Niyo’s Notes

Hi, my name is Niyo and I am a four year old Golden Retriever.  Before my Mom (Shelley) got me---she prayed for a Spirit that would help her in the work that she did with clients.  I came to be with her to help people open their hearts.  My name Niyo is short for the Oneida name Lawelyani yo meaning “He has a good heart.”  I have some other names too.  My Mom’s niece (I guess she would be my cousin!) Natalie had suggested the name Marshmallow so that is now my last name.  Natalie was also learning Italian and wanted my middle name to be “Ciao”(pronounced chow).  So my name is Niyo Ciao Marshmallow!

I am a counselor just like my Mom.  I go to doggie day care and it is one of my favorite places.  When a dog comes in that is scared they put me and that dog into a room I let them know it’s OK—that this is a safe place and they are going to have fun.  To help them feel safer I roll on my back to let them know I won’t hurt them.

I go to doggie day care to play with all of my friends.  When I was little I went there more while my Mom saw clients.  She wanted me to be a little puppy and have fun with my friends before I was in sessions with her and started helping her clients.

 I’m so excited because she thinks I’m big enough to be in sessions with her now.  She says we have to go to dog training first because when people come to the door I like to be really close to their face so I jump up to be closer.  She says not everyone likes that and we need to work on me being a little calmer when they come in.  I can’t help it I just LOVE people and the closer I can get to them the BETTER.  She also said when I am in session not everyone likes it that I lay on them.  I don’t understand why everyone wouldn’t want to be very close to me and cuddle---it is so much fun!  Anyway we are doing to see Doris Herber our dog trainer---who I just LOVE in the next few weeks. 

It was a big step for my Mom to get me because she was scared of dogs.  When she was a little girl she was biten by a dog two times and it scared her very much.  Even when she got me she was a little scared of me---even though I told her I would never bite her.  What helped her was working with Doris the dog trainer to learn more about dogs and how to train me.  We started working with Doris when I was a little puppy.  We eventually went with Doris into the schools and did a dog safety program—teaching little kids how to approach dogs safely.  I love little kids and I was very nice to them so they could feel safe and know how to approach dogs so the dogs feel safe.  It also helped my Mom too to help little kids to not have to go through what she went through.

My best friend is Breezy.  We love to play together.  She is my Mom’s friend Ines’s dog.  Breezy was hurt a lot when she was little and then she was adopted by Ines.  Ines is so loving that it didn’t take long for Breezy to know that she was in a safe place and that she would never be hurt again.  Breezy is so loving and one of the best friends you could ever have.  She is on a road trip with her Mom so I haven’t seen her in a few weeks—I miss her!

I will be writing notes here when I have time.  So check back to hear about my latest adventures!  Love, Niyo