Meet Bear and Brown

This is Brown Sugar (Golden Retriever) and Baby Bear (Collie/Border Collie mix). They are farm dogs that we inherited about a year and a half ago. Both dogs are about 12 years old, and had lived their whole lives on a 380 acre farm in Georgia with no boundaries. When they arrived at our home they understood only a few words. They thought fences were to contain cows, certainly not dogs. They had not ridden in a vehicle more than one time in their lives and had not been to a vet more times than that. Bear's primary job on the farm was to kill snakes that might be in the area in which his owner was working and/or the house and barn yards... he was very skilled at his job. Bear and Brown shared the responsibility of sounding the alarm when a car turned in the drive.

They now have a small, but growing vocabulary. They are very willing learners and are eager to please. Their health issues are improving everyday, they look so much better than when they arrived, healthy hair covering the whole body sure makes a dog feel better! Probably what they enjoy the most about their Florida retirement home is that meals are served twice a day on a very regular schedule and that there is no competition involved. They "load up" when necessary in the kennel and/or vehicle on a single command, they "come" quickly and eagerly when called on a single command, they walk politely on a leash and lay down when the person stops walking. They patrol faithfully the almost 3 acres we live on killing snakes, sounding the alarm if intruders come in the gate, and keeping the place free of wandering, wild night creatures