placeAd(1,'slate.news/slate') Print E-mail Discuss Newsletters ... About Us Search Slate AdvancedàSearch placeAd(3,'slate.homepage/slate') placeAd(6,'slate.homepage/slate'); heavy petting Pets and people. Is Your Dog Fulfilled? Herding classes, obedience school, play dates, day careâÂÂpretty soon you'll be taking your dog to ballet lessons. By Jon Katz Posted Friday, Aug. 8, 2003, at 5:33 AM PT I drive a couple of hundred miles each week so my border collies can embrace their destinyâÂÂor is it their ancestry?âÂÂby herding sheep at a farm. When I'm there, I'm always amazed at the scores of people who show up with all sorts of dogs, from avid herding breeds to bewildered mutts. Their owners are all eager to expose them to the ancient art. "I do agility, obedience, and therapy dog training," the owner of a Lab/shepherd mix told me, "and I'd love to add herding. We have Thursdays and Fridays open." America has enriched its children to the bone with soccer and ballet and computer camp and Chinese lessons. Now it's the dogs' turn. If your mutt isn't "fulfilled" yet, it will be soon. "Fulfillment" is the new buzzword among trendy California dog lovers, the Los Angeles Times reported last fall. The idea is to figure out what a dog was born to doâÂÂherd, hunt, retrieve, sit decoratively on lapsâÂÂand find ways to do it. | |
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