Personal Essay: Gunner The Wonder Dog

Dedication:

To my husband, Allen and children, Nicholas and Danielle, and of course, Gunner the Wonder Dog. L.G.M.

For my own children, Patrick, Amy and Emily. Though you are scattered around the world you remain my primary pack. And in loving memory of my niece Megan, who introduced me to the joy of tiny dogs. E.G.

Hi! I’m Bob Golden. My Person, Beth, rescued me from a shelter. We like to go on adventures. An adventure is when you do something fun and exciting.

Adventure 1: Hiking. We live near mountains, so we go hiking a lot. Sometimes I walk and sometimes I get to go in my pack. That’s a big mountain for a little dog!

After a long hike, I need to stretch, so I do some yoga. This pose is called “Downward Dog.” Do you think they

Now it’s time for you to go and have an adventure of your own. Remember what I always say, “Safety first!” Lori Golden Meyer, a native of Spencer, IA, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA, with a BA in Education. She is a retired reading and language arts teacher and mother of two grown children, Nicholas and Danielle. She enjoys spending time with family, reading, traveling, and being on the water. She and her husband, Allen split their time between Ringsted and Lake Okoboji, IA. About the Photographer:

Elizabeth Golden is a retired Federal K-9 officer with a great passion for all dogs, great and small. While growing up in the countryside of Iowa she spent her younger years hiking the timber bottoms and pastures of her home with five siblings and several fine dogs, along with pet cats, ponies, donkeys, mules, tame raccoons, and many other animals of various feather and scale.

Later, after moving to Nebraska and finally Colorado, she continued to enjoy caring for several more dogs as she raised her three children, Patrick, Amy and Emily. Elizabeth passed her love of dogs on to her children, each of whom owns and loves multiple shelter and foster dogs. Emily, the youngest, has fostered dozens of animals over the years and worked for an animal rescue