Hello Celebritys

This is John Glionna of the Los Angeles Times, sharing his notes with our Honky Tonk last month. John wrote a sweet article on BR that landed in today's paper. He and Honky seemed to speak the same language, which took the pressure off of us. Being interviewed is nerve-wracking, especially when it's about a topic that's as multi-layered as the State of the Pit Bull Nation. We'd hoped that John's cool hair and relaxed vibe would translate into a story that was low on hype and big on happy, and he certainly gifted us with both. Thanks, John.

Los Angeles Times Article

These big smiles are meant for all the pit bulls that just passed their AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) exams. Linda Chwistek (left) spends a good chunk of her week helping pit bull owners prep their dogs so they can join the Pit Bull Hall of Fame. Jennie Keifer (right) was good enough to test a group of the dogs last weekend. Twenty five dogs have been added to our Fame page. That's crazy good! Congrats to everyone who tested!

We have to applaud the Humane Society of Utah for this wonderful story about their own CGC program. In this age of breed discrimination, putting a CGC on a pit bull is big: It opens doors to rentals, insurance policies and it calms the nerves of naysayer neighbors and mother-in-laws. If you've been thinking about shining up your dog's halo, one of the easiest, most gratifying things you can do is prep him for the CGC exam. Do it! If you're in the SF bay area and your dog has his or her basics pretty well worked out, contact Coach Linda for an appt. to eyeball your dog.

Below is quik-vid of Teddles showing Judge Jennie how cool he is in a crowd situation. He's supposed to stay loose on his leash and avoid jumping up on anyone. He sailed through this test, but a loud train rattled by and he wasn't able to concentrate on his sit-stay well enough to pass the whole exam (Ted's afraid of trains). Better luck next time, buddy.



Jonny Justice here (who passed his CGC exam btw!) is contemplating Eva in her chair. One of the tests involves a distraction, typically a wheeled distraction like a stroller to gauge a dog's ability to stay chill when presented with moving objects.

We're blessed to have Eva's help in our CGC Prep Classes. When she's not distracting the crew, she flirts with the dogs on the sidelines and lets them investigate her chair. Chair-shy dogs are encouraged to find treats tucked on her wheels and lap. It doesn't take long for dogs to say, "Yum! That chair is my ticket to Happy!"