. Afterwards, she makes a B-line for the door to come in.

We have an appt with the vet on Saturday, afterwards we'll begin taping the ears up. Thanks so much for bringing this little bundle of joy into our lives... we all are extremely blessed.
Julie & Frank - Illinois

You would think having just gone through the last 11 weeks with Elkie things would be fresh on our minds. Brody appears to be slightly lighter in color than Elkie - which we like - but aren't sure if she'll darken up as she gets older.

Elke must have been a chow hound at this age, because Brody seems to be about a week behind Elke in physical growth and weight. If Brody was a little passive around her littermates, that seems to be disappearing. She has let Miss Elkie know on a couple of occasions to let her and or her toy be. On the other hand, there isn't a problem eating and drinking together from the same bowl.

It took Elkie a few days to understand her own strength and clumsyness around the puppy and how to control them. They really enjoy playing together, CONSTANTLY!! Can't keep the two separated and Elkie doesn't like to share nicely (working on that one)

It was funny, within a day or so, Elkie became a big sister and mother-hen. In our own minds, and because of her size (21" @ 40lbs), Elkie has become a "dog". Tuesday evening we leash-broke Brody, only took her a few minutes to figure out that going forward was not nearly as painful as going backwards against the leash.

Brody adjusted more quickly to being crated at night than Elkie did. She carries-on for a few minutes and then lets out the last grunt and falls asleep. Wakes up about four hours later needing to do her business.

You can't know how much I love this puppy. She is my new best friend (Elke is really Frank's dog & cries when he goes outside without her.) When I work on the computer, she comes & lays on my feet. Our evening walks are close to a mile. My vet says as long as she's not tired or sore, keep walking. It helps her body grow. She gained 2 pounds last week, and her ears are looking good.

Again, thanks so much for the two most prescious and beautiful animals in the world. Both Julie and I look forward to getting home each day to be with our "children" and breaks our heart to have to leave every morning to go to work.

UPDATE:Just wanted to send an update. Brody started beginner obedience 2 weeks ago. Of course, I'm not prejudiced, but she's the best in the class! Also the cutest! Elke has taken up laying on the top back of the couch like a cat. She looks out the window until the cushions collapse under her weight (she's a lot heavier than a cat!) & then can't figure out why she can't see anymore. She has matured into the most beautiful dog I've ever seen (again, not prejudiced!) Brody likes to go to the barn with me. She understands stalls & arenas are off limits (even though Brava likes her & would let her in) but we are still working on running in the aisle. Her 2 best friends at the barn are English Mastiffs, Belle & Indy. Brody has also developed a taste for carrots. Our babies say hi!
Frank & Julie - Illinois

I am happy to see you received this last note. Keisha is doing absolutely wonderful. She is in Puppy Kindergarten through PETCO. she is halfway through and she is so proud of the job she is doing to impress all the other puppies in her class. (no pride there Ha Ha.)She is quite a little ham though!!!!

She now weighs 38 lbs and she is a beauty, so many people stop to say hi to her and tell her how beautiful she is. She is learning all kinds of sensible things as far as listening. I will be forwarding her on to more obedience training when she is done.

I will send the photos of her when one of my sons come home and show me how to do that. Computers confuse me when you do attachments. She is allready quite the watch dog. Happy Mother's Day, talk to you later along with photos. I will send some hard copy pictures as soon as i develop them.
Bye, Debbie - Michigan

Thanks Suzan for all the chapters. Your book really helps.
Lady Liberty is getting spoiled rotten! Everyone loves her. Today, she received another group of shots, had the stitches out of her ears and got her chip inserted. On Friday, she will have her tail stitches removed.

The comment from Dr. Pilkington about her ears was that it was a beautiful job. They are standing beautifully. Lib is very patient when I change the bandages. The directions are great.

