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Tucker is a very special dog. The knowledge that I've gained from our journey is
the inspiration for Golden Paws Dog Training. We share a bond that allow us to
read each other's minds and feelings. If I am happy, Tucker bounces around,
brings me toys, and wags his tail. If I am sad, Tucker curls up on the couch with
me and wags his tail. If I am sick, Tucker is quiet, laying next to the bed, and softly
wags his tail.
Tucker has accomplished so much in the past eight years. He introduced me to
dog agility, and has patiently waited while I figured it all out. He was my first dog
with whom I ventured beyond a CD (Companion Dog) title. Tucker passed his
Therapy Dog test with flying colors, becoming a certified Therapy Dog. Tucker
has many jobs, but being a Therapy Dog is by far his favorite. I love to step back
and watch him work, as he always knows who needs him most and how much
attention each person needs.
Tucker earned his Canine Good Citizen certificate when he was only 8 months old.
He has always been such a well-behaved calm dog. We stepped into the obedience
ring just after he turned two, and in three days, he had earned his CD (Companion
Dog) title. We continued to show in Novice while training for Open obedience.
Meanwhile, we were earning the fun sport of agility.
I barely remember our first agility trial, because I was so ill that I'm not sure how I stayed on my feet. My husband took
me to the hotel while he unloaded everything at the show site. The next morning, we were entered in Novice Standard
and Jumpers agility and Novice Obedience. He qualified in both Jumpers runs that weekend, but had some trouble with
the contact equipment, so did not qualify in Standard. The one bit of that show that I remember very vividly was our
obedience run. Tucker knew that I wasn't well, so he did his best to make me feel better, doing better in the Novice
class that he had ever done before. We have yet to beat our best score of 197/200, and we probably never will, but I'll
never forget the elation and gratitude that I felt for that dog as we walked from the ring clutching the 3rd place ribbon.
Despite our very limited showing, Tucker advanced quickly through the agility levels, earning his Novice and Open
levels in a year. In 2005 I only showed him a few times due to my upcoming wedding, but he managed to earn his Agility
Excellent and Agility Excellent Jumpers titles that year, plus some Master Agility legs.
the inspiration for Golden Paws Dog Training. We share a bond that allow us to
read each other's minds and feelings. If I am happy, Tucker bounces around,
brings me toys, and wags his tail. If I am sad, Tucker curls up on the couch with
me and wags his tail. If I am sick, Tucker is quiet, laying next to the bed, and softly
wags his tail.
Tucker has accomplished so much in the past eight years. He introduced me to
dog agility, and has patiently waited while I figured it all out. He was my first dog
with whom I ventured beyond a CD (Companion Dog) title. Tucker passed his
Therapy Dog test with flying colors, becoming a certified Therapy Dog. Tucker
has many jobs, but being a Therapy Dog is by far his favorite. I love to step back
and watch him work, as he always knows who needs him most and how much
attention each person needs.
Tucker earned his Canine Good Citizen certificate when he was only 8 months old.
He has always been such a well-behaved calm dog. We stepped into the obedience
ring just after he turned two, and in three days, he had earned his CD (Companion
Dog) title. We continued to show in Novice while training for Open obedience.
Meanwhile, we were earning the fun sport of agility.
I barely remember our first agility trial, because I was so ill that I'm not sure how I stayed on my feet. My husband took
me to the hotel while he unloaded everything at the show site. The next morning, we were entered in Novice Standard
and Jumpers agility and Novice Obedience. He qualified in both Jumpers runs that weekend, but had some trouble with
the contact equipment, so did not qualify in Standard. The one bit of that show that I remember very vividly was our
obedience run. Tucker knew that I wasn't well, so he did his best to make me feel better, doing better in the Novice
class that he had ever done before. We have yet to beat our best score of 197/200, and we probably never will, but I'll
never forget the elation and gratitude that I felt for that dog as we walked from the ring clutching the 3rd place ribbon.
Despite our very limited showing, Tucker advanced quickly through the agility levels, earning his Novice and Open
levels in a year. In 2005 I only showed him a few times due to my upcoming wedding, but he managed to earn his Agility
Excellent and Agility Excellent Jumpers titles that year, plus some Master Agility legs.
