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Ollie, Golden Retriever
from Live, Love & Laugh with Golden Retrievers
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 OLLIE TELLS US HIS TOP FIVE WEBSITES Canine Companions National Web Site. This is the leading organization devoted to the service dog field. We are members of this fine group! |
MISTFIELD OLIVER, CGC: Oh, don't worry yourself about these balls. We're attached at the hip, as they say. I never go anywhere without 'em. They're like a security blanket, ya know. Us Goldens live by our tennis balls. You really can never have too many. I should know, as my human folks call me the notorious ball thief. Any ball within a 10 mile radius is MINE, you know, finders keepers -- losers weepers! Hee!! Hee!! Out on a leisurely stroll, I can smell or spot 'em right quick. Then I pull my human dad so that I can scoop it up. Finally, I pull on my leash to let him know it's time to get back home (so I can now safely add it to my huge stash, of course!). I am so happy to be here, you being so famous and all! But, just call me Ollie, everybody does. My human folks only call me Mistfield Oliver when they want to get my attention, IMMEDIATELY, that is!
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Wyman: Whatever does CGC stand for:
OLLIE: It stands for Canine Good Citizen. I earned my Canine Good Citizen certificate on August 21, 1996 for having successfully completed the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen Test. It was really a cinch. My human mom didn't really want to take the test, as she thinks that stuff is kind of silly. I trained lots in obedience classes, but she never wanted to take me to shows and try to get any titles. All she wanted was for me to have good manners and know how to play and have fun with all the kids in the neighborhood. And I've been great at that!
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Wyman: So do you come from a long line a champions?
OLLIE: Yea - -I hate to say it, but I really do. The lady who began the line was one of the biggest Golden Retriever breeders in Maryland. My parents were both champions, and three out of four of my grandparents were champions. And, my grandpop on my mom's side was the famous Ch. Mistfield's Mr. Bill. Now, he was one cool dude!
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Wyman: Okay, Ollie, what other nicknames do you have?
OLLIE: Well, Ollie is the name that people love the best, but my human mom Rochelle seemed to have a thousand different nicknames for me. Sometimes she called me Ollie, sometimes Olls, sometimes Ollsie, and sometimes Ollie-boy.
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Wyman: Tell us when you were born and a little about your birthplace?
OLLIE: I was born on Mistfield Farms which is in Butler, Maryland. It is a beautiful rural area. The lady that helped me to be born, Jane Silverman, lived there with her husband Sam. They bred both Golden Retrievers and Thoroughbred horses. They owned several acres (I think they were very, very rich!), and it was so large, that they had their own pond for all their guys to swim in. They even had people that lived in a separate house to take care of all the lands. While Mistfield Farms is still there today, the Silverman's have since moved to New Mexico.
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Wyman: How did you pick your humans?
OLLIE: Oh, I didn't get to pick them, but you know, I knew who they were the minute that I saw them. They also didn't get to pick me, but they knew that I was the guy for them the minute that they saw me. Now, let me tell you what I mean. You see, that lady, Jane Silverman, well she was a pretty tough lady. You know, like real protective, and all. In a way, people had to prove to her that they were the kind of folks that would do right by her pups. She wanted all of her pups to have the best of homes, with the best of care, and especially with the best attention. They had to be treated like true members of the family. So, she put all prospective puppy owners through some really tough grilling. My human mom, Rochelle, was so worried she wouldn't pass the test. You see, she had a secret that she had to keep from Jane. She had always had smaller dogs during her life and was a little intimidated about large dogs. You see, us Goldens are about the cutest pups there are in the canine world, but we do get bigger, and we are awfully strong. When my mom visited Jane and saw her grownup Goldens, they were really a little scary to my mom, especially when they jumped up on her. One of my relatives actually left huge pawprints on the back of her T-shirt. They were as tall as she is, as she's kind of a shrimp and not even 5 feet tall (ha! ha!). Well, she hid that this scared her, hoping that as she grew up with a Golden pup to adulthood and went to training school that these kinds of feelings would change. And, of course they did!
Rochelle wasn't allowed to see me until the day she came to pick me out. Jane was the one who was deciding which pup would be the one to go home with her. I was the runt of the litter, and since Rochelle had told Jane she didn't especially need to have a large male, I was the guy for her. Of course, all of my brothers and sisters and I pretty much looked alike, as we were all part of an impressive show litter. That means, that there was lots of consistency and that you would expect there to be little difference between pups. To tell us apart, Jane had placed different colored yarn around our necks. Mine was red. When my human parents, Rochelle & Gary, came up to the house, they saw us scurrying about in our kennel. Instantly, I knew they were my folks and tried to edge myself out in front of my brothers and sisters. They saw me first and were immediately taken with my beauty. And, of course, hoped that I was their guy, that is, the one that Jane had selected for them.
