In Memory - September 14, 1998 to February 11, 2013

Name

Timothy, Timmy, Tim

Breed/color

Golden Retriever

Birthdate

September 14, 1998

Height/Weight

22 inches/about 78 pounds

Personality

Timmy is really smart and loves to play games and show off his tricks! A true Golden Retriever, he is very friendly to all people and all other dogs. Tim is a field Golden and loves being outside, either on long walks or just relaxing in the back yard. His favorite season is winter; he adores snow! Tim has an adventurous spirit and is willing to try almost anything from Easter egg hunts to geocaching! 

Training

Family Dog classes, Canine Good Citizen, Therapy Dog Training in preparation for the Delta exam, Agility and Rally classes

Awards

CGC, Delta Society Pet Partner, R.E.A.D. certification

Favorite Therapy Site

When I set out our R.E.A.D. bag and Tim’s Delta vest, his whole face lights up! He knows it is time to go to work, and he gets very excited. He prances into the school or facility with his head and tail held high!

About Timmy

It has been a joy to watch Tim blossom over the years in all our different classes. I got him when he was two years old, and a very shy and fearful boy. Now he is a proud and confident therapy dog! He’s a wonderful Pet Partner, and I appreciate him so much for all he is and all he does for me and for others.

 In Memory

Tim came into our lives almost 12 years ago as a nervous, insecure 2 year old. He was thrilled to be reunited with his former housemate Riley whom we had adopted the year before, and the two boys were fast friends again. I often said that Riley showed me how big a dog’s heart is and how much they can love. Now I can say that Timmy showed me how big a dog’s brain is and how much they can learn. Tim took me into the worlds of dog training, agility, rally, therapy and freestyle, and what a journey we had together!

Timmy loved being a therapy dog. From home hospice to nursing homes, schools to libraries, he trotted happily into each situation with his cheerful sweetness. He loved showing off, doing his tricks and making people laugh. I really think Tim was the canine Mark Twain: he never met a person or a dog he didn’t like.  And like the best therapy dogs everywhere, he made each person he interacted with feel special and loved.

It was an honor and a joy to watch Tim blossom in skills and self-confidence. From trotting through the halls of WGN Studios for an appearance with our Hinsdale Humane Society friends to filming a commercial at his favorite store the Happy Dog Barkery to dancing in the Canine Nutcracker 2010 with our PAWSitive Therapy Troupe, he approached every outing with enthusiasm. I always felt confident with him by my side. He was my rock.

Tim had his mischievous streak. He liked to be naughty just for the reaction it provoked. He sometimes changed the choreography in our dance numbers to, ahem, spice things up. If anyone brought out a camera, he looked up and grinned. In his senior years when he did not get out as often as before, he had his tactics to make our walks last longer, including his famous Throw Down move. If I was rushing him or did not go down the street he wanted, he would throw himself down on the ground and close his eyes as if to say “I don’t see you, I don’t hear you, you do not exist”. He became 75 pounds of stubborn, not to be moved until he was ready. Cars would stop to see if he was okay. One woman offered Tim water. One man offered me a glass of wine. Life with Timmy was never boring!

I am a better dog trainer and a better human being for having known and loved my Timmy. We all will miss him terribly but we are forever grateful for our time together.