Each one of my dogs has taught me so
much. I am so lucky to have four wonderful
furry friends. Without my dogs, Golden
Paws Dog Training would not exist. I have
had such a blast on our journeys together.
Please read on to learn more about Tucker,
Toby, Kaleigh, and Dutchess!
much. I am so lucky to have four wonderful
furry friends. Without my dogs, Golden
Paws Dog Training would not exist. I have
had such a blast on our journeys together.
Please read on to learn more about Tucker,
Toby, Kaleigh, and Dutchess!
My Dogs
The next year, we had another highlight in our adventure
together. Tucker started becoming more consistent, racking up
Master Agility and Master Agility Jumpers legs. In order to earn
our Master titles, we needed 10 qualifying runs in each class,
Standard and Jumpers. Tucker earned both Master Titles on
the same day at the Rochester Kennel Club agility trial, which
was extra special because it was our home club. I never thought
that my Novice A Agility dog would make it to his MX and MXJ,
but there we were, celebrating the titles and a Double Q!
During this time, we also got our CDX (Companion Dog
Excellent) title in 5 days of showing. Tucker tried so hard for
me, and he gives me everything that I ask of him. We had a
blast showing in Open, and couldn't wait to show in Utility.
together. Tucker started becoming more consistent, racking up
Master Agility and Master Agility Jumpers legs. In order to earn
our Master titles, we needed 10 qualifying runs in each class,
Standard and Jumpers. Tucker earned both Master Titles on
the same day at the Rochester Kennel Club agility trial, which
was extra special because it was our home club. I never thought
that my Novice A Agility dog would make it to his MX and MXJ,
but there we were, celebrating the titles and a Double Q!
During this time, we also got our CDX (Companion Dog
Excellent) title in 5 days of showing. Tucker tried so hard for
me, and he gives me everything that I ask of him. We had a
blast showing in Open, and couldn't wait to show in Utility.
Tucker is now nine years old and is retired from obedience and agility. He was about halfway to his MACH (Master
Agility Champion) in agility. Our last agility trial was bittersweet, but retiring him was a necessity, and I am just thankful
for the world that Tucker opened up for me and the runs that we shared. I continue to compete in agility with my
younger dogs. At our last obedience trial, Tucker had a seizure in his crate right before he went into the ring. I realized
that he was getting too stressed and it was triggering his seizures, so I made the very difficult decision to retire him from
obedience. I really miss showing Tucker in obedience, but I continued to show him in Rally. He earned his Rally Novice,
Advanced, and Excellent titles in quick succession, with placements each time (usually 1st place) and multiple perfect
scores. Tucker enjoys Rally and I may show him in it again someday.
In addition to all the AKC titles Tucker earned, he also had many accomplishments in other agility venues. He truly is an
amazing dog who tried so hard for me.
Thank you Tucker for this wonderful journey that we have experienced together. You will always be my heart dog.
Agility Champion) in agility. Our last agility trial was bittersweet, but retiring him was a necessity, and I am just thankful
for the world that Tucker opened up for me and the runs that we shared. I continue to compete in agility with my
younger dogs. At our last obedience trial, Tucker had a seizure in his crate right before he went into the ring. I realized
that he was getting too stressed and it was triggering his seizures, so I made the very difficult decision to retire him from
obedience. I really miss showing Tucker in obedience, but I continued to show him in Rally. He earned his Rally Novice,
Advanced, and Excellent titles in quick succession, with placements each time (usually 1st place) and multiple perfect
scores. Tucker enjoys Rally and I may show him in it again someday.
In addition to all the AKC titles Tucker earned, he also had many accomplishments in other agility venues. He truly is an
amazing dog who tried so hard for me.
Thank you Tucker for this wonderful journey that we have experienced together. You will always be my heart dog.
Toby is my second Golden Retriever, and he is the exact opposite of
Tucker. He spends more time in the air than on the ground, and has the
absolute best work ethic of any dog that I've ever seen.
I had been looking at golden kennels for a few months, and I was at the Key
City Agility Trial in October of 2004. There I saw a golden that I instantly fell in
love with. He was beautiful, drivey, fast, and loud! I sought out his handler
after the run and it turned out that she was going to breed "Sprint" when her
bitch came into heat. The owner was Tammy, and we quickly became friends.
