Merlin

Folks have asked me about my dog Merlin.

He told me he wanted to be a Therapy Dog and was welcomed into the Paws2Care program shortly after his first birthday. He's now 2 1/2 and although we don't keep track, he's probably been on 50 visits to retirement communities, hospitals (including Shriners), churches, schools and others.

He loves boating and the water...

Here's a little blurb I did on him a while back.

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Near our house there is a hospital. Next to the hospital is a small glen with a 1/4 mile blacktop walking trail around it. Up past the glen is a fountain w/ pond. Merlin and I regularly walk the path and up and around the pond, and sometimes even around the hospital.

Last Sunday Merlin and I headed over to the path. On a Sunday morning there's no one else around so I let Merlin off the leash. He stays close and often stops and turns around to make sure he's not 'out of bounds'. When he turns around, I shout, "Good Boy!" to let him know I have no concerns.

We had a good walk, even around the hospital, returning to the path. I was engrossed in the Spring landscape as Merlin stopped at the top of the hill and looked at me, then away. "Good Boy!" I told him and he disappeared over the hill. Being that he was out of sight, I quickened my pace and topped the hill.

There he was, standing completely still, looking my way, waiting for me to see him. He was standing in the middle of the pond. As soon as our eyes met, he pranced off to the beach with a mutually understood, "Gotcha!".

I love that dog. 

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Merlin is a GoldenDoodle, 1/2 Golden Retriever - 1/2 Poodle. He weighs about 50 pounds and is as cuddly and loving as he looks.

His motto is:

The whole world is a playground.

All livinng things are playmates,

Everything else is a toy.

Joy and enthusiasm, every day in every way.