Just a short update on Madison. She is
a beautiful big dog and only 6 months old! She is going
through her "teenage" stage right now--getting into a bit of
mischief--tearing up paper and teasing the cat. But she is very
manageable--such a sweet tempered dog. You should be very proud of
your breeding. Madison's structure and coat are perfect.
Mike & I love that red color with the black mask. In fact,
next year we might want to buy a second girl that looks like Madison.
I am just in love with this breed. Thank you again for a terrific
"big girl".
Theresa
Subject: Madison pictures "Gate Keeper Lacy of Eshabeta"
Here
are some current pictures of Madison. She is was one year
old the end of January. She is a great dog! Thank you for
breeding such a healthy happy dog!
Madison's papers have arrived. Thank you!
Also thank you for breeding such a wonderful dog. Madison weights
about 120 pounds and is super athletic and absolutely beautiful.
She is fabulously healthy both in body and mind. What a sweetie
she is!
Best Regards,
K.Theresa
Date:6/15/2000
I just took this last night and with the wonders of modern science you
can see it too. I think we will be ready to breed Xena at her next
heat this fall. Still looking for the right mate. Any new candidates.
Here are a couple of photos we took today. You can at least see
how she's progressing. Weighed in at 86 lbs on her fifth month.
I told my husband, I think the scales are wrong! Is this
normal!!!! She isn't fat either! How long do they GROW
before they slow down? Is it typical 6 months, 9 months, a year
and then they begin to fill out for a couple of years. Am I
raising a baby elephant? Her appetite is obviously very good and
she gets lots of exercise. She eats like a hound and loves our
game of "click and treat."
I took your instructions and followed them to the letter.
Between the "winch," the "catapult," the
spontaneity of the moment and my "excitement" because we
were really going to succeed THIS time, (and my Hulk Hogan imitation)
it worked beautifully. ONE time is all it took. She's
quick to catch on and very intelligent. Now getting in and
out of the car is not a major stress factor for either of
us.
At training class Saturday, she laid beside my chair (we were away
from the group). For about 20 minutes she was in a bit of a
quandary. Then she settled down and only growled or raised up
when one of the other dogs acted up or when she felt someone came too
close. The trainer and the Behaviorist both approached her
appropriately and she received their handouts very graciously--then
growled at the trainer. She is not a shrinking violet, that's
for sure. It's a long class for a puppy (hour and a half)
but we won all the laurels. We were even able to do some Clicker
Training (she interprets that as goodie time) while we were there.
I'm so proud of her.
 
I know you'll be the only one to believe this but Tessa watches
television. I mean, she actually responds to the picture with head
movement, body language and will do so for minutes at a time. When
Animal Planet is on and there are dogs doing agility routines or dogs
performing their "jobs" as in Breed All About It, this dog
watches and listens with great interest. Depending on how
"interesting" the movements are, sometimes she actually walks
up to the screen and noses it. Tessa never ceases to amaze me.
We finished Puppy Clicker and she received her Certification of
Completion (if not for participation, at least for appearance). We
actually did very well and received accolades from the Trainer and
some of the other participants. They moved Beginning Obedience to April
19 but we're on!!
I found the date for the Fila National in STL for April 14-15.
Will do all I can to be there.
Linda
Dawna, Let me (JT) say that Rosco was a hit in all
the truck stops when we were trucking, especially after they found out
that he was sitting on the floor and looking out the window! I had
built a ramp for him to get into the truck, but after 2 or 3 tries, he
just jumped straight up (about 40" or so). I also never had to
lock the truck, no matter where I went (like the Bronx at 3:00
AM)! The Fila was on the "hit list" for a bit in
Germany, but was removed with most other breeds. Only the four Pit
types remain. In our "state" the Pits are now undergoing a
temperment test and, if they pass, will only have to wear a metal
basket muzzle when in public. In the Frankfurt area. where the child
was killed by 2 pits, it is much worse. They are going so far as to
put dogs to death. I can say that their list of "dangerous
dogs" didn't surprise me -- all the ones that are not allowed to
be Schutzhund trained, and NO German breeds.
I was bit surprised to see the article in the Feb
99 "Survival" magazine. Hopefully we don't send the Fila the
way of the Dobie, Rott, GSD, and Pits! I saw some seriously
"disguised" Filas in the Dallas area. Obvious back yard
breeding of questionable lineage, to say the least! Also, a former
Fila breeder (in Rockwall,Tx.) is currently cross-breeding several of
the giant breeds and dumping them on the public for a couple hundred
dollars each.
Finally, I fell for the Fila when I visited Eshabeta in
the late 80's ('87 or '88). It has proven to be the best breed I have
ever worked with. We don't see Rosco as "big", just other
dogs are too small :-)) . He is so "in tune" with us, so
loving, and a delight to have, except when we have to drive through
the gate to get on the base (when he goes stark raving mad barking at
the gate guards!!). Thank you for a truly great friend, family member
(pet just ain't right), and protector! JT
We sent these photos to an old e-mail address
but just updated from your web site so decided to resend them.
Rosco is a son of Reno (note how he takes after Dad in his good
looks??). We purchased him as "pet quality" in Sep
97 while living in New Mexico and he is now 3 1/2. The photo
was taken in the 18-wheeler JT drove this past year. Rosco
loved trucking & protected the truck when JT was out of it
(you should've seen the stares when he started his deep
barking!!). Rosco is well-traveled. Besides trucking almost
coast-to-coast with JT, he has had several trans-Atlantic flights
and is presently living with us in Germany (Renee is in the Air
Force). He has volksmarched (long walks in the countryside) in
Germany, Holland, Belgium & Luxembourg. Renee did all Rosco's
obedience training when he was a pup & now he's the example to
follow in JT's classes. In January we will be relocating to
Colorado Springs. If we find a house with a large yard, it's
probable we'll be on the look-out for a new Fila pup to join Rosco
in the next year or two.
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