The story starts about 5 years ago. I started looking at Golden Retrievers through local rescue groups. I always liked Goldens and thought a Golden would be a good match for my dog Tosi (Tosi went on to the rainbow bridge in November of 03). I later decided not to get a Golden yet, but this was how I started volunteering with a local Golden Retriever Rescue. Through Golden Retriever Rescue and my sister Pat I got involved with Dreamworkers (setting up booths at doggie days).
While I was still a one dog household, my sister’s multi dog household was having trouble in the form of a big brown backyard Houdini named Allie. Allie lived next door to my sister, and was escaping from her backyard everyday. This meant everyday when my sister and brother-in-law went to work they had to put her back in her yard, and every time they came home they had to put her back in her yard. During this time I had met Allie and fell in love with this sweet dog. From then on whenever my sister or brother-in-law would return Allie, and see the neighbors, they would tell them that I would be happy to take Allie and give her a good home. After about a year and trying everything from a electric fence to tying her up to keep her in the yard, my sister’s neighbor told me to pick her up.
It was a good thing I adopted Allie, when I took her to my vet (Dr. Diaz) it was discovered that she had heartworm and a mass cell tumor on her neck. After having her treated and spayed (treatment went well), we started obedience training with Dreamworkers. She was a natural, eager to please and smart. She only had one problem, she was afraid of slick floors (hard wood, tile, linoleum, etc…). Because of this fear, I decided not to pursue therapy work with her. Though she doesn’t do therapy work, she is still active in Dreamworkers (marching in parades, attending the doggie days festivals and helping out at information booths like at the taste of Douglasville).
In December ’03, just a month after Tosi (my Malamute of 11 years) went to the rainbow bridge, a co-worker came to me for help. A neighbor of his was moving to an apartment and couldn’t take their dog Buddy with them. Buddy was an energetic 1 year old Golden retriever pup. My co-worker knew I did volunteer work with a Golden Retriever rescue, so he brought Buddy to me.
After a couple of days at home with Allie and me, it was apparent that Buddy needed some obedience training (he ate my armoire and phone and wouldn’t let Allie sleep). Dreamworkers was on its winter break, so we signed up for Petsmart’s obedience class (I couldn’t wait). In the class I learned that Buddy was very smart, but had the attention span of a gnat. By the
graduation of the class his attention span had increased, but it still needed work. After graduation we signed up for the Dreamworkers obedience classes. By the second set of Dreamworkers classes an amazing thing happened, Buddy grew a brain.
With Buddy’s new-found brain, he has been working on becoming CGC certified and competeing in Rally-O compititions.
It was a good thing I adopted Allie, when I took her to my vet (Dr. Diaz) it was discovered that she had heartworm and a mass cell tumor on her neck. After having her treated and spayed (treatment went well), we started obedience training with Dreamworkers. She was a natural, eager to please and smart. She only had one problem, she was afraid of slick floors (hard wood, tile, linoleum, etc…). Because of this fear, I decided not to pursue therapy work with her. Though she doesn’t do therapy work, she is still active in Dreamworkers (marching in parades, attending the doggie days festivals and helping out at information booths like at the taste of Douglasville).In December ’03, just a month after Tosi (my Malamute of 11 years) went to the rainbow bridge, a co-worker came to me for help. A neighbor of his was moving to an apartment and couldn’t take their dog Buddy with them. Buddy was an energetic 1 year old Golden retriever pup. My co-worker knew I did volunteer work with a Golden Retriever rescue, so he brought Buddy to me.
After a couple of days at home with Allie and me, it was apparent that Buddy needed some obedience training (he ate my armoire and phone and wouldn’t let Allie sleep). Dreamworkers was on its winter break, so we signed up for Petsmart’s obedience class (I couldn’t wait). In the class I learned that Buddy was very smart, but had the attention span of a gnat. By the
graduation of the class his attention span had increased, but it still needed work. After graduation we signed up for the Dreamworkers obedience classes. By the second set of Dreamworkers classes an amazing thing happened, Buddy grew a brain.With Buddy’s new-found brain, he has been working on becoming CGC certified and competeing in Rally-O compititions.
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