Hickory Hollow Llewellin Setters

[Laura]

Luckily for "CGC" they don't test the dog for how destructive they are at home. Thanks for keeping us in stitches!
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Laura Whitlock
HHLS Webmaster / Forum Administrator
Website: www.hickoryhollowllewellins.com

"Llewellins are like potato chips, you can't have just one!"

[Rex]

Not a baby, but still a pup......at 8.5 months, Gracie passed the CGC test tonight. She literally strolled right through it and was a star performer.www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm

This time for the "down-stay-recall", rather than dropping like a sack of potatoes like she did for the STAR puppy test, she chose to inch her way down to the ground, alternating her front legs out in front of her until she was in the proper prone position --- then let out a big sigh. Her recall was nearly as dramatic. On command to 'come', she just sauntered over in front of me then sat making great eye contact that said "you gotta be kidding....we've been doing this routine for weeks. Haven't you figured it out yet?" In fairness to her, I didn't tell her how fast to 'come.' Now, if she would only transfer her "good citizenship" to her habits at home

Class was over early, so we were allowed to introduce our dogs to the agility equipment. Wow! The first time around I let Gracie explore and smell the various apparatus. She was a little wobbly on the dog walk and I lured her across with a trail of treats.......but holy smokes!!! Hang on to your socks The next time around she flew with abandon up and down the dog walk and A-frame, shot though the tube to Jen, and leaped over a series of four jumps. I watched the expression on her face and it was pure joy....like saying "more, more, faster, faster" We will enroll Leo and her in an upcoming agility class later this summer....that should be an interesting experience
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Dr. Rex Williamson
"My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dogs already think I am."

[Rex]

Grace's training for leaving "illegal" items alone is taking baby steps (see post about counter surfing.) Instead of sneaking off to the backyard for a leisurely chew and destroy session, often she will bring us the item and drop it at our feet. Trust me, we'd much rather she do that. I just wish she would have done that with my glasses She probably was just being polite and didn't want to awaken me in the wee dawn hours when I inadvertently left them in a "danger zone", aka floor, end table, coffee table, etc. .....in fairness to her, she did try to awaken me at dawn by planting two paws firmly on my chest, as is her DAILY custom.....It's a calculation on her part --- if I had arisen with her, then I would have found my glasses on the coffee table before she did, put them on and they would not be a mangled mess.....it's her way of saying that I'm partly to blame!........the first place we look when we can't find some item is in the back yard---what's that say about the situation ..... A carpenter was working in our house installing some doors.....the day's conversation went something like "Oh, thank you for the drill bit, Gracie"..."Oh, nice screwdriver, Gracie. Thank you"......"Thank you for the vacuum attachment, Gracie." Fortunately the carpenter is a dog lover and all the doors were hung in plum.

Last night just as we were getting into bed a rather severe thunder storm rolled through. There was a huge clap of thunder. Gracie's head shot up, her ears perked up, and she ran out of the bedroom. The next thing I knew, she returned to bed with her favorite stuffed animal I don't want to anthropomorphize her, but the timing WAS incredible!
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Dr. Rex Williamson
"My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dogs already think I am."

[Rex]

Today Gracie and Leo helped my wife and I teach 3 and 4 year olds about safely approaching and petting dogs. Our community sponsors a "safety town" that includes topics such as stranger danger, fire safety, pet safety...you get the idea. Thirty-five preschoolers per class is alot of energy but the Llews were up to it and demonstrated how dogs rely on their senses of sight (recall, sit, down to hand signals), hearing (recall to whistle), and smell (pick the correct fist holding the piece of cheese).....that was their favorite I was pleased that Gracie was able to focus on commands considering all of the wiggly distractions in the room. Leo acted like a pro, but between you and me, was in a "sitting point", if there is such a term, as he intently concentrated on the birds just outside the window. It was a distraction from the distractions in the room!! One is never quite certain exactly where Leo's brain is at any given moment. Its focus changes rapidly and frequently

We talked a little more, at a preschooler's level, about how a dog shows how he's feeling (growling, tail wagging) and what to do if a dog approaches and you are afraid of it ("be a tree"....don't run). Jen read a brief story with the concept of always asking permission to pet a dog and let the dog smell your hand before petting. Then each preschooler practiced that skill, with Leo and Gracie being more than willing recipients of attention.....and they were exhausted after the stress of those performances for two different classes of preschoolers.

I never had a scintilla of doubt that they could do it or that they would be anything but well-behaved ambassadors for the breed.
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Dr. Rex Williamson
"My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dogs already think I am."

[Rex]

With the permission of the nursing home activity director, Grace was allowed to visit the nursing home with Leo on August 23. Since she is not an "official" therapy dog, I thought it a good idea to clear it with her first. Grace followed her brother who looked a little bit like a ticked-leprechaun dressed in Delta Society green. She acted like a pro....walked right into the elevator without hesitation and sat and waited for command to exit the elevator. The residents were interested to see the 'brother and sister' and had many questions.....that's good mental stimulation for them. Grace was extremely well-behaved (Leo could take a lesson from her sometimes ) and all went well. In fact, the Delta Society team evaluator was so impressed that she invited Grace to take the test for therapy dog in late September, just after her first birthday. Dogs must be at least one year before being allowed to take the test. I'll post after we have the experience. I'm guessing that Gracie will put her own twist on the evaluation!

I'm thinking that Leo and Gracie have the system figured out....I mean, what's not to like about being a therapy dog?....you get a CAR RIDE (yippee) to the facility, get showered with positive attention, then get another car ride home!!!
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Dr. Rex Williamson
"My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dogs already think I am."