Like many other dog people out there in the world, I (Nicki) started out with just one dog while I was in college. His name was Oliver and he was a Labrador.

Oliver was not the best dog for an inexperienced owner because he had numerous aggression issues, which I later found out to be a medical condition. But, Oliver was a wonderful motivator and introduction to the world of dogs and dog training.

I knew something was horribly wrong with Oliver so I tried everything I could to get things under control. I did group training classes, consultations with behaviorists and veterinarians.

Stuart the Labrador came into my life about 6 months after Olive entered. He was a blessing in disguise as he was the polar opposite of Oliver. Stuart was sweet, loving and patient. And, he was what kept me from going crazy.

Barnabus at a SAR disaster training in July of 1999 in Wichita, Kansas.

 After Oliver passed away, many wonderful dogs have crossed my path with the first one being Barnabus the Newfoundland. It was with Barnabus that I entered the world of search and rescue work as well as animal-assisted therapy. And it is this partnering that has led me on a wonderful journey that is still unfolding today.

Before Barnabus turned a year old, he and I were blessed to be able to attend the Black Paws Search, Rescue and Avalanche Newfoundland training academy in Montana which was run by the late Susie Richter-Foley. While there, I learned that dogs were much deeper and complex than I had ever realized. And, a new world was unfolding before my eyes.

Growing up, I had always had dogs in my life. But, it was while in Montana that I decided that I would always have a dog in my life as a partner, friend and companion. Without one, my life would be incomplete.

Following a triumphant completion of the academy as the youngest graduates ever, Barnabus and I returned to Kansas and began a highly publicized and successful career in search and rescue work specializing in water recovery. But, it was also through these endeavors that I was first exposed to death, crime and the plight of those left behind.

During many encounters with surviving families, I realized that these families were often helped simply by getting to pet Barnabus, take care of him while he wasn't working and attending to his needs for food and water. And, it was through this that I learned that the dogs could help people even when they were not on searches by us volunteering as a therapy dog team.

A few months after getting back from the academy, Barnabus and I completed a successful search in Oklahoma that was different from the others. This family felt STRONLGY about what we did and in honor of their recently deceased member, the family gave us a donation with the request that the money be spent on getting and training another Newfoundland to help families.

Quincy and I hiking. We're hiking in Horse Thief Canyon outside of Woodland Park, Colorado in March of 2006.

Calvin then came to me from Butler Farms in Pennsylvania. He was added to the clan and training was started in search and rescue work as well as therapy dog visitations.

All three dogs (Stuart, Barnabus & Calvin) and I started pet therapy visitations as several local nursing homes and programs for developmentally challenged individuals.

Before Baranbus and I left the town of Pittsburg, Kansas for Indiana, we both had received commendations for out-standing community service from then governor of Kansas, Joan Finney. Barnabus also received a proclamation making Jan. 21 as Barnabus Appreciation Day and he received the title of Outstanding Pet of the Year by the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association

Our motely crew continued SAR work and therapy work in Indiana. The dogs and I broadened our therapy work and started visiting many different facilities: mental-health facilities, pediatric therapy offices, children at-risk and regular hospitals with the guidance and friendship of Dr. Julie Krogh, a local veterinarian and therapy dog guru.

During our time in Indiana and through my association with Dr. Krogh, I had the opportunity to meet up with many dedicated dog trainers. Through my experiences with them, I attended numerous training seminars, including APDT conferences and got a Companion Dog (CD) title on Calvin.

After leaving Indiana, the boys and I returned to my childhood home in the Kansas City area and we soon bought a home in Lenexa, Kan., a small suburb south west of Kansas City.

I quickly found my place in the dog world again. The dogs and I joined up with Pets for Life as well as the local Delta Society chapter and started therapy dog visitations at a mental-health facility and a local hospital.

I also met up with a local dive rescue team where the dogs' SAR skills were put to frequent use. I became a diver for the team and I soon became an instructor for other area SAR groups on the training of dogs to assist in locating victims of drowning.

My thirst for more knowledge in the area of training got me part-time work with a local animal behaviorist, the late Mike Reynolds, and I soon started to assist him in teaching obedience classes. Under his tutelage, I was exposed to new methods of training that emphasized positive reinforcement.

 

Pictured to the left: Quincy and another cool dude at Shawnee Mission Lake in Shawnee, Kansas. December 2003.

Quincy dressed up in his SAR uniform looking official. Shawnee Mission Park in Kansas - December 2003.

An unfortunate fact of life is that we all don't stay young forever. Soon after returning to Kansas City, Stuart retired from therapy dog work due to age and arthritis. Then Barnabus followed suit and retired from both SAR work and therapy dog activities – which is a story in itself. Calvin took up the slack and became the lead dog for SAR work as well as therapy work. During his time in the limelight, he even had the opportunity to be an understudy for a local production of Annie.

In 2000, the quest for another Newfoundland started. With the help of my friend Julie, I made a list of qualities that I enjoyed and didn't enjoy in our current dogs. I then made a list of "definite" requirements for our new Newf. This became my shopping list of sorts.

With my list, I started the process of contacting breeders that had dogs that I admired. Some breeders were really generous and talked with me. A few turned me down point blank stating that their line did not do those types of activities. But, it is from my conversations both positive and negative, that I learned more about what I was wanting and the list of prospects narrowed down to one ... Betty McDonnell of Kilyka Newfoundlands.

After talking with Betty, I got on her waiting list and it was her that put me in touch with a breeder named Kathy McIver of Cachalot Newfoundlands in California. Cachaot is where Quincy the uber-Newfoundland came from.

Quincy, (the Q-Man) joined our happy household in November of 2001 and our lives have never been the same! He opened up many new doors to the dog world: conformation, agility, rally, breeding, crisis work, etc. And with his arrival, life in the household quickly picked up speed.

Under the behaviorist's guidance, I chose a different path for training Q-Man. Instead of SAR work, he'd be doing specific scent detection (human remains) and it would be all be taught in a positive manner as well as all his other activities. Through this association, I was able to begin training with local police k9 trainers, attend Malinda Julien's highly coveted US Tactical K9 police dog academy down in Texas and I explored other areas of scent detection and training, including explosives detection work under the guidance of Tom Brenneman of Vom Kaiserhofe Training Center.

Quincy after a day of hiking in Colorado. August 2005.

In a short two-year span, Q-Man raked in the titles. He obtained an AKC championship, an IABA International championship and a Best In Show with the guidance of Beth Rice of Fiann Kennels. He and I also attended Human Remains Detection school in Texas twice at the US Tactical K9 Academy and became quite popular locally for therapy dog visitations.

During the events of Sept. 11th, I heard about crisis response work with dogs. I felt that this was very interesting and important work as it would bridge the gap between my two personal commitments to therapy dog work and SAR work. This was something that I had to do and I sought out all the information that I could find on this work. During this search, I heard that NOAH's Assistance Dog school in Nebraska would be holding a training program for this type of work so Q and I applied and were quickly accepted.

Since completing the program, Q-Man and I have become big advocates in the Kansas City area for this type of work. We volunteer with the Trauma Support Network and we’ve had the opportunity to perform our work nationally during the fall of 2005 in Texas after hurricanes at the request of the Red Cross’s Disaster Mental Health department. And, right now, that is our main focus locally.

Due to our work down in Texas after Hurrican Rita, Quincy received an honorable mention for the American Kennel Club's ACE (Awards for Canine Excellence) Award in the category of Therapy. He is the first Newfoundland to receive this honor!

Pictured to the left: Quincy hiking in Horset Thief Canyon outside of Woodland Park, Colorado in March of 2006.