Garth the Goldendoodle & me, his Mom

This story is about us - Garth the Goldendoodle and me, his mom.  Garth is a 7-year old Goldendoodle who has filled my world and that of our entire family with laughs, love and some of life's most important lessons.

Garth came into our life as a 3-month old puppy! He was the runt of the litter, adorable and playful!  Soon after coming to our home, Garth went for training to be a Support Dog for my husband, Greg.  Greg needed companionship and emotional support as he was disabled and mostly confined to his bed.  Garth was the perfect match!  He was very content to remain at my husband's side  and the two of them became best buddies.  Two years after Garth graduated from Support Training, my husband passed away.  This left Garth incredibly confused because his best friend was gone plus now, he had no "job".  Garth was trained to be alert to Greg's every move and breath and would lie with his head on Greg's chest to feel the up and down motion of his breathing. Sadly, Greg lost his battles and Garth was devastated. For months he hid under our furniture, afraid to show himself.  We were patient with him because we too were filled with sadness and confusion as to how we would now move forward.

With time and an abundance of affection, Garth's personality returned and he was ready to take on another responsibility.  I have become Garth's new "job"!  I am not disabled and in no way dependent on a support dog but Garth thinks otherwise!  He is by my side constantly and with each of my steps, he steps too.  Certainly he doesn't understand what happened to his best buddy but he has moved forward again thanks to the love and attention of my daughter and granddaughters.  He enjoys life, works diligently at his new "job" and makes us all incredibly proud to have him in our life!

Garth is a clown when he wants to be and even that seems to be on purpose simply to evoke a laugh!  If you're not familiar with the Goldendoodle breed, all I can say is that they are loyal, loving and most attentive. He continues to be the "king of our castle" and we wouldn't trade him for anything!  My love for Garth and the respect he has earned over the years gave me the idea to do something for him and other dogs of the world who have earned a special title. I created an on-line store and offer all things canine!  Yes, Garth is definitely part of this endeavor as he is always next to me while I work at the computer to keep my website current and filled with products that all dogs would enjoy.

Oh yes, I must not forget that Garth is truly a rising star!  He has his own blog (http://garththegoldendoodle.blogspot.com) and he likes to tell children's stories....yes, Garth does the reading!  Go to You Tube (Story Time with Garth the Goldendoodle) and listen to his stories. I'm not sure who has the most fun with this - Garth as he tells the stories or children as they watch and listen!