~ Customer Service Department ~

Sam Larson, CD RN CGC TDIA

    Sam Its 5 Oclock Somewhere, CD RN CGC TDI or  "Sam" has been with me since the beginning of my private landscape design business. He came to be with us from the Cranston Animal Shelter in April of 2000. Sam is an 9 year old Rottweiler or Rottie. He was at the shelter because when he was three months old he had been hit by a car and broke his pelvis. The people who bought him didn't want to pay for his vet bills. He had been bounced around from home to home due to no fault of his own. Sam had to be returned from one home because his new Dad was diagnosed with bone cancer and couldn't take care of him. We "interviewed" him and found he had a winning personality, was a real people pooch, and all of the qualifications for the job of personal companion. He has since increased his qualifications by being dual titled with AKC obedience titles of Companion Dog (CD) and AKC Rally Obedience Novice (RN). He also has his AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate and has passed the Therapy Dog International test (TDI). Sam has earned one first place, three second places, a third place and one fourth place at the 9 obedience and rally-o trials he has participated in. He has been continuing his education by attending Open and Utility Obedience classes and Rally Advanced and Excellent classes with a local obedience club.  These classes would be like his Masters and Doctorate in Competition Obedience and Rally Obedience if he were a person.

 Since the fall of 2006, Sam spends his Wednesday afternoons visiting the residents of a Warwick assisted living facility right down the street.  He really enjoys this new job of his as do the people he visits. He made 50 therapy visits and received a Therapy Dog International Active (TDIA) certificate in the winter of 2007/2008. Due to Sam's age and some health issues he had this past winter, Sam is retired from the show world but will still be working as a therapy dog and with The Garden Consultant.

    Sam is a great customer service representative. He is a fabulous listener and will try to make everything all right with a big rottie grin on his face and his little nubby tail wiggling. He is an very active member of The Garden Consultant.  Sam spends countless hours with me in my office helping me work. He comes with me to various suppliers and retailers to look at plant material or other landscape supplies. Sam accompanies me on missions to the copy shop and the office supply store. He meets all of the landscape contractors who we work with, all of which have Sam's paw print of approval. Sometimes, Sam will even come to the job site and meet the client to make sure the customer is totally satisfied. Every client Sam has met, he has won them over, been invited into their homes, and even has been asked back for a follow up visit on numerous occasions. The photo to the left is of Sam making sure of the highest quality control of this project in Newport. As you can see, that big Rott'n smile says it all about the job being done!

Lars Larson

Lars is the newest addition to The Garden Consultant office! He was born in Macedon, New York on December 2nd, 2007. His registered name is Deerwood's Larson Bravo Zulu and his breeder is Pauline Karalia and Deerwood Rottweilers.  Lars comes from impeccable working lines and his parents are highly accomplished in Obedience, Tracking, Herding, and Agility. Here's the link to his litter's webpage on this grandfather's owner's page (Esmond Rottweilers) - Deerwood's "L Litter". He was the green ribbon and the smallest puppy in this litter. Lars came home with me on January 25th, 2008 and has assimilated himself very well with our family and Sam. Sam wasn't sure what to think about the new puppy but after a couple of weeks, he deemed Lars to be okay to play with and acknowledge. At almost 6 months old, Lars has already completed Puppy I and II classes. He has started to take classes for handling in the breed ring, rally and pre-agility.  I have great aspirations for the littlest "L Nino" (the nickname Pauline gave to the pups.) I am planning to work him in obedience, agility, tracking and maybe herding plus show him in the breed ring. Something I would like to try with Lars is Canine Water Sports like what the Newfoundlands and Portuguese Water Dogs do. It would give us something to work with in the heat of the summer and the boy loves water even at this young age. His position with The Garden Consultant is the Customer Service Intern. He's learning the ropes of customer service and office operations from our senior rep, Sam. So, definitely stay tuned to Lars' progress as I think he is a performance dog superstar in the making!

 

Copyright © 2000-2008

Cristin M. Larson; The Garden Consultant and Landscape Design