"He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another (wo)man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is my protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog." ―Gene Hill
My wife and I first saw MacGyver and his littermates when they were four weeks old in August of 2013 at an Australian Shepherd breeder in Shingle Springs near Auburn, CA. I was impressed with the mother and with all of the pups’ calm dispositions. Four weeks later, we picked up this furball puppy to drive back home to Santa Barbara. We soon stopped for lunch and while sitting outside eating, we watched our new puppy. He was sitting close by in his crate in the back of our vehicle, and he unexpectedly started to howl. Right there, I knew this dog was special and was hopeful that he was going to be an exceptional search and rescue (SAR) K9.
Why name this puppy “MacGyver”? His coloring is a Red-Tri, and I had high hopes that he would solve many puzzles in his future. I started training immediately after bringing him home, and MacGyver learned his commands and the game of search quickly with enthusiasm. He was a joy, became potty-trained quickly, never dug, had an over-the-top play and prey drive, and soon became an important member of our pack. He also seemed to enjoy hanging out with me at the SAR station. MacGyver taught everyone how to play tug with him and soon was my perfect boy.