I met her female, Summer, and one of Summer's previous puppies, Skye, and
fell in love with every single one of them. I told her to put me on the list for a
male puppy.
Toby was the cutest puppy I have ever seen. He was quite the trouble
maker, but was so people-oriented I just couldn't believe it. He was
always looking at me, and was always ready to fetch, tug, or whatever else I
wanted to do. At eight weeks he had learned some tricks, signals, sit, and
down. I had a blast teaching Toby; he was like a little sponge that
soaked up everything I threw at him.
Tucker. He spends more time in the air than on the ground, and has the
absolute best work ethic of any dog that I've ever seen.
I had been looking at golden kennels for a few months, and I was at the Key
City Agility Trial in October of 2004. There I saw a golden that I instantly fell in
love with. He was beautiful, drivey, fast, and loud! I sought out his handler
after the run and it turned out that she was going to breed "Sprint" when her
bitch came into heat. The owner was Tammy, and we quickly became friends.
I met her female, Summer, and one of Summer's previous puppies, Skye, and
fell in love with every single one of them. I told her to put me on the list for a
male puppy.
Toby was the cutest puppy I have ever seen. He was quite the trouble
maker, but was so people-oriented I just couldn't believe it. He was
always looking at me, and was always ready to fetch, tug, or whatever else I
wanted to do. At eight weeks he had learned some tricks, signals, sit, and
down. I had a blast teaching Toby; he was like a little sponge that
soaked up everything I threw at him.
Toby is a very high-drive dog, but when we are working, he puts all of his energy into whatever we are doing. He's
awesome at agility, has gorgeous heeling, and loves dock diving. His drive is insane, but with the work I put into impulse
control when he was a pup, he's turned into about the best working dog I could have.
At five years old, Toby has accomplished a lot with very limited showing. He has earned his NA (Novice Agility) and OAJ
(Open Agility Jumpers) titles. He also has his AKC NF (Novice Fast) and NADAC TN-N (Tunnelers Novice) titles. Toby
has earned his CD and CDX with placements every time, and all of his scores except one were in the 190's. He has
also earned his Rally Novice, Advanced, and Excellent titles with placements and multiple perfect scores. In addition,
Toby also has his Senior Jumper-Regional title through Dock Dogs. Toby's personal best jump is 20 feet and 3 inches.
I am looking forward to continuing our obedience and agility career with my crazy little man, and I'm sure this page will be
filled with lots of brags! Toby is a blessing and has taught me so much. He is always making me laugh with his
never-ending drive and his obsession with tennis balls. I am so glad that Toby has come into my life.
awesome at agility, has gorgeous heeling, and loves dock diving. His drive is insane, but with the work I put into impulse
control when he was a pup, he's turned into about the best working dog I could have.
At five years old, Toby has accomplished a lot with very limited showing. He has earned his NA (Novice Agility) and OAJ
(Open Agility Jumpers) titles. He also has his AKC NF (Novice Fast) and NADAC TN-N (Tunnelers Novice) titles. Toby
has earned his CD and CDX with placements every time, and all of his scores except one were in the 190's. He has
also earned his Rally Novice, Advanced, and Excellent titles with placements and multiple perfect scores. In addition,
Toby also has his Senior Jumper-Regional title through Dock Dogs. Toby's personal best jump is 20 feet and 3 inches.
I am looking forward to continuing our obedience and agility career with my crazy little man, and I'm sure this page will be
filled with lots of brags! Toby is a blessing and has taught me so much. He is always making me laugh with his
never-ending drive and his obsession with tennis balls. I am so glad that Toby has come into my life.
We call Kaleigh our "unplanned child." My husband and I were
perfectly happy with the three red dogs, and had no intention of
getting another one. In December of 2007, I was photographing
an agility trial in Milwaukee, and I saw a smooth border collie on
the end of a flexi leash. It was like love at first sight. I went over to
the woman holding the leash and learned that "Maddie," as she
was then called, was up for adoption.
