Shortly after Wooki left, Dizzy came to live with Cyn D. as a service dog trainee.
Dizzy is a mostly black dog, a bit bigger than a male Border Collie, with curly long hair. We think he might be a Border X Curly Coat Retriever, but only his mother knows for sure.
After a week with no name, Cyn D. decided the name Dizzy really fit him, because he was dizzy with delight at everything he encountered. You could just see him thinking, “WOW! This is so great, I’m in a HOUSE!!! Oh, my gosh, it’s a PARK!!! So cool, a BEACH!!! I had no idea such places existed!” We suspect his early life involved being confined in a boring backyard most of the time, plus of course weeks and weeks in a pen at the Animal Welfare League.
Dizzy was twice surrendered to the Animal Welfare League as being uncontrollable, but in fact he’s quite a clever dog. At the age of 10 months after only 9 weeks with Cyn D., he won the beginner division of a Handler’s Competition at the Gold Coast Dog Obedience Training Club. After 10 months of training, he is doing very well in formal obedience competition, and we expect him to soon earn his first obedience title.
Dizzy turned out to be timid in crowds and in shopping centres and terrified of unknown men, so he’s not suitable for most service dog roles. At Pets for Therapy visits, he was panic-struck when ever the residents applauded. However, he’s a very sweet boy and an excellent family pet, and Cyn D. and Ben have adopted him. His goals in life now are to earn obedience titles, learn tricks, and just have fun with his good friend, BeeCee the Border Collie.
You can learn more about this organisation at its website: http://www.therapydogs.org.au
