If you’re ever on Club Drive and see someone walking three dogs, it’s likely not a sitter but instead Ned and Garland Simon with their two pups Darcy and Cooper and granddog Hanson. All three dogs love walks and know the word “outside” means it’s time to go for one.

 

Hanson, an eight-year-old lab/boxer mix, stays with Ned and Garland when their daughter Cameron travels for work. He is so often part of the pack that neighbors inquire about him when he is missing. Cameron, who lives in Virginia Highlands, fostered and then adopted Hanson from the Greenville, SC, Humane Society when she was living there.

 

Darcy and Cooper are also rescues. The Simons met Darcy at City Dog Market. The nine-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound mix was found in a dumpster in Dahlonega and brought to Atlanta. At the time, the Simons had a lab who embraced Darcy during an in-home visit, resulting in her finder choosing their family for Darcy’s forever home. She is named for Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.

 

Cooper, a seven-year-old purebred American Staffordshire Terrier, was found in a wooded area near Windy Hill Road. It took six weeks for rescuers to capture Cooper, who by then was about 15 pounds underweight and had multiple fractures and a dislocated front leg. He entered the Simons’ house weak, timid, and mistrusting of everyone but is now what they say is probably the sweetest dog they have ever owned.

 

Despite that sweetness, Cooper loves to wrestle with Darcy and steal squeaky toys from both Darcy and Hanson. He is also an accomplished intermediate-level agility competitor. Darcy is a scent hound and has been known to track and then trap local deer in the yard. She also loves to swim, particularly in the pool at Atlanta Dog Trainer in Alpharetta. Hanson is extremely obedient, responds to both voice commands and hand signals, and can walk around Historic Brookhaven off-leash.

 

In addition to “outside,” the three know “car ride” means it’s time for an outing in the Simon’s Yukon XL. They are thrilled regardless of whether it’s a ride around the block, trip to Little Nancy Creek Park, or visit to the Frosty Caboose in Chamblee for ice cream.

 

All three dogs love being around Ned and Garland as well as one another. “They are truly pals and seldom are apart from one another,” Ned and Garland said. “When Hanson is dropped off for a stay he is greeted like a long lost relative.”

 

As well as walks, the Simons have created indoor fun for Darcy, Cooper, and Hanson. They play a scent work game called Find It where treats are hidden throughout the house. The game begins with the three dogs in “wait” command. Ned or Garland will say “Find it” and an energetic competition to find the treats begins. “It’s as much fun for us to watch as it is for them to do,” said Ned and Garland.

 

When preparing for a recent walk, Hanson scooted under an open garage door and spotted two deer in the front yard. He took off, and Darcy and Cooper followed suit. None of the dogs were leashed and a neighborhood chase began – the dogs after the deer and the Simons after the dogs. “One of us was on foot, the other in the car following the Fi Tracking Collar on Darcy, but she turned out to be faster than the GPS could keep up,” says Ned. “It was only after they were worn out from chasing the deer that we were able to get them.”

 

Ned and Garland say all three dogs are spoiled with plush dog beds as well as spots to sleep in human beds and on sofas, and a gourmet healthy diet at each meal. “When our two children moved out for good these pups filled the void,” they say. “There is no empty nest syndrome for us, and they bring us joy every day.”