Trillium and I trained to become a therapy dog team with Jenn’s Dogs for a little over a year.

We completed 3 levels of training and then continued with a few private lessons with Jenn, so that we could be ready for Trillium’s CGC test and her Alliance of Therapy Dogs test.

Jenn is a fantastic trainer/teacher of humans and canines alike!

Meet Trillium

Trillium, CGC, is our gorgeous doggy friend who we have the privilege of doing life with. She is 3 years old. We brought her home at 8 weeks from Denzil’s Goldens. We went through Denzil’s Goldens because we knew that it was important to their family to raise healthy dogs who are good representations of their breed. The owners at Denzil’s were so helpful in temperament testing to select us a puppy that they believed would have the right temperament to be a therapy dog and have the potential for healthy breeding. They responsibly made sure that Trillium passed all health testing before they sold us full AKC breeding rights. Trillium loves her kitty, Psyche (see orange kitten wrestling with puppy Trilly above!). Trilly went through a year of intensive training with Jenn’s Dogs in Forest Grove, OR. By the end of this year, she earned her title, CGC. That fall she took her test for Alliance of Therapy Dogs and passed. That Fall 2023, Trillium became a therapy dog for Gaston Elementary School, where I work as a school counselor. She has been coming to school with me for the past 2 years! Trilly also has earned us 3 years of grant funding for her time at school. This funding has helped fund her training, vet bills, ATD dues, “school supplies and snacks,” etc! It is such a joy to bring her with me to work everyday!

Trillium loves to hike and run and play fetch. She has an amazing off switch and is happy to lay at your feet. She never tires of people giving her pets and seems to know when she needs to get low on the floor for a toddler visiting the school or when to play or snuggle with a student who needs some cheering up or is facing some anxiety.

Trillium is a member of our family. It has been on my bucket list to raise a litter of puppies and these puppies are a dream come true! We’ve tried very hard to do this as responsibly as possible, knowing there are lots of puppies coming into the world. Her litter of puppies is receiving the very best family love from us!

Fun Fact: Trillium Spring’s Goldens is named after the beautiful forest that surrounded our home. It was peppered with wonderful memories of walks, jogs, picnics, forts, respite, trilliums, moss, ferns, blackberries, and dappled sunlight through the peaceful trees. Also, previous, to Trillium, my daughter and I raised Holland Lop rabbits for a few years and called our rabbitry, “Trillium Springs Rabbitry.”