Malik finally made it to his forever home in Bloomington, Indiana. He was such a great little traveler, and never had an accident, even at grandma's house.

This morning he enjoyed investigating his new yard and home. He loves to run big circles in the backyard, and that's why he looks kind of tired in these pictures. He is taking a nap right now.

He is curious about the cats, but right now they are observing him from a distance.

Our son, William, came home last night to meet his new baby brother, and snuggled him for quite some time. Needless to say, he loves Malik.

We can't thank you enough for choosing us to be Malik's new family. We just can't speak highly enough about how kindly we have been treated, and what wonderful care you provided for Malik. If you are able, please extend our thanks to his original family for allowing us to make Malik a part of ours. We understand and appreciate their sacrifice, and are grateful for the gift they have given us.

As you can see by this picture, Malik has been growing since he moved to Bloomington. His vet check-up was Tuesday, and he weighed 52 pounds.  I just took this picture of him a few minutes ago while he was "helping " Bill rake leaves. First he picked up the rake and carried it in his mouth, and now he is barking at the rake while Bill rakes the leaves into a pile. He is a silly boy!

We go to our first puppy training class tomorrow. He is a very smart boy, and so good-natured, although he does have little devilish moments now and then when he tries to nip and chew, we are working on that.

He now has mastered the stairs in our house, and has learned to lie down if we entice him with treats. He enjoys walks around the neighborhood, and loves to have his belly rubbed.

Update December '17

I thought you might enjoy seeing some recent pictures of Malik. A few days ago we moved all the fall decorations to the backyard to get ready for Christmas decorating in the front of the house. I always move the pumpkins to the backyard so the squirrels and other little creatures can eat them over the winter. Well, Malik initially barked at them for awhile, and then decided they would make nice toys. He even picked up the one big pumpkin by the stem and carried it partway across the yard!

I also wanted to tell you he graduated from his puppy class and did well. Everyone loves him.  He now weighs over 80 pounds, but still acts like a sweet, silly puppy.

One last thing. We have been calling Malik “Otto” in honor of his home country’s city of Ottawa.  I hesitated to tell you, because I know he will always be your little Malik, and really want that to stay that way for you. His middle name is Malik so that will always be a part of him. We hope this doesn’t make you sad. We love Otto Malik very much.

Update January '18

As you can see, Otto Malik had a great first Christmas and New Year. We spent Christmas here in Indiana, and our daughter flew up from Florida and finally got to meet and snuggle him. He now weighs 96 pounds and is a very wonderful boy.  We all traveled to Wisconsin for a few days to visit family, and Otto Malik is a very good traveler and enjoyed his visit at grandma’s house. Much love and snacks!  We stopped at our favorite cheese and sausage shop on the way home where the owners love to see Otto and give him sausage samples and love.

We hope that you all have a wonderful new year. Sending love (and some drool) your way,

Update February '18

I meant to send this as a Valentines Day greeting, but am a little late.  Our little puppy keeps getting bigger, and at 8 months old weighs 114 pounds.  He still has that puppy personality. His favorite activity is playing tug-of-war.  He also enjoys going for walks, but doesn’t like to go too far from home. Still loves riding in the car.

We hope that you are doing well. We think of you often, and continue to be grateful for the gift you gave us.

Update May '20

Malik (aka Otto) is wonderful, and will be celebrating his third birthday at the end of this month.  He has grown quite a bit since he was a pup, and he now weighs almost 140 pounds.  He is still his sweet, funny, stubborn self, and we love him very, very much.  He makes us smile every day. 

As with many St. Bernards, he has suffered from some joint problems over the years. The poor guy has weathered several surgeries including OCD surgery for both shoulders, surgery for elbow dysplasia in both front legs, and TPLO surgery for cruciate ligament rupture in his back right leg, with possible upcoming surgery for the same on his left back leg. We are very lucky that Purdue University has an excellent veterinary hospital that is only two hours away from our home.  He is well known, and loved, by all staff and students at the University who have met and cared for him.  I have told the veterinarians that I think he was just born with a few bad parts, but his lovable personality makes up for them. 

Malik really enjoys his daily walks and loves going to the dog park to hang out with many dog friends.  He is usually the biggest dog there.  He can't run and chase as fast as most dogs, but he likes the socializing and being petted by all the other owners. He also loves to sit by the big water bucket and dunk his whole face in it.  He is a funny guy!

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