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My love affair with dogs began with my aunt and uncle’s
Labrador Retrievers, Killer and Sam, when I was just a young girl. Those
Labs were playful, intelligent, loving and knew how to make me laugh.
They could learn things quickly, so I tried my best at teaching them
“tricks” to learn. I only got to see them on weekends during the summer
and occasional visits. They soon had a litter and produced beautiful
chocolate and black puppies—I was in love. I sat in the ring with
puppies climbing all over me and was sure that Heaven must be exactly
like that. My aunt and uncle kindly offered my brother and me our pick
of the litter, but my parents refused and our hearts broke. My brother
and I vowed on that day that if we ever “grew up and got homes of our
own” the first thing we were getting were puppies…
Fast forward to many years later and indeed, as vowed,
I adopted my first black Labrador puppy named Dakota. Dakota is a gem, a
one of a kind sweetheart, eager to please, loving, well-mannered. I kept
Dakota with me at my new home and she quickly won the hearts of everyone
that met her—even my parents. My parents fell in love and Dakota
eventually moved in to reside with “Mammy and Pappy.” She is almost 12
years old and spoiled rotten on a daily basis, having the life of a
queen. Dakota and I have a bond that will never be broken, even when the
day comes that she travels over the Rainbow Bridge.
Montana, my second Lab, came home with me as did her
share of problems. I quickly became immersed in the world of allergies
and the dogs who suffer from them. Her allergies were horrific and she
suffered daily even after the allergy testing and desensitization shots
I gave her. Prednisone did not help; neither did the ten other
antihistamines we tried. Montana was miserable and she became very shy
and withdrawn because of her skin irritations. I tried, for three years,
without success to put an end to suffering by working with my DVM. The
vet bills became outrageous and Montana still suffered. I was
heartbroken. Then a light came at the end of the tunnel…I contacted
Montana’s breeder and she told me she would take her back and help her.
The breeder could help Montana as she had the knowledge of allergies and
access to the medication necessary to stop the constant itching. It was
determined through allergy testing that Montana was allergic to over 30
things from food, to the environment, to household stimuli…no wonder the
poor girl was miserable. With Montana living happily and healthy back in
the breeder’s hands, I took a break from dogs for quite a while.
Three years ago, I began researching everything from
dog health to training techniques to appropriate diet and exercise in
dogs. I was determined that if I ever got myself involved with dogs
again, I was going to know what I was talking about and what to do to
prevent any potential problems. When I felt that I was “ready,” I
started looking at breeds to determine what breed best suited my family.
From small to large, dog breeds each carry their own special
characteristics unique to the breed itself. I wanted a gentle
disposition, a sweet dog, good with children and easy to train. Labrador
Retrievers kept popping up over and over again, but I had Labs and
wanted to try a different breed. Then I found it, and the breed screamed
at me like a neon sign in the dark night…AMERICAN MASTIFF (the GENTLE
GIANT). Strong, powerful, great with children, highly intelligent, few
known health problems and a dry mouth. I researched the breed until I
knew everything there was to know about these giants. I called a breeder
and asked to come visit her dogs. The minute her door opened, 9 dogs
(over 1800lbs of dog) came running over to me, some sat, some leaned on
me but I was in love. I knew this was the dog for me. So in January of
2010, my boy, Hooch, came to live with my family.
Through internet research I found Bella Vista Training
Center and Stephanie Capkovic. At the young age of 9 weeks, Hooch and I
started private training with Stephanie. At 14 weeks, we enrolled in AKC
STAR Puppy Class at Bella Vista with Stephanie and Jen Nowak as the
instructors. Life has been an amazing whirlwind for both Hooch and I
ever since! Hooch has progressed through many courses at Bella Vista
including CGC, FOCUS, Pre-Competition and Pet therapy. Hooch is now
truly a “Giant” at 165lbs and still growing! Hooch at his current age of
1 year holds certifications in Canine Good Citizen, Therapy Dogs Inc,
and the American Red Cross Animal Therapy Program. He is permitted to
visit any facility that allows therapy or American Red Cross dogs.
During this time, I was not only fulfilling my dreams
with Hooch, but Steph and Jen helped me to recognize a dream of my
own—to help others learn how to teach and train their own dogs. With
Stephanie’s approval and encouragement, I began apprenticing under the
direction of Jen Nowak. Jen’s professional instruction and encouragement
allowed me to achieve my current position of Obedience Instructor at
Bella Vista Training Center. I enjoy teaching Puppy, Basic and CGC
classes and am looking forward to teaching Pet Therapy classes in the
future.
Updated 12/17/10 |
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