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MARY NEE

Seven years ago, a boxer puppy was brought into the veterinary clinic where Mary Nee works as a veterinary technician. The dog was to be put down because she wasn’t mean and wouldn’t fight. Nee took the four-month-old puppy into her life and into her heart and they have been fast friends ever since.

"I’ve always liked dogs," says Nee, "but I’ve only ever had four of them. My first dog lived 18 years and my second one, 15. Growing up, a friend had a wonderful boxer named Duchess, and I always admired boxers and thought I’d like to have one." Nee’s employer, Susan Stanley (Dr. Sue), advised her against getting a boxer because of the health problems, but the sweet and unwanted puppy was not to be denied.

Nee had never trained a dog, but decided to take Zoey to an obedience class. A friend who trained labradors for competition in obedience told her about a class and Zoey was enrolled along with four golden retrievers. "Of course, I was immediately informed that no one does serious obedience with a boxer," Nee recalls with a chuckle. "That got me going and I decided to go for novice. That class stayed together from Novice all the way through Utility, and Zoey was the first dog in the class to get her UD." Zoey was smart and quick to learn, and although she is a shy dog, she trusted Mary completely and really loved to work.

A member of the Boxer Mailing List (BML), Nee began chatting with Karla Spitzer about training issues. Spitzer is well known in obedience competition circles and has received national recognition with her boxer, Harpo. After Zoey earned her UD, Nee mentioned to Spitzer that she would be looking for a puppy to train and asked Spitzer’s advice on how to go about it. Spitzer mentioned she was planning on breeding her boxer, Helio, and asked Nee if she might be interested in one of the puppies. "I met Karla and her husband, Scott, for the first time last April," says Nee. "I loved all their dogs, but Helio won my heart and I knew she would give me just the right puppy. I also knew that Karla would do the best with the puppies and she did."

At about that same time, Zoey was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. The news was a blow, primarily because training and showing in obedience and agility was an activity that they both enjoyed so much. "Jumping is, of course, now out of the question," says Nee. "But, we still work on the things that she likes. She can still do articles and go-outs and I take her with us to the training building so she still feels included."

In June, Helio gave birth to two beautiful brindle girls. Spitzer named them Charm and Grace and almost from birth began preparing them for their life of learning. She made sure they were exposed to many positive experiences and introduced them to various pieces of training equipment as soon as their eyes were open and they could toddle around. The puppies were allowed to remain with each other and with mom until they were nine weeks old. "Nee traveled to California to spend a week in Spitzer’s home before bringing home her puppy, Charm. "I truly think my spending a week with her made for a smooth adjustment to her new life," says Nee. "She never once cried or looked for her mom or sister. Helio slept with me every night and, if this doesn’t sound too corney, I think she approved of me taking Charm. Dogs are thinking beings and I think we don’t give them enough credit for it. Karla treats her dogs as such and it shows in how they act."

Having Charm in her life has added another dimension to Nee’s experience in the world of dog sports. Under the guidance of a professional handler, Charm has embarked on a conformation career. "I never paid much attention to conformation," Nee confesses. "It seems like the experience in the ring will be a good basis for obedience and I hope Charm will do well. She has beautiful reach and drive. She already has competed in a puppy match and acted like she was an old pro."

Charm is now six months old and her accomplishments are formidable. She can perform go-outs and a directed retrieve, she knows all her hand signals. She and Nee are working hard on good heeling but leaving out the sit-on-halt part of the exercise. Nee’s training philosophy is "if it isn’t fun there is no point in doing it." "I’m not in this for glory," she says. "I just want my dogs to achieve their full potential and to have them look forward to spending this time with me."

"One of the reasons I wanted Mary to have one of my puppies," says Spitzer, is because I believe a dog’s life is enriched by the interaction that comes with training and competing. I knew that Mary shared my philosophy and that she would continue the dog along the path I had started her on."

Nee says that dog training takes patience and a sense of humor. "You can’t take it personally when the dog doesn’t do what you want," she says. "You have to give them a reason to want to do it and you have to be able to read your dog." Nee says she just ignores it when the dog is going through one of the more difficult stages of growth and development and just tries to keep training happy and upbeat.

Lucky dogs that they are, both Charm and Zoey accompany Nee to work each day, where Charm has taken upon herself a new responsibility. Dr. Sue has an eighteen-month-old rescued blind pug named Annie. Charm has become Annie’s eyes. They play together, nap together, and when outside, Charm watches over Annie, steering her out of harm’s way. "Charm absolutely will not come inside without Annie," says Nee. Their friendship has inspired Nee and Stanley to begin working on a book for children with the working title of A Special Friend.

A graduate of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Nee has a degree in anthropology. "There isn’t much funding for archeological digs these days," says Nee, "so I had to find another line of work. I’ve been a vet-tech for eight years and it suits me."

When not working or training her dogs, Nee enjoys reading and photography. Long hikes used to be part of her regime but Zoey isn’t up to that any longer.

No two dogs could come from more different backgrounds than Zoey and Charm. But for Nee, they both represent the best of the human-dog bond and the pleasure that results when teacher and pupil enjoy learning together.