Lib and Daisy are a happy couple and do alot of playing. Thanks again for my Liberty.
Ann - Tennessee

Hi Suzan - Well my first day as a mom is coming to an end - She is great! We went for a car ride to run some errands & everybody we bumped into said how georgeous our little girl was. She already knows how to "Sit" & "Down" & is doing great on the leash. I changed her bandages - she was unbelievable she actually fell asleep while I was doing it & started snoring!!!!. They are not as neat as yours were but I'm sure I will get better with practice. Thanks for a wonderful pup, speak to you soon



UPDATE! We are attending obedience classess - I have been doing private ones for the last three weeks & will be starting group ones in about two weeks - the trainer has an 11 year old doberman (Iris) - who Ohana is totally fasinated by - it's amazing even though Iris is very old - she still looks so majestic & proud. The trainer is very pleased with Ohana - it normally only takes about 2 tries at showing her something new & she has it - the trainer was saying what would normally take weeks of training with a Lab or a retriever only takes about 1/2 hour with a Dobie.

Iris who I said earlier is 11 & black & tan Dobie has just started doing agility - she does great considering her age. Ohana is still very fiesty & a little sneak - I will give you an example I had a cup of ice cream which I placed in the middle of the table so that she could not reach it - she figured that if she climbed on the chair that has wheels on the bottom & pull her self to the edge of the table with her paws she could reach th edge of the table, climb on to the table & get the ice cream! & thats exactly what I found her doing when I returned to the room. Love Carmen, Tom & Ohana. Massachusetts

Suzan: Attached are several pictures of Chica with or without Katie. Thought you might like to see her! She's great! We love her and she and Katie could not have been a better match. She has been attending private obedience lessons with Kate.

We are taking a couple of weeks off since we are at the end of the school year and then we are leaving on vacation. However, the house sitter I have is also an obedience trainer and she is going to work with her here at the house while we're gone.

Our sitter is great! She is a zoo keeper at the Tulsa Zoo and the dogs are so excited when she comes in smelling like chimpanzees! She got them toy chimps for Christmas. She sleeps over with them and treats them like her own while we're out of town.

Chica loves riding in the car with the sun roof open. If we are at a stop light she'll stick her head out of the roof! It's pretty funny to see!
Hope all is well and hope you enjoy the pictures.
Sherry, Kaite & Chica - Oklahoma

Dear Suzan,
I wanted to thank you for the most precious little girl in the world. It took a lot of looking around to finally find someone I could trust. This was my first experience in buying a puppy and I just wanted to do everything right from the beginning. You are the best breeder! I would highly recommend you to everyone and anyone. Even after I took my baby home you were there to answer all my silly first time mom questions and still are there up until this day. You will be proud to know she got her certificate and completed her first puppy obedience class. She was able to get right out there and show off in front of everyone how she could do three tricks in a row to match up with all the other puppies one or two tricks. I am sending a few Pictures for you..
Love,
Linda, Alex and Arwen - Villa Park, IL

Dear Suz, Wanted to send an update on Harley our beautiful little son. We love him so much. He is just too smart and is great learning obedience and search for items and persons. He is still eleven mos. at present and is huge. I sent some pictures from 5 mos. ago so he has put on 55# since these but fear not his portrait pictures will with be coming to you as soon as I get them. I thought maybe you could update his email picture a little. I show his picture to Harley on the internent and he only says "this proves I'm a star, Momma!!!!" But of course, we already new that!! All my love and Harley's to you, "who first loved him", and momma Flame.

UPDATE: Harley has become the most beautiful boy ever. At a year old he is just awesome and doing very well with his protection training. He loves the bite and seems to have fun at whatever task we give him. He will complete his search and rescue training this year, loves to ride on the ambulance and is with me all the time. I will get you some new pictures soon.
Love Tammy - Louisiana

Hi Suzan, Sorry been away from the computer since noon just got yout IM. Tayler is doing great. She is such a sweet puppy. Tom absolutly loves her. He can't believe what a good puppy she is...(remember he is the one that always had Golden Retevers.. I talked him into the Dobie since thats all I ever had, He is already convinced dobies are better dogs. And what it's only been 24 hours. She had a great night...slept all night and i took her out at 5am. She's perfect that's I'll I can say.

Thanks for the wonderful dog you did a great job with her.
Tom & Jolene - Colorado

I have surfed the web and realize you have quite a lot to be proud of not only have you made a name for yourself via dobes but the quaility and intergrity shows how dedicated you are to what you do is awesome!!!!

There are no other doberman breeders that have as much to be proud of as your business, all the others seem to pale against all the families you have placed your babies with. Everyone you have as an extended family are very much into developing the breed to be the finest :)
Vickey - Missouri