NC update and Merry Christmas

My boy, Paco. Future p4p therapy dog.

Hey everyone,

I'm writing to update you on any goings-on here in North Carolina.

Today was a big day for my dog, Paco. Candace temperament tested him to see if he has what it takes to be a therapy dog. Of course he passed with flying colors (even LANIE thought so) and we're ready for the CGC/Advanced Obedience Test. I have been mighty impressed with Paco in the last year as he has graciously accepted any and every dog I bring into the house as well as enjoyed Fiona (even though she can be quite intense in her 2 year old way). She can hug him, lay on him and mess with his ears, tail and teeth and he'll just give her a kiss on the nose. So, I decided to pull him out of retirement and see how he does in therapy. I think kids would love reading to him :) I've attached a picture so you can see my sweet boy...

CAMDEN and CAYLIE are progressing incredibly well in their transfer training. They're both getting ready for their first Christmas with their families :) As you all know, Kathy, Alex and CAMDEN passed their public access test a couple weeks ago and Kathy will be getting ready for umbilical cord training after the new year. For those of you who don't know, umbilical cord training is when the handler is "attached" by the leash to the service dog 24 hours a day for about two weeks. EVERYTHING you do, the dog does with you. The only real exception to this is if the handler is driving (for safety reasons). Whew! It is quite the learning process!! Kyria and I both did umbilical cord training with our dogs while we were in California...

CAYLIE has slid into life with the Swiger's very well. She's in love with them all and is always very affectionate with Jack. The two of them are definitely buddies, which only makes me smile. CAYLIE is listening really well to Jack and following his commands like sit, down, stand, turn, roll, shake, wave, no mouth, etc... They are quite a pair to watch!

We are still looking for a great home for TAYLOR, so I'm putting another plug out there for her. She's a wonderful girl-house trained, crate trained, doesn't chew things, great with kids, great with other dogs, great with cats and has a good foundation of basic obedience skills thanks to my trainers at Alderson. She's also mellow, has low exercise requirements, is very affectionate and is a real love-bug. She shows great potential to be a therapy dog as well. What more could you ask for???

Merry Christmas to my p4p family!

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