Jan,

I am so excited about getting another Shiloh/Hajna puppy! It’s hard to believe that Savannah is already over two years old. I don’t know where the time has gone.

Savannah is such a joy to John and me! With Shadrach (our 14 year old mutt whom we adore) declining in health, the timing for adding another Shiloh puppy couldn’t be better. I want to thank you for letting us know about the upcoming litter. John was so excited to hear about the possibility of puppies that we actually bought a home with a larger back yard (fenced, of course!). Now are we Shiloh lovers or what?

I thought you might get a kick out of bits and pieces of emails that I have sent you over the past two years regarding Savannah, her development, and how we have grown to love her. I don’t know how to explain the relationship – we’ve always been dog people, but there is just something so special about her. It’s got to be that Hajna/Shiloh bloodline! Here are some excerpts from past emails I sent to you when she was a puppy. It gets me all excited to go through the process again. Do you remember when . . .

April 1, 2002:

Savannah is so loving and so CALM -- it's almost like she isn't a puppy -- there's almost a maturity or something there. I can't explain it, but she is just so agreeable and calm. We are just thrilled beyond our wildest dreams with this little pup. She is just a joy! Sometimes she reminds me of a bear cub, and other times she reminds me of a lion. She is something else. I could just go on and on and on about her! Jan, I cannot thank you enough!

April 5, 2002:
We're doing just great. Savannah knows what 'no" means and what "sit" means. Best of all . . . she sleeps through the night -- which she basically has since we got her from you!

April 6, 2002:

She is so smart and such a joy to have --- Gee, have I bragged about her being potty trained yet? We went to a Steeple Chase event today and left around 11:00 -- and I did not crate her nor did I use baby gates. I had my Mom come over at about 12:30 to check on her and feed her lunch. No messes (AMEN!), and no messes when we came home at 4:00! John and I were practically doing cartwheels!

She sleeps "on the floor" on her dog bed beside our bed --- and Shad sleeps in the bed with John and me. We decided since Shad was so bummed about the puppy that we would keep the sleeping arrangements this way. Shad feels special and it also lets Savannah know that Shad has special privileges. Well that lasted all of nine days. This morning (in the mornings Savannah is rowdy . . . the rest of the day she is extremely calm -- I think she is just trying to get her middle-aged owners up and moving and out of bed!) Savannah was scratching at the side of the bed and trying to bite Shad's feet -- very frustrated with the situation of Shad being allowed on the bed. So John says . . . "Oh Gina, let's just let Savannah on the bed this one time and keep her over by you." So at 6:30 this morning, the arrangement in our queen size bed was: John, Shad, Gina, Savannah. And when I put that rowdy little soul on the bed, she snuggled in beside me and didn't move a muscle. It was like it was "such an honor" that she didn't dare blow it. She is so smart. We laughed hysterically -- if you could have seen the expression on her face -- how reverent she was being!

April 9, 2002:
We just think she is wonderful. She truly has brought an added sense of joy to our day-to-day lives. She and Shad are getting along better and better. They each save food out of their respective food bowls for each other. It's a riot.

May 1, 2002:
Yesterday she took a little swim in the toilet! She came out to see me in the kitchen and one side of her was completely soaking wet -- like someone had thrown a bucket of water on her. Earlier that morning, John's travel kit was floating in the toilet -- and I thought "how did this happen?" Now I know! Needless to say, we keep the toilet seats down now!

May 10, 2002:
Well, John took his mother back to Tennessee on Sunday night. It was a great visit, but it really put me behind in my work -- I've been playing catch up all week long. Did I tell you about how Savannah would snap at her hands? She is 84 years old and has arthritis, so her hands are cupped from her swollen joints. Every time she would lean down to pet Savannah with her mildly deformed hands, Savannah thought she was holding a treat or something and would try to pull her fingers back! Well, that didn't go over real well with Sylvia, but it was comical to watch!

Jan, I’ll end with this last note I wrote to you from almost two years ago. It looks like John might finally getting his wish . . .

June 3, 2002:
John actually said at dinner tonight that he would like to get another pup now, so she would have someone to play with but the thought of dropping another 1700 bucks is not what we need right now. She is just no problem at all. She is housebroken, she barks when people drive up or come to the door, but is not rude. And she is so smart! She is so much more than we could have ever hoped for! The most she does is chew wood and sticks all over the house (I swear she is part woodchuck!), and that is no problem to clean up with my Rainbow sweeper. I don't know what we would do without her.

I think that sums it up . . . “we don’t know what we would do without her.” She has brought us joy, laughter, a few tears, and an incredible amount of unconditional love.

I guess that’s why we are so excited to get another Hajna/Shiloh puppy from Howling Winds.

You’re the best!

Love,
Gina, John, Savannah and Shad