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Positively Success Story: Maggie

Maggie, at the Bark for Life event in Canton, Michigan

Maggie came into my life almost six years ago, when I was hired by her owners, of that time, to teach her basic obedience. Maggie was an untrained dog, who had already been adopted by several other families and she eventually proved to be “too much” to handle for her then adopted family. I was informed by my clients that Maggie was again going to be returned to the animal shelter she came from, which is when I learned that if she was returned she may be euthanized, due to her being considered unadoptable, it was then that I decided to adopt her myself.

Another successful find for Maggie.

Maggie’s exact date of birth is unknown, but it has been estimated that she was born April 1, 2007, so she is almost seven years old. This means that when I brought her home in 2008 she was a little over a year old. When Maggie first arrived to my home she displayed many behavioral problems, to include; urinating indoors, chewing carpets, running away and not coming back when called, marking areas within my home and food aggression. As you can imagine Maggie was a “handful” and I had my work “cut out” for me. Through consistent training and patience I learned Maggie was actually a very good dog who was only in need of someone willing to provide her proper guidance.

Maggie and her big brother, Zeus.

Maggie and I have since attended numerous schools and seminars together, to include; K-9 obedience, learning how to do dog tricks and trailing (search and rescue). Maggie proved herself to be a dog with much potential and she has consistently demonstrated great skill in the areas of agility, obedience work, nose work and tracking. Her tracking skills eventually earned her a certification in trailing, which she has put to use as a search and rescue dog.

Since becoming a certified search and rescue dog Maggie has worked together with a number of law-enforcement agencies throughout Michigan on cases involving missing persons. Maggie is currently an active “working dog”, training and waiting to be called on if needed for a search and rescue detail. She is also involved in the Pet-A-Pet program and can visit senior citizens to bring them a little happiness. Presently Maggie shows no signs of slowing down and she is expected to remain active for several more years.

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One thought on “Positively Success Story: Maggie”

jmpgodiva January 18, 2015 at 10:31 pm

So happy you "saved" Maggie and that she is doing great now, but you don't say HOW you helped her to be the dog she is today. I am NOT a trainer, but I have had four dogs in life and currently have a dog I love very much. He is mostly a good boy, but he is a "barker",. I am a Senior and live alone. I feel much safer with his company, however, I do feel bad because I cannot take him out for walks, due to physical issues. I do have a big backyard and he has access to a doggy door to that. I think he barks so much because he is bored. I buy him interactive toys, which he immediately ignores after working the treats out. He has all kinds of other toys, but won't play with them. If I throw a ball for him, he might get it, but then won't bring it back to me. There are no options in my neighborhood for hiring a Teen to walk him and even IF there were "Dog Walkers" in the next town-20 miles away, I couldn't afford it, living on Social Security. I was hoping to get some ideas to try...