| Meet Baron |
When pet parent Susan purchased a new home, she knew it was time for a dog. "We saw an ad in the paper for Australian Shepherd puppies and called immediately. As soon as we saw Baron crawling out from under the breeder's house, we fell in love. We knew he was for us."
Calling Baron her "first child", Susan was like most new pet parents: She was sure he was the smartest dog in the world-although she jokingly admits she never told most people about the couch being eaten or the garbage he ate.
A Typical Day Means Lots of Activity
A typical day for Baron is having a full run of the house with Susan's other dog, Onyx (a privilege they earned after a couple of years.) When Susan's husband gets home from work, he runs and takes the dogs with him. After the dogs have had their dinner (Blue Buffalo of course) it's usually playtime with their tug toys and tennis ball. The day finally ends with cuddle time. Baron gets one-on-one time with Susan for a dog massage and she will often wake up in the middle of the night to find Baron sound asleep on their bed. On the weekends, there's the "big dog park" if the weather is nice.
"It was amazing to see the stamina
he had and the love for being able to
run free with Mom and Dad."
Baron loves to have fun and Susan recounts a story that illustrates this perfectly. "Our very first hike to Rabbit Ears Pass (Steamboat Springs, CO) with Baron was fun to watch. Even though the trail is only approximately 6 miles roundtrip, Baron probably did over 12 miles. He would run ahead of us and then come back to see what was taking so long. It was amazing to see the stamina he had and the love for being able to run free with Mom and Dad. On our ride back to town, Baron sat in the backseat like a small kid, refusing to give in to his exhaustion. His head would start to bob and his eyes would close shut. Then he would force himself to stay awake. When we got back to the condo, he slept for a very long time."
A Volunteer's Work is Never Done
Baron and Susan are volunteers at one of our local hospitals. "We work a couple days a month visiting patients and the staff", Sharon says. "He barks the whole way there, because he loves his job."
Susan recalls a special story about Baron visiting the hospital. "Our best experience was when we visited the Pediatrics Department. We stopped by a room of a young 12-year old girl. Her mother told us her child would probably not know we were there. Baron really wanted to be next to the girl. He was allowed on the hospital bed and curled up next to the girl. The mom put her daughter's hands on Baron so she could feel his soft fur. Within minutes, the young girl was smiling and showed signs of recognizing Baron. This was an amazing moment for all of us. Baron does his job well."
"He barks the whole way there,
because he loves his job."
Baron is also an "Assistant Trainer" at a major pet store, the same store he had training classes as a puppy. Every Saturday, he works for several hours with a trainer helping to teach new techniques and tricks to other dogs. Baron even had his name on the business cards.
Baron's Mischievous Side
"Just the other day, I left a backpack on the dining room table that had a large supply of dog training treats in it left over from an agility trial with our other dog", Susan shares. "The next morning, we discovered the backpack had been carefully opened and the treats were gone. He was able to get through two zippers and not leave a single mark on the outside to get to the bag of treats."
"We get so many compliments on
how soft and shiny his fur is from
the patients at the hospital."
Because Baron has a very sensitive stomach due to eating poisonous berries as a youngster and is also a little on the heavy side, Susan is very careful about what he eats. "We have been feeding him BLUE Weight Control dry food. He loves it. We get so many compliments on how soft and shiny his fur is from the patients at the hospital. Because he has to be bathed so much for our hospital visits, it's important he has a diet that helps maintain his coat."
Susan sums up her beloved dog's personality. "Baron
is constantly smiling. This is his trademark. Take one look
at his pictures and it's obvious he is the happiest dog in
the world."
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