Now, I don't want to brag, but I was really something. My eyes, which were rimmed in black, looked like they had been made up. When Goldens have really dark pigment like that it is considered to be a really good trait. You can see pictures of me growing up at my mom's Golden Gallery.
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Wyman: Where do you live now?
OLLIE: I live with my human folks in Owings Mills, Maryland, which is only about 20 minutes from where I was actually born.
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Wyman: What other animals share the homestead?
OLLIE: Well, there's this fine little beauty named Darcy. Her formal name is Friendship Darcy Makena and is she a pistol. Boy, is she hot! But, you know, it's a little tough for me to keep up with her as I am almost nine years her senior. And, since she has a major crush on me, she loves to be a pest and get in my face all of the time. And, we also have a feline family member, Cinderella, or just Cindy, for short. I am the guy who actually saved her life. She was just a starving little kitty, who we think got lost from her humans' home. It was about 3 years ago, and a tough time for many parts of the country due to some terrible ice storms. Schools were closed here for a couple of weeks, and no cars or even trucks could get up or down our street. I saw this little kitty outside the house looking for food and I alerted my human dad about it. I desperately tried to get outside to get the kitty, but was made to stay inside. My dad did finally get her, but it took 3 days. He put out food to catch her. She was so tiny and frail and only about 4 months of age. When Rochelle & Gary took her to the vet, they found out some surprising news. Little Cindy had been a rape victim. After getting loose from her humans' home, a male cat had had his way with her and now she was pregnant with little baby kitties of her own. But, the doctor told us that she was too young to have them, and that they had taken lots of nutrients from her. That, was why she was so tiny and frail. They had to do surgery on her and take away her babies. We were sad about that, but wanted her to be able to live and have a happy and healthy life with us. And, luckily that is what happened! You can see pictures of my entire family by checking out my mom's Golden Gallery ----------------
Wyman: Well, I guess you like retrieving things. What are some the things you like to retrieve?
OLLIE: I love to retrieve anything. I will retrieve food tossed out for me, various toys, stuffed animals, you name it. But the all-time favorite is, of course, tennis balls.
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Wyman: Did you just naturally know to bring things back to your human, or did you have to be taught?
OLLIE: Oh, most of us retriever type dudes will bring things back instinctively. But we have to be taught to let them take it, or for us to gently relinguish it to them. My human mom Rochelle taught me very early on, as that was one of the things I needed to know in order to become one of the "kids" and be able to play with the guys in the neighborhood.
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Wyman: Who tires out first, you or your human?
OLLIE: Well, early in my life they tired out first, but nowadays, it's me. I can only retrieve a little bit, and then plop down on the ground to pant and rest. But then I'm back up again for more. And then the whole cycle begins again. Even when I take walks, mostly with my human dad Gary, he carries a water bottle for me, so that I can get gulps along the way.
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Wyman: Have you taught your humans any tricks?
OLLIE: Nah, I've gotta say they are pretty smart already, and have lots of tricks up their sleeves!
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Wyman: You're no stranger to celebrity. Tell us a little about that.
OLLIE: Well, I actually won a photo audition given by a very famous photographer. He needed a photo for an ad that would be featured in a pamphlet put out by the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America on medications utilized for treating depression. Who better than a Golden to help someone from being depressed? That's why I was so perfect for the ad. And, guess what Wyman? This pamphlet was enclosed within the issues of three major magazines: Time, Newsweek, and Reader's Digest! You can go see it for yourself at Ollie's Famous Photo Shoot page. I also can be seen in lots of places all over the web. I am featured at The Country Butcher and won as Dog of the Day for September 6, 1998
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Wyman: I guess your humans must be proud. What are they like?
OLLIE: They are wonderful! I only wish other guys out there could be so lucky and have such devoted humans taking care of them. They really treat me like I was their human son. Of course, that means they expect lots of me as well.
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Wyman: So what does Golden Mom Rochelle do for a living?
OLLIE: I'm very proud of my mom. She is a school psychologist and actually has four jobs! Her first job is working for a public school system, Harford County Public Schools, which is located in Bel Air, Maryland. Then, she has two part-time psychology related jobs. One as Co-Director of the Education and Learning Center, a division of Millersville Psychological Services, in Millersville, Maryland. She does private therapy and testing there with kids. And I've gotten to be a Therapy Dog by going there and helping her in her work with kids. It's super cool, for sure. She also teaches Graduate psychology courses to adults through the Loyola College's Graduate Studies program.
Her final job is as a graphics designer. She does occasional work, as she doesn't have much time left, doing design work through her company, Lay-It-Out-Right Graphics. Her web page, which, of course, features me and Darcy, shows a lot of her creative talents.
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Wyman: Do you ever get to go to with her to school?
