Dog of the Month

Submitted by Marti Ohmart, Proud Owner of Lakota
	Lakota is a rescue dog who came to me from fellow JAZZ Club member, Sherri Pederquist. The family he had belonged to bought him from a pet store and then couldn’t find the time to care for him. He had been crated most of his two years and was never properly socialized. He was not an easy dog to get to know -- always biting first, and asking questions later! Once at home with me, it took two weeks for him to voluntarily leave his crate…even though the crate door was never again closed. One evening as I sat reading, I noticed that he had combat-crawled out of the crate and across the floor so that he could see what was going on with me and the other animals -- Buddy (another sheltie) and Moo (the cat). The minute I noticed him and spoke to him to praise him for his bravery, he turned and scooted back into the crate!
It took quite a long time (measured in MONTHS) to get Lakota to trust me and join the others in play, but what really helped with that was that we began agility training together. He has made great progress, both in agility and in trust. In two seasons, he earned his NAC title in NADAC and completed CPE levels 1, 2, & 3 -- titling and placing in all games and standard classes. In September, he won the high dog in trial at the CPE match in Stone Ridge NY – a real surprise and thrill for me – a real accomplishment for a little dog who has had so much to overcome. I’ve had many, many dogs over the years – some rescues, some not – but Lakota holds an extra-special place in my heart. My love for and devotion to him will never equal the love and devotion he has given to me.

DOG OF THE MONTH