Merlot & Izzy and Their Owners

By Miriam Conner

Walden members Amanda Bell and Michael Barnes were married in 2015 and moved to Aurora in 2017. They were familiar with the area and wanted a dog-friendly home with some character. They went to an open house at a home right across the street from Walden. Sadly, their chocolate lab, Casey, passed away in 2022. But when they saw the house, it was perfect for Casey because it had a pond where she could swim! They fell in love with the house, and the location so close to Walden was a bonus. Being able to walk the dogs in Walden was a big perk. The last couple of years has kept them busy with home renovations.

Amanda, who works in IT and project management, grew up in a suburb of Toledo and Michael, who works as a market manager in the snow and landscape industry, grew up in Elyria.

The couple saw signs for Walden’s food and wine fest and that piqued their interest in Walden. They attended and were hooked. “We could then see ourselves coming to

Walden for meals and other activities.”

A lot of Amanda’s time involves her hobby, which is training her dogs — a 3-year-old fox red lab named Merlot and a 13-year-old miniature schnauzer named Izzy — and working with them in dog sports competitions.

In December 2019, Merlot was going to puppy school. But a few months later due to Covid, the dog schools closed; this also meant a lack of socialization opportunities for Merlot. Merlot’s breeder posted pictures of a red lab, Merlot’s great grandfather, Oscar, dock diving at Duke’s K9 Dash N’ Splash Dock Diving facility in Windham. It turns out, dock diving was in her DNA. The facility has over 10 acres dedicated to their sports facility for dogs of all sizes, ages and athletic ability, including two outdoor pools, barn hunt, a frisbee field, FastCAT 100-yard timed dash for dogs, obstacle course, and a soonto-be-completed indoor pool. Amanda, Michael and Merlot went for a lesson and the next weekend, Merlot was swimming and jumping off the dock into the pool in her first competition.

They have traveled for competitions all over North America including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Missouri, Michigan, Florida, and even Canada.

Last April, Merlot qualified for the AKC Diving Dogs Premier Cup, which is a competition of some of the best diving dogs in the country, televised on ESPN. Merlot was one of 10 dogs competing in Air Retrieve, one of the events in dock diving where the dogs run down the dock and jump to grab a toy suspended over the water at a certain distance. Every time it was moved farther away; Merlot grabbed it at 16 feet. Her personal best is 20 feet. Six months after watching Merlot on TV, they found out that she had her very own GIF. “This was a fantastic experience for us. We met a great community of people and made many friends,” Amanda says.

Both Merlot and Izzy compete in Barn Hunt, a sport that involves dogs sniffing around a barn or barn-like course for rats. It’s a game of hide-and-seek for dogs and their owners. The trained rats are placed in protective, breathable tubes and hidden in hay bales. There are many different titles that a dog can receive based on their proficiency in the job performed. Izzy began competing in Barn Hunt two years ago at age 11. She and Merlot both attend barn hunt classes once a week in Windham at Duke’s. Barn hunts are good for older dogs, as they help to exercise their minds.

Both dogs have brought home some nice titles and placements: Izzy for Barn Hunt, AKC Trick Dog, and The Canine Good Citizen title, and Merlot has many dock diving titles, several placements at regional competitions, and has competed at the national level with International Dog Sports and North America Diving Dogs. Her personal best for Distance Jump is 23 feet, 5 inches.

Mike’s involvement in the dog competitions is one of more moral support; this is Amanda’s hobby. “He humors me,” she says. Mike was excited to drive to Springfield, Missouri for a national competition in 2021 and then to Ocala, Florida in 2022

Izzy is still competing at age 13. She has no plans to stop. She has fun at barn hunt class, competes in trials, and uses her treadmill at home during the winter months.

Merlot was a “Covid puppy,” so socialization has been tricky. Mike and Amanda have to do extra work with her to get her used to some situations and people. Amanda works with her on long walks in Walden. Merlot will keep competing and can’t wait for the outdoor dock diving season to begin in May.

They all enjoy living across from Walden’s Hole #3. Merlot watches golfers from the porch.

Amanda says, “Walden is such a cool, unique place.” Amanda used to work in building and design and thinks it is fascinating to walk around and look at the homes and unique features.

Be on the lookout for these two award-winning dogs this spring, walking around Walden. Say “Hi” to their owners, too.