Leland is a very sweet Pointer/Lab mix. He is a bit timid at first but oh-so loving. He may be a bit confused because his name is Cocoa but we call him Leland. Yeah, I know, I'm confused too.....

Here are some wonderful insights from the volunteeer who rescued him:

This is the second time that Leland has had to find a new home. The first time he was rehomed through Craig's List. Now he is in need of a home because his second owner has developed medical issues that have left her unable to care for him. As a result of her illness, Cocoa (as she called him) has been living in a crate pretty much 24/7 with no exercise whatsoever! He quickly become very attached to people. I took him from the owner around 4:00 pm one day - and by the time we were at the Center around 6:30 pm that night - he was VERY attached to me. I would say he probably, justifiably so, suffers from abandonment.

Leland/Cocoa does get car sick. He promptly vomited up the ALL of the water he drank at my house in my car - and they told me he gets car sick so I can only blame myself. He is very, very sweet and deserves a home where he is part of the family - not shoved in a crate and forgot about. He would love some exercise.

Foster Update 03/11/08: Leland is an amazing dog! Tug of war and fetch are his favorite games to play. He has so much love to share. When I am sitting on the floor watching television, he comes over and lies right on top of me. In the morning, he's the typical dog waking up their owner with their sloppy, love filled kisses. He always likes to know here you are at; he follows me around the house everywhere. A very curious dog he is. When I leave the house for school in the morning he's there to say good-bye (with a kiss and all) and upon returning back home he's there to say hello.
When we first took him home he could not walk in a straight line on a leash for anything. We've been taking him on walks on a daily basis to train him how to walk in the heel position. He's gotten so much better within the few days we've been working with him. He knows "sit" and "down" for the most part. However, if he's really excited he tends to have a short attention span. We're working on that too. Believe it or not, for the thirty five minute car ride home from the shelter he didn't get car sick and we were previously warned that he gets car sick easily. We have a cat in the house and he pays him no mind. On occasion he approaches the cat attempting to give him a little bath. Overall, Leland is a wonderful dog with so much love to give away. He truly does deserve a permanent and loving family.

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Pointer, also known as the English Pointer, was developed two centuries ago by crossing among the Italian Pointer, the Foxhound, the Bloodhound, the Greyhound, the Newfoundland, the Setter, and the Bulldog. This is an almost unbelievable mix, but it certainly has produced an outstanding result. The modern Pointer has existed for about eighty years. The Pointer is named for the motionless stance the dog assumes once he has found game. The direction of the point tells the hunter where the game is hiding. The first recorded mentions of the Pointer in England date from around 1650, when the Pointer was used to find hare for the Greyhound to hunt. By the early 1700's the Pointer became the dog of choice. The Pointer is renowned for his scenting prowess. He works very quickly, covering a lot of ground. The Pointer is particularly good on upland birds, but adapts well to other game. The breed has excellent endurance in warm weather, but is not suited to very cold conditions. Working best on land he is not very comfortable in water. He has a legendary tracking and pointing skills, but is not usually expected to retrieve game. A competitive dog, the Pointer still dominates Pointing Field Trials over all other pointing breeds. Today, the Pointer is a family hunting dog and companion.
The English Pointer is full of energy and go-power. Loyal and devoted he is a true friend. Kind and patient with children, he is a das