Season's Greetings ~*Ivy*~

Hi Donna and Family:
Merry Christmas from Ivy and her parents! As you know, Ivy just turned four. She still has a lot of her puppy playfulness, but is very mature and trustworthy. When we go out for the evening, she has free run of the house; we just put some classical music on the radio for her and have not a worry; knowing she will curl up on the loveseat in the kitchen until our return. She is truly a "GOOD DOG." She always greets us at the door with exuberance, and then hauls out several of her toys and instigates a game of fetch or keep-away. As we have hardwood floors and few carpets, it's pretty funny to watch her run and then come to a sudden halt -- it's like she's "sliding into first." She loves to go places in the car with us; especially since we got her a car seat that elevates her to people-level so she can see out. As you can see in the attached photo, she also loves books -- when she sees one she knows it's lap time! We take her on many walks and this year she has become very good at walking at our heels, loose leash. This summer she even hiked a short part of the Appalachian Trail with us. We play a lot of frisbee too, and lately Ivy has started to jump up and catch it in mid-air.
We are lucky to have several dog-loving neighbors who are willing to care for Ivy when we travel, but we are taking more and more trips with Ivy along; the AAA "Trips with Pets" book has led us to many dog-friendly hotels. Almost always, we encounter other dog-lovers who want to get acquainted with Ivy and find out what breed she is, and of course, we always tell them there is no better dog than a SCHNOODLE!
Best Wishes from the Goldsteins,
David, Penny and Ivy-Dog