Michelle Weber was raised in a family that always had a family dog. Even as a young child she learned to be a lover of dogs and she expressed an interest in learning how to care for them and train them. As a young child, Michelle remembers having a couple black and white dogs named Snoopy. One was a puppy who liked to chew, and he was given away. Another one was hit by a car.
The first dog that Michelle remembers other than vaguely is Benji. Benji came to Michelle's
The first dog that Michelle remembers other than vaguely is Benji. Benji came to Michelle's
family when she was 5 years old. Benji was a Sheltie mix that came from a shelter. Pictured to the left is a 5 year old Michelle with Benji. At first Michelle was somewhat disappointed that he was not black and white and was already named Benji (she wanted another Snoopy!). Then at the age of 7 Michelle and her family moved to a more rural area. It was here that Michelle bonded with Benji. She would come home from school and take Benji in the woods where they would hike trails and play until it got dark. Michelle also took an interest in learing how to train Benji to do "tricks"
like sit, lay down, speak, and play dead, among others. As she learned to train Benji, Michelle found that she had a natural talent in the area of dog training. Of course, it helped that Benji was an intelligent dog. But, Michelle trained Benji and found that she enjoyed doing so.
Unfortunately when Michelle was about 9 or 10, Benji had to be put to sleep. Michelle had bonded with Benji and seriously thought about "kidnapping" him the day he was supposed to be put to sleep. She had planned to take him in the woods and not come back until dark, when the vet would be closed. However, she backed out of this plan for fear of the punishment she would surly face for pulling such a stunt. But Benji had put a love for dogs in Michelle's heart.
Unfortunately when Michelle was about 9 or 10, Benji had to be put to sleep. Michelle had bonded with Benji and seriously thought about "kidnapping" him the day he was supposed to be put to sleep. She had planned to take him in the woods and not come back until dark, when the vet would be closed. However, she backed out of this plan for fear of the punishment she would surly face for pulling such a stunt. But Benji had put a love for dogs in Michelle's heart.
Michelle's family didn't go for long without a dog after Benji was put to sleep. One day while their family was in the mall, Michelle and her sisters spotted some cute, pure black puppies in a pet store window. The puppies stole their hearts and soon they adopted a male cockapoo puppy whom they named Boomer. Boomer stayed black only as long as he was a puppy. The older he got, the more his coat turned to gray. Boomer is pictured to the right.
Michelle again took an interest in wanting to train
Michelle again took an interest in wanting to train
Boomer. He was soon able to master all of the tricks Michelle could think to train him to do. There was one special trick that Michelle taught Boomer. It was actually a game she called "attack." She would have Boomer sit in one corner of the room and tell him to stay. She would then go to the the other corner and stand there for a minute. Boomer would look at her until she finally gave the command "attack." At that point, he would charge at her as she ran toward him and they would wrestle.
Boomer lived to a ripe old age of about 16 or 17. So, Michelle spent the rest of her growing up years with him, and he continued to live with the family even after she graduated college and moved out on her own.
Boomer lived to a ripe old age of about 16 or 17. So, Michelle spent the rest of her growing up years with him, and he continued to live with the family even after she graduated college and moved out on her own.
Copyright 2006 Sugarloaf Lab Farm
Michelle spent 3 months in college on a campus in Florida. The campus is located in a rural area where many people would "dump" off unwanted dogs (a shameful practice!). The students were told not to feed any stray dogs. Well, one particular dog wandered on the campus and Michelle and her roommates couldn't resist themselves. They began to feed him and one of the roommates gave him a bath. They then got attached. Michelle even named this dog George. The name stuck and so did the dog. Everyone grew to love George so much so that he never left. The dean of the school eventually
Michelle and
George in
Florida
George in
Florida
ended up adopting George. When he did, he tried to change George's name, but to no avail. That dog would not answer to anything but George, the name Michelle had given him!
Soon after graduating college, Michelle moved into an apartment that did not allow pets. Lonely for an animal companion, Michelle begged her landlord to at least let her adopt a cat, but he stood firm on the no pets rule. Soon Michelle decided to move and this time she looked for an apartment that allowed pets. She found a duplex that not only allowed them, but also had a fenced in pen with a dog house. Michelle thought about adopting a cat, but she was a natural born dog lover and decided she needed a puppy. A friend happened to know someone who had a black lab. The lab had gotten out and gotten pregnant. So, the owner gave away all the puppies. The owner had given one female puppy to a older lady who didn't realize how hyper puppies are (especially labs) and she asked the man to take the puppy back. So he was stuck with a puppy he needed to find a home for and Michelle would soon be moving into a home she needed a puppy for. Fortunately, Michelle's friend was aware of both situations and told Michelle about the puppy.
Soon after graduating college, Michelle moved into an apartment that did not allow pets. Lonely for an animal companion, Michelle begged her landlord to at least let her adopt a cat, but he stood firm on the no pets rule. Soon Michelle decided to move and this time she looked for an apartment that allowed pets. She found a duplex that not only allowed them, but also had a fenced in pen with a dog house. Michelle thought about adopting a cat, but she was a natural born dog lover and decided she needed a puppy. A friend happened to know someone who had a black lab. The lab had gotten out and gotten pregnant. So, the owner gave away all the puppies. The owner had given one female puppy to a older lady who didn't realize how hyper puppies are (especially labs) and she asked the man to take the puppy back. So he was stuck with a puppy he needed to find a home for and Michelle would soon be moving into a home she needed a puppy for. Fortunately, Michelle's friend was aware of both situations and told Michelle about the puppy.
