A little over 3 years ago I had a 6 year old lab/border collie named Jake and had just finished raising a guide dog puppy named Emmy..Jake had stayed with my parents when I moved into a new apartment and Emmy came to live with my roommate and I at 8 weeks old..
(Jake RIP)
Emmy lived with us a little over a year and went everywhere with us..She was a spoiled princess who became the love of my life..She was smart, loyal, ready for anything and we had a very close bond..Taking her back to guide dogs may have been the hardest day of my life...Forget moving cross country and back (5 times), ending a 5 year relationship, losing multiple pets in my life time..Leaving Emmy at Guide dogs was awful..
Preparing for Emmy's graduation was hard. I even had her name tattooed on my foot--how could I say goodbye to her! (oh and she was leaving for Missouri!)...Meeting Tim and seeing how they were bonded made me know she was in good hands..I said goodbye to my "Emmy Monkey" and sent part of me with Tim...
As soon as I got home from graduation I was online searching everywhere I could for a dark yellow female yellow lab--I HAD to have a dog that would be mine and not leave..I had looked while Em was in training, but never wanted to commit in case she came home!
The next day my roommate and i headed out about 45 mins away to see a litter of puppies that had ONE yellow girl left-they were 4 weeks old and adorable. The girl was red in color and we both thought extremely cute...The mom is a red lab/heeler mix and dad a purebred yellow lab..I left to "think about it" and sent my deposit within 2 hours of getting home..I was getting a new puppy!
2 weeks later my little red girl came home and life will never be the same in our house!! "Sidney" (after hockey player, Sidney Crosby) was an adorable little puppy who stole my heart about a week after coming home (when she stopped screaming in her crate!)..
Sidney turned 3 in November and she entertains me every day..She knows over 100 words--we spell alot in our house!..She lives to learn new tricks, swim, chase squirrels and compete in obedience..She recently completed her Novice CD with my roommate-we entered her in 3 shows-she placed 1st in each show and got her CD..We are now training in 'open' obedience and she absolutely loves it.
After Emmy we raised her half-sister, Claudine, and were lucky enough to be able to keep her--she is also a great-yet quirky-dog who is Sidneys best friend.
(Claudine) 
Sidney is such a special girl-my roommate got a full sibling of Sidneys 2 years after I got Sid (Moxie) and we have become very close with a family that has a half brother (Oliver)to our girls. They are amazing dogs and make me smile everyday.
Sidney's life so far has included dog daycare, swimming, agility, competition obedience, working with a behaviorist, dog massage, core-strength work and stretching, running free on the land where she was born, daily playtime with the many dogs in our home, roadtrips, trips to grandma and grandpas house, learning to say her prayers, shut off the lights and get me a kleenex--just to name a few things she loves ;-)..She really is one of the best dogs ever..
