Sue Halpern and her mixed breed dog, Pransky, started in pet therapy because Sue felt Pranksy needed a job. Knowing what a great people dog Pranksy was made pet therapy a good bet. But, along the way, Sue, like most of us in pet therapy, learned there were lots of lessons for her as well.
Karan was a cat person. She had no real dog experience, and she traveled a lot so a dog seemed out of the question.
However, when Karan retired, she thought a dog would provide protection and another dimension to her life. She knew she wanted a medium sized or larger dog but two things she absolutely didn’t want was drooling and lots of shedding. Research led to a breeder who had crossed a Poodle with a Golden retriever, hence no shedding or drooling and high potential for a people-friendly, smart dog. Karan had always liked the Golden Retriever personality.
When Shiloh decided to get a dog, her first dog, she took all the right steps. She went to a breeder with a reputation in the breed and selected a puppy. When the puppy seemed to have recurring tummy problems, she immediately took him to a vet. And, when that vet couldn’t diagnose the problem to her satisfaction, she went to another vet. It took several vet visits before she found one who could get to the bottom of the problem. Duke, her Rottweiler puppy, her first dog ever, had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and an undersized liver, conditions the vet told her were inherited.
When Jack adopted a little Boston Terrier from a local rescue, Boston Brigade Rescue, Peanuts, as he was called, was Jack’s third Boston. "I was specifically looking for another Boston, but I had to change his name right away to Skippy," said Jack. "All my Bostons have been named Skippy, and I really like that name." And, the name turned out to be especially fitting for the happy little dog.
Marilyn had owned Golden Retrievers for years. But, when her last Golden died at only eight years old she wondered if she could make that commitment again. Then, Marilyn talked to a Golden breeder who told Marilyn that she was expanding her line by breeding a Golden with a Standard Poodle for a non-shedding coat and for longevity. Marilyn was interested.
This week we have a special treat--a review of the latest Nurse Frosty book by our own Lee Juslin, Nurse Frosty at the Blunderbuss Inn. This is a fun children's book with a mystery twist that can be fun for all ages--especially if you are a dog lover! We also have an interview with Lee & you can enter to win a copy of the book-details at the end of this post.
A dog person for over thirty years, Eileen Michaels has raised and provided early training for guide dogs in addition to showing her own dogs including Irish Wolfhounds and German Shepherds in obedience, rally, and agility. Since the early 1980s, she has had certified therapy dogs, but, in 2004 Eileen, met her greatest challenge: Ch. Foxfire’s Imaginary Monster or Shreq as he is known to friends.
When Wilson came to live with Tom and his wife one Mother’s Day at only six weeks old, he weighed a mere ten pounds. By six months, Wilson had grown to one hundred pounds. Clearly, Wilson would be a big boy.
