Regional Area: East
Breed: Doodle
“Being a Goldendoodle has made Holly a favorite wherever we’ve gone,” says Shelley, “because everyone’s been extremely curious about her breed.
“When we visited an assisted living facility in South Carolina, they especially loved how calm and well mannered she was. We would begin at the front of the building that housed the independent residents and work our way back to where the less independent ones were. What a joy it was to see their faces light up the moment they saw Holly! Last on our list were the apartments, where we visited people individually. One of the women had a cat, and Holly did very well with the cat.
“The grade school we visited had a special room where children with reading difficulties would sit on the floor with the therapy dogs and read books to them. They enjoyed reading to the dogs because they knew the dogs wouldn’t judge them on their reading skills. I think those visits were Holly’s favorite. One child was very upset one day because he was moving to a different school and knew he wasn’t going to see Holly anymore.
“She also enjoyed our college visits to help the students de-stress before exams. They loved 
sitting with her and gazing into her big, beautiful eyes while she worked her Holly magic on them, making them smile.
“As soon as I brought Holly home, I knew she was special. She was a calm puppy, and by the time I took her to a puppy class, she already knew how to sit. A week later, while the other dogs worked on walking/heeling, the trainer had me working with Holly on trust. I told Holly to sit, then lie down without moving or getting up while I walked around her and stepped over her. She was very easy to train. Then we took another class where she earned her Canine Good Citizen certificate.
“In all honesty, Holly is the best dog I’ve ever owned. I love her so much. And as a bonus, she’s great with my chickens!”
Training/Certifications:
Canine Good Citizen
Hearts of Gold Therapy Team
