About Us
In 2012, Vicky and her husband, Jeff, purchased their first dog, a black lab, to be trained for hunting. In an effort to find a non-force training program for Mac, Vicky stumbled into nose work. The fun and excitement of the sport was appealing to Vicky while the game was great fun for Mac!
One year later, their family grew when Vicky and Jeff adopted their second dog. Zima, a pit mix, came with some unique abilities – of most concern was her fear of hands. (You can find Zima’s story here: https://deafdogsrock.com/zimas-happy-tail and here: https://deafdogsrock.com/zima-rocks-her-nacsw-nosework-trial)
How does one teach a deaf dog sign language if you cannot get the dog to look at you? Well, nose work of course! Vicky employed the game of nose work into her everyday training program and before long, Zima was as enthusiastic about the game as Mac. It did not take Zima long to figure out communication was through the hands. Had it not been for nose work as a springboard, the training could have taken much longer and been more frustrating on both sides.
In 2014, Chance, a flat coat retreiver mix, joined the family—and nose work training began immediately! His story can be found here: https://deafdogsrock.com/chances-happy-tail. Chance’s neurological issues had the potential to create additional issues in the family and his training- but once again, nose work to the rescue.
While Vicky and Jeff were certain their family was complete with an Oreo Cookie combination of dogs….Jeff is a bit of a softie. And in 2016, Nitro, pittie mix, roared onto the scene. Nitro’s story can be found here: https://deafdogsrock.com/nitro-rocks-his-nose-work-recognition-test-ort
Adopted by the family at 4 months old, she is proving to be the most energetic, scrappy, loveable, driven dog in the house.
Kirk just happened to be standing in the wrong place at the right time. We were in need of an unbiased opinion to balance our Board, we desperately needed a pack mule, and he’s handy! How convenient for us!
Kirk has been background support for 4G & TB long before its birth. He has always supported our ideas, our projects and our trials. Kirk has hauled supplies, setup for events, run dogs, packed vehicles, and come up with some awesome ideas for our business.
While Kirk does not currently have a four legged buddy, he regularly borrows the Double Stuffed Cookie Crew for a doggie fix. (Here you can see Kirk pictured with Chance after they earned a High In Trial)
But Kirk comes to us with a history of great love for furry friends.
Xander was Kirk’s buddy, a well-mannered Weimaraner could not have found a better home than with Kirk. Through no formal training, Kirk taught Xander obedience and tricks. Xander was a faithful sidekick.
The pain of losing Xander to cancer is still felt today. The love and joy of a heart dog will last a lifetime.
Jeff is one half the behind the scenes muscle that makes up 4G & TB. He and Kirk instigate ideas for the business and then pack, haul and set up for us.
Jeff was dragged into the dog world kicking and screaming (although we think it was a bit for show because he sure seems to love this stuff!). He reluctantly joined his wife for training classes with Mac – until he saw the amazing things Mac could do with a little instruction. Even then, Jeff was more interested in having a working dog for his hunting and fishing adventures. Then came scent work!
Eventually Jeff was roped into working his four dogs in the nose work trials. He is quickly progressing as a handler and learning to read his dogs well.
None of that distracts from Jeff’s ideas for growth of the business or customer relations. He and Kirk like to focus on the competitors in our trials – offering unexpected goodies and ensuring customer satisfaction.
While we hate to play favorites – everyone knows Mac is Jeff’s baby. But you would be hard pressed to find him an arm’s distance from his Little Princess, Zima.
