Reply #51: We did that 3 years ago

[tavalon]

and he is, hands down, the best dog companion I have ever had. He had an unusual history: He was an hearing assistance dog and his owner fell and had to go live with her daughter and had to give him up. It didn't take us long to get him to respond to verbal signals but, to this day, he gets giddy with joy if we use ASL commands. He does what he's been asked to do but his stump of a tail just wags ferociously while he is doing the task.

He's a standard poodle and he is just magnificent. The only downside is that he was seven when we got him so he won't be with us nearly long enough.

His name is Olympic Baron but to us, he is just Ollie or Ollie-bear.