On June 3, 2015 Joe wrote:

“Dear Elizabeth and Michael, I asked Martha for your email to let you know how pleased I am personally to discover that the puppy you picked out for us is EXACTLY as you described in many an email to Martha preceding our visit to pick her up.  She’s sweet, she’s smart, and she’s dauntless.  A fringe benefit is that our existing, nine-year-old goldendoodle Stella, who was so bummed by our absence, when we came out to you, and being relegated to a boarder nearby, that on our return she acted uninterested in coming back, first got interested, then gave the puppy lessons in the rudiments of her favorite play activities, let the puppy know her superior status in the existing pack, and joined into the puppy’s greater lack of concern about inclement weather to the point where she seems wholly rejuvenated. During the six or so weeks that you updated Martha about the emerging character of the puppy, I became increasingly skeptical as you became increasingly enthused, but now that we’ve had her for our own six weeks I see that you were exact.  Hats off!  Above all I want to thank you both for your tireless and unfailingly kind and giving responses to our concerns, needs, and worries, leading up to taking her home.  Your crate turned out to be perfect.  No one batted an eyelash going through security or taking her on the plane, and when, en route, she climbed most of the way out of the top of the thing all the nearby passengers enthused over her without a single misgiving expressed by them or any of the crew.  A wrinkle is that the Spokane airport security is NOTHING like any we are used to.  Out your way, people avoid stepping on each other’s toes.  Here they sadistically relish it…One semi-personal question has been rattling around since we first visited you.  You wore a jacket then that said “Sheriff” on it.  Do you have a sheriff job?  It would fit the search and rescue dog training culture!  I have warm memories of visiting you both, thanks to your interesting, wholesome lifestyle and magnificent hospitality!  Sincerely, Joe”