Regional Area: North Central
Gender: Female
Breed: Poodle
Ginger puts the “g” into gentleness.
Ginger and Jill visit several UF schools, an in-patient rehab hospital and assisted living, memory care and domestic violence facilities. Since Ginger is intuitive about those who need her, she engages fully with the assisted living and memory care residents, giving them as much love as she can. Her favorites, though, are the in-patient rehab hospital and the UF schools because she receives what she loves most: attention and reciprocal love.
According to Jill, their favorite visit so far was to the in-patient rehab hospital. A fragile, older woman there could barely move, but the attendant encouraged the team to come in. Jill promptly picked Ginger up and held her so that this sweet person could see her. Jill herself was moved to tears by the tears in the woman’s eyes as she petted Ginger while Ginger nosed her hand, as if acknowledging her love.
Originally a farm dog before Jill sold the property, Ginger may be a couch potato at home but she’s a hiking fiend when they head to Silver Springs Park. She also loves fetch — in that she loves seeing Jill throw something and watch her pick it up!
What Jill finds endearing about Ginger is that she’ll “smile” for the camera at times: she’s very expressive, gentle and loving, has been Jill’s “baby” from the start, proving again and again that all she wants is to make everyone happy. When Jill decided to bring another dog home, Ginger picked him as much as she did, but she still gives Jill the “Did we make the right choice?” look now and then.
A touching insight into Ginger’s gentleness: she never dented any of her baby toys, letting the new puppy inherit them because they were perfectly intact. When she carried them around, she never made them squeak, and was so soft-mouthed that she never left a mark on them. If Jill used one to play with her and made it squeak too much, she would take the toy away from her, put it with the others and lie down with it.
“Ginger was born to give love,” Jill says. “And despite having passed numerous obedience tests, she has no desire to ‘perform’ outside of giving love.”
Training/Certifications
Basic Manners
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
Tricks
Hearts of Gold Therapy Team
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