Getting to know you....getting to know all about you (2019 edition)

My name is Jill. I am Canadian and I live just west of Toronto.

I'm a huge sports fan. Love my hockey and am a diehard Toronto Maple Leaf fan. Yes...one day we will win the Stanley Cup again. I love American Football and College Football - Roll Tide! I am an Olympics Junkie. You name it, I'll watch it. I actually get excited watching Curling. Oh Dear!

Keeping with the Sports theme, I train my dogs (Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers) for Field Trials and Hunt Tests. I also judge these events at the National Level in Canada and am qualified to Judge all stakes in the US. My Lab is a Canadian National Master Hunter, Field Trial Champion, Grand Master Hunter, Master Hunter and a scent detection dog. She is also Qualified All Age in the US. My young Golden is a Senior Hunter and a scent detection dog. I take my dogs south in the early Spring (Alabama/Texas) and train and run a few trials before the season starts here in the north.

I joined this group because I really felt that it was important to be a member of a support group and to share and learn from each other's experiences. I have found the support and friendship here to be unwavering and the knowledge of the Vets incredible.

Welcome Jill! All the training with your dogs sounds fascinating! I have read a bit about the dogs that they use to find missing people, is that the kind of scent detection your retrievers do or is it part of the field/hunt training?

It's very interesting to say the least. What my dogs have taught me over the years has made me a better person, more compassionate, understanding and kinder.

We don't do search and rescue (SAR), we do scent detection - looking for drugs, explosives etc. We use essential oils to teach. We hide Q-tips dipped in oil all over the place - in cars, rooms, playgrounds - wherever. Then we reward the dog when they find it. My dogs love it. They have so much fun and so do I. One of my dogs is trained to sniff out bedbugs. She even gets paid to do it!

My young Golden is a commercial star too. She's done several commercials along with everything else.

So this is a separate thing they do in addition to field/hunt training. They also hunt for real - upland game and waterfowl.

They keep me busy. LOL

Wow!! That is pretty cool!

Welcome Jill, I live in New York state, right on the border and can be in a seat at the Bell Centre in Montreal in under an hour. ( depending on traffic). I am a Habs fan, former Season ticket holder ****il I had kids) . I think your Leafs are close, though it seems as they are still missing some pieces and will they be able to sign Marner and Matthews and stay under the cap, it should be interesting. I am going to see the Habs vs Leafs in Montreal on feb 9th, great seats 10 rows off the ice, I get at least a half dozen games in per year.

I have a Standard Poodle, many people do not realize they are excellent bird dogs...( mine is not trained)

Welcome!

Thank you.

Lucky you - I haven't been to a game in years. Unless you buy from a Scalper it's nearly impossible to see the Leafs in person. We are very excited in these parts to finally have a team again that is competitive. It's just so much fun to watch the young players coming up. When I was a kid, my dad had season's tickets. I got to see a bunch of games when I was young. I was very lucky.

I know a couple of people who have put Hunt Titles on Standard Poodles. I even have a friend with miniature poodles who does Hunt Tests. Yes, Poodles can do the work. I have seen it.

Cheers!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this thread!!!!!

1. ONLY one thing??? Hmmmmm... I did my first Half-Marathon at age 52. It's like that quote "It's never too late to be who you want to be...to do what you want to do"...However it goes...I did 2 more after that...Now I barely run anymore, 9 years later...kinda walk/crawl...but I will forever relish that 2009 Disneyworld Princess Half-Marathon !!!
2. I want to be more active, again. It's more "hit or miss", these days. I have never left, since 2001, but I am not as GIVING, as I need to be

LOVING reading the responses

That is awesome! Also, how much do I love that your first half was a princess run? Did you dress up or at least wear a tiara?

I went with my BFF, and 2 other close friends-all WLSers. We were the local "Princess Crew". We STARTED with tutus and tiaras...afterwards...ummm...not so pretty...

That is AWESOME!!