OWNER(S)

LIFESTYLE

Retired, after nearly a lifetime of working as a college registrar (which I hated, but it paid the vet bills) at Mount Holyoke College; I still use their gym regularly, and attend those events I want to -- and even get to audit courses.

Interests, aside from dogs, include The Wodehouse Society (P.G., that magnificent English/American author) -- I'm president of the NEWTS (New England Wodehouse Thingummy Society). I'm also a Sherlock Holmes devotee, and am treasurer of a group devoted to both these interests, The Clients of Adrian Mulliner (small but growing group of fellow madmen). And I somehow got stuck with being treasurer of the North-East Flat- Coated Retriever Club, our regional breed organization (quite the largest of the three groups).

The dogs keep me busy when the other groups don't; I find I am quite as busy as when I slaved for a living. And I adore retirement!

Emma (originally called Jam) came to me when she was sixteen months old. Her breeder had decided not to keep and breed her, and wanted to find a home where she could do pet therapy; she has a very soft temperament. She is fitting in beautifully; she and Merlin get on as siblings usually do, with an occasional squabble, though most of the time they romp, wrestle, race and steal toys with great glee.

Emma is beginning obedience training, and she already does some therapy work. She and Merlin visit the hospital on alternate weeks. She's a very sweet and happy girl. Her hobbies include digging (she's a master excavator) and bouncing straight up and down -- her Happy Dance, which she does often.

Molly (my Old Lady!) was my first obedience dog; when she completed her CD, she took a first place. Talk about proud! Her real career was her therapy work; she visited both a hospital and a nursing home each week.

There was not a mellower, sweeter, gentler dog on the planet; she was a love, tail always wagging madly. (She won the tail-wag contest two years running at Camp Gone to the Dogs.). Molly was a Delta Society Pet Partner from 1993 to 1997, when she switched to Therapy Dogs International; she passed at least four CGC's. Molly died of cancer in her heart, lungs, and liver soon after her eleventh birthday; she went from this life wagging her tail.

Que was named for the impish alien in Star Trek -- and he lived up to his name. Magnificently handsome, full of enthusiasm for life, scatterbrained though bright and quick, vigorous, a big boy, coal-black hair, very loyal and loving, and always a gentleman (he always let Molly win their play-fights).

Que had immune system problems and died of an infection that could not be cured, on November 19, 1998. He was a TDI dog for the last year and a half of his life (and of course passed his CGC); he visited whenever Molly needed a day off.

Merlin is a typical male adolescent, which is to say he doesn't know what to do with himself or his energy. Always playing, he may make an obedience dog someday, but he needs to grow up a bit more first. He passed his Therapy Dogs International test two days after Molly died, and he is now visiting the hospital and nursing home in her place. He's in obedience training, and is very bright though more than a bit exuberant.