Michelle went to meet this puppy who was a lab/shepherd mix (to their best guess anyway). She did not know the color of the puppy, but was thinking of a yellow lab and really had her heart set on getting a yellow puppy. When she saw the puppy was black, she almost didn't take her. But, she decided she had come to look and she might as well adopt this one. That was one of the best decisions Michelle had ever made. Michelle took the puppy home and named her
Tilly. A week later, they moved from Jackson, Michigan to Sevierville, Tennessee.
Tilly was a great dog. She was the only family Michelle had in her new home in Tennessee, so they shared a special bond. Michelle again worked on training Tilly, who became a very well trained dog. In fact, there were 3 or 4 people at several different times that asked Michelle if Tilly had been taken to obedience school. Michelle would reply each time, "No, I trained her myself." And each one then expressed their amazement that Tilly was so well trained without having been to obedience school. But, Tilly was an intelligent dog and her owner has a natural talent for training dogs, so it is no wonder that Tilly was so well trained.
Tilly only lived five and a half years. She was born February 28, 1999. On September 10, 2004, she became ill and her kidneys began to shut down. The vet did what he could to save her, but as her kidneys got worse, he advised that there was no more that could be done for her. So, on September 14, 2004, Tilly was put to sleep.
In April of 2005, Michelle began looking for a black lab and a yellow lab. She found 2 black lab prospects right away. One was a 4 month old who had been thrown in a dumpster. She enquired about that dog, but didn't hear back. The other prospect was 5 month old black lab who was put in a foster home by the Lab Rescue. Michelle met this puppy and immediately bonded with her. A few days later, the puppy had a new home and a new name, Shadow.
Shadow was discovered by a man in Oak Ridge, TN in January of 2005. Most likely she was about 6-8 weeks old at Christmas time in 2004, and someone got her as a Christmas present. Many people get animals as presents and soon tire of the work it takes to keep them, so they dump them. This appears to be what happened to Shadow. Although her true background isn't known, she was probably an unwanted Christmas present dumped on the side of the road. Presumably, that is when she showed up at the kind man's house. He took care of her while trying to find her owner. After a couple weeks with no luck, he notified the Lab Rescue who put her in a foster home. The day she moved into her foster home, Shadow came down with parvo, and it almost killed her. But the Lab Rescue provided her with veterinary care and saved her life. She then moved back into her foster home until Michelle adopted her.
Tilly was a great dog. She was the only family Michelle had in her new home in Tennessee, so they shared a special bond. Michelle again worked on training Tilly, who became a very well trained dog. In fact, there were 3 or 4 people at several different times that asked Michelle if Tilly had been taken to obedience school. Michelle would reply each time, "No, I trained her myself." And each one then expressed their amazement that Tilly was so well trained without having been to obedience school. But, Tilly was an intelligent dog and her owner has a natural talent for training dogs, so it is no wonder that Tilly was so well trained.
Tilly only lived five and a half years. She was born February 28, 1999. On September 10, 2004, she became ill and her kidneys began to shut down. The vet did what he could to save her, but as her kidneys got worse, he advised that there was no more that could be done for her. So, on September 14, 2004, Tilly was put to sleep.
In April of 2005, Michelle began looking for a black lab and a yellow lab. She found 2 black lab prospects right away. One was a 4 month old who had been thrown in a dumpster. She enquired about that dog, but didn't hear back. The other prospect was 5 month old black lab who was put in a foster home by the Lab Rescue. Michelle met this puppy and immediately bonded with her. A few days later, the puppy had a new home and a new name, Shadow.
Shadow was discovered by a man in Oak Ridge, TN in January of 2005. Most likely she was about 6-8 weeks old at Christmas time in 2004, and someone got her as a Christmas present. Many people get animals as presents and soon tire of the work it takes to keep them, so they dump them. This appears to be what happened to Shadow. Although her true background isn't known, she was probably an unwanted Christmas present dumped on the side of the road. Presumably, that is when she showed up at the kind man's house. He took care of her while trying to find her owner. After a couple weeks with no luck, he notified the Lab Rescue who put her in a foster home. The day she moved into her foster home, Shadow came down with parvo, and it almost killed her. But the Lab Rescue provided her with veterinary care and saved her life. She then moved back into her foster home until Michelle adopted her.
In July of 2005, Michelle's mother knew of someone who had white and yellow Lab puppies. She told Michelle about the puppies, and Michelle expressed interest in a white female (there was only one). In August, Michelle's mother made a trip to Tennessee and brought the puppy with her. The puppy who was once white, was now yellow and so Michelle named her Sunshine. And now with two Labs and a Foster Lab
living with her, Michelle had no choice but to open a Lab Farm. Her love for dogs and her natural talent in training them, qualifies her to provide the services the Lab Farm offers. Michelle is currently looking into becoming a professional dog trainer, and pledges to always offer quality products and services through the Lab Farm.
Tilly
Michelle
Shadow
Sunshine
Shadow
Sunshine
Boomer
