A Champion Dog Owner: Nancy Usher and Gracie

The benefits of dog ownership are well documented. They include better health, more exercise, a more active social life and a happier, more positive outlook. Experienced Hodnett Cooper REALTOR Nancy Usher sees it all the time when going on listing appointments and showing homes, “a house with a dog just feels like home,” she says, “and dog owners just feel like friends.”

Nancy has taken dog ownership to a new level. A little over a year ago, Nancy met Gracie, a Weimaraner puppy with AKC championship parents. Gracie’s breeder asked Nancy to commit to doing dog shows in order to earn Gracie’s AKC championship. In just a year, Gracie has earned five of the fifteen points needed. “Weimaraners are known to be high energy and need a lot of exercise and stimulation,” Nancy explains, “so Gracie loves the training and attention it has taken to earn the points.”

Gracie winning “Best of Breed”

Because Nancy is a full-time REALTOR in Brunswick and St. Simons Island, she has a handler who takes Gracie to out-of-town shows. Nancy admits the house feels incredibly empty when Gracie is away and Nancy spoils her rotten when she returns. Back at home, Nancy indulges Gracie in additional training including field training, agility training and dock diving.

Gracie seems to take it all in stride, especially considering she’s been crowned “The South’s Greatest Pet” by South magazine and was selected to appear in the 2015 Weimaraner Club of America calendar. “She still likes to watch me cook, lay at my feet and get into trouble here and there. She hasn’t become a diva yet,” Nancy says.

Regardless of the awards and rigorous training schedule, Nancy primarily likes having Gracie around. She’s certainly getting all the touted benefits of dog ownership. So much so, that Nancy has plans to breed Gracie to continue the lineage and spread the Weimaraner joy to other homes.

Gracie’s next competition is November 28 in Savannah, Georgia.

GO, GRACIE, GO!

Nancy Usher

Nancy Usher
Associate Broker, Hodnett Cooper Real Estate

Graduate, Realtor Institute
Accredited Buyer’s Representative
Seller Representative Specialist

Prior to beginning her real estate career, Nancy Usher planned and designed new homes for construction for 17 years. She brings her background and knowledge of home construction to real estate, which is an invaluable asset to her clients. Since beginning in real estate in 2007, Nancy has been involved in the industry and has served as GRI Governor, Director at Golden Isles Association of Realtors and is a graduate of the Georgia Association of Realtors Leadership Academy.
Nancy loves the thrill of hunting for a home and the satisfaction of a successful negotiation. Nothing pleases and motivates her more than a client thanking her for doing a great job on their behalf. Nancy believes her job is to handle all the headaches so that clients can move on to more important things, like beginning their new lives.