OLLIE: Well, that's a sore spot with Mom. They haven't caught on yet to the value of us guys and what we can provide to all the humans out there. So, they haven't been real receptive to my coming there. I did get to go to one of her elementary schools and do demonstrations for some Kindergarten classes. Boy, was that fun! You should have heard all those little guys clapping for me, as I showed off doing lots of the things my mom has taught me. She even taught these kids how to give me commands and they came up and got me to listen to them, too. They were so impressed!
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Wyman: If they let you enroll in a class, what subject would you choose?
OLLIE: Well, that would be an easy choice -- physical education class!
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Wyman: You've talked your human into making a website for you.
OLLIE: Yup. It's called LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH with Golden Retrievers, and it's the premier site for Goldens created solely for kids -- landofpuregold.com -- which is my new easier to remember address!
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Wyman: What is your site's logo about?
OLLIE: Well, the logo has an adorable Golden pup with a large capital "L" with the three words 'Live, Love and Laugh' incorporated into it. That is really my human mom's special philosophy on life. She has a very special necklace that she has never taken off, going on 15 years now. You see, she had once given a golden necklace to her mom for her birthday, and her mom had treasured it so very much. She thought it was one of the best presents that she had ever received, and that meant so much to my mom. Her mom, Doris, was a very fun lady who was loved by everyone who met her. But she died in 1984 from cancer. Sadly, she never got to meet my mom Rochelle's Golden family. Well, my mom got this necklace back and has worn it to this day, letting everyone know that those words tell it all, and say what is most important to us all in our lives.
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Wyman: What can one find at your website?
OLLIE: Oh my, what a tough question. The better question is what isn't there, 'cuz everything but the kitchen sink is! If you want to know about Goldens doing work with the disabled, go to At Your Golden Service. Goldens doing work with the blind, go to Golden Guidedogs. Goldens doing therapy work, go to Good as Golden Therapy. Goldens doing work with the hearing disabled, go to Golden Ears. People doing rescue work with Goldens, go to Golden Guard. Goldens doing search and rescue work, go to Golden Search & Rescue. Goldens doing drug detection work, go to Golden Super-Sleuths. Goldens doing arson detection work, go to Golden Fire-Detectors. And much, much more.
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Wyman: Any new plans for the website? Now don't get carried away!
OLLIE: Well, we just added a new adventure, as we will be following the training progress of Australian pup Glenregal Thundadownunda "Thunder". He is going to Norway to become a Search & Rescue Dog.
And, In my state of Maryland, Governor Glendening declared November 14th Service and Therapy Dog Day. Help to make this a NATIONALLY recognized day by writing to The President and you will be honored by being listed on our Darcy's Golden Honor Roll! All you have to do to get more details is come to http://landofpuregold.com/pres.htm. The address for the honor roll is http://landofpuregold.com/roll.htm
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Wyman: Besides chasing tennis balls and the World Wide Web, what are your favorite things?
OLLIE: Just being with my family. As long as they are with me, I can't be any happier. Of course, if you ask me whether I'd like to go out for a walk or go for a ride in the car or if I'd like a treat, those things are super cool, too!
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Wyman: Since you're quite the people dog, do you ever get to sit at the dinner table?
OLLIE: Now, don't be silly. My human mom might treat me like a human kid, but she's not simple. And she doesn't try to do silly stuff to me. Of course, I let her put a scarf around my neck as I think it just makes me look really handsome!
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Wyman: What about table scraps, or are you able to pour on the charm and get the good stuff?
OLLIE: Mom is tough when it comes to not doing such stuff. But my human dad Gary is really an easy mark. I can get anything from him, and I do. But he sometimes gets in trouble for doing it when my mom catches him. Then he yells at me for getting him in trouble. Boy, is it a riot!
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Wyman: On final question: Cats, love 'em or hate 'em?
OLLIE: I love every creature and am gentle with everything. I really can't understand aggression and wonder why other dudes out there are so intense with all that barking and growling stuff. Life is just a party to sit back and enjoy. They really need to mellow out, ya know. So, I really would like to get up close and personal with any creature I meet. Unfortunately, they don't have the same attitude. My little feline sister, Cindy, is a case in point. She use to swat me in the face and those sharp nails of hers drew blood. Well, my mom would have none of that and told Cindy that I came first. I kind of felt bad about it, but Cindy had to be de-clawed so that she couldn't hurt me anymore.
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In memory of Mistfield Oliver, CGC; August 3, 1987 - July 3, 1998
The above interview took place via email with Rochelle Lesse taking dictation for Ollie, and Dale Taylor taking dictation for Wyman--who, of course, is just a cartoon character. If you know of a pet or animal that's a true star on the internet and should be a featured guest, watch this space for an upcoming voting booth. Guest stars are not limited to dogs but open to anyone. Please note: there is a waiting list, but George Lucas, George F. Will, or Lauren Hill will be bumped to the front.
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