I can only image what my husband thought when I called him that
night to ask him if I could have another dog. I explained to Jeremy
how important this dog was, and he somehow understood. We
brought her home on Christmas Eve, and it was one of the best
decisions I've ever made.
We decided to re-name her Kaleigh, as she had no idea what her
name was. The first thing she did when she came into the house
was hop on the couch and curl up on the blankets. I took a
shower before the Christmas Eve church service, and Kaleigh
jumped into the bathtub with me.
perfectly happy with the three red dogs, and had no intention of
getting another one. In December of 2007, I was photographing
an agility trial in Milwaukee, and I saw a smooth border collie on
the end of a flexi leash. It was like love at first sight. I went over to
the woman holding the leash and learned that "Maddie," as she
was then called, was up for adoption.
I can only image what my husband thought when I called him that
night to ask him if I could have another dog. I explained to Jeremy
how important this dog was, and he somehow understood. We
brought her home on Christmas Eve, and it was one of the best
decisions I've ever made.
We decided to re-name her Kaleigh, as she had no idea what her
name was. The first thing she did when she came into the house
was hop on the couch and curl up on the blankets. I took a
shower before the Christmas Eve church service, and Kaleigh
jumped into the bathtub with me.
Kaleigh has come out of her shell beautifully since we adopted her. She didn't know how to play with toys, or walk on a
leash, or sit, or anything else that dogs should know. The first time we gave her a treat she didn't know what to make of
it. She would go to new places with her tail tucked. Today, Kaleigh is one of the most confident dogs I know. She
thinks she is a princess and thinks everyone should treat her as such. Her "throne" is our couch, often on top of a
couple of pillows. She gets along great with everybody, but especially Toby, my youngest golden. And most importantly,
Kaleigh has wiggled (literally!) her way into my husband's heart. At a time when he needed it most, she provided plenty
of laughs and comic relief. She'll slowly crawl on the couch and ever so slowly sneak up to him, wiggling closer and
closer to his face, until she's laying on his chest and he's laughing. Kaleigh's favorite toy is empty yogurt containers
and she'll throw them as high as she can for hours, making us laugh again and again with her silly antics.
We named Kaleigh Golden Paws T'was Meant to Be because she really was meant to come into our lives. I knew it the
moment I saw her. I thank God every day for bringing this little princess into our lives.
leash, or sit, or anything else that dogs should know. The first time we gave her a treat she didn't know what to make of
it. She would go to new places with her tail tucked. Today, Kaleigh is one of the most confident dogs I know. She
thinks she is a princess and thinks everyone should treat her as such. Her "throne" is our couch, often on top of a
couple of pillows. She gets along great with everybody, but especially Toby, my youngest golden. And most importantly,
Kaleigh has wiggled (literally!) her way into my husband's heart. At a time when he needed it most, she provided plenty
of laughs and comic relief. She'll slowly crawl on the couch and ever so slowly sneak up to him, wiggling closer and
closer to his face, until she's laying on his chest and he's laughing. Kaleigh's favorite toy is empty yogurt containers
and she'll throw them as high as she can for hours, making us laugh again and again with her silly antics.
We named Kaleigh Golden Paws T'was Meant to Be because she really was meant to come into our lives. I knew it the
moment I saw her. I thank God every day for bringing this little princess into our lives.
My husband got Dutchess as a puppy about a year before we met.
She used to be a great hunting companion for Jeremy and
continues to be a great family dog. Like the perfect older sister,
Dutchess keeps her younger siblings in check. She is the queen of
the household and makes sure everyone knows it! She is a
wonderful companion and we are very thankful that, even at the age
of 12, she continues to be very healthy and happy!
She used to be a great hunting companion for Jeremy and
continues to be a great family dog. Like the perfect older sister,
Dutchess keeps her younger siblings in check. She is the queen of
the household and makes sure everyone knows it! She is a
wonderful companion and we are very thankful that, even at the age
of 12, she continues to be very healthy and happy!
We have shown in Utility Obedience several times, and Tucker
currently has one UD (Utility Dog) leg. The day we got that
elusive first UD leg was the best day I have ever had with
Tucker. What a feeling!
currently has one UD (Utility Dog) leg. The day we got that
elusive first UD leg was the best day I have ever had with
Tucker. What a feeling!