Last night on my way home from work I received a call on my cell phone from Kip’s new mom. She told me he is the cutest dog she’s ever had. She can tell what Kip is thinking by watching his ears. She also told me (sniff!) that when they take him out front, he goes directly to where I had parked my car when I brought him over. Sarah wanted a list of the commands he knows because she doesn’t want him to forget everything he has learned. So, I emailed her a list last night. I will wait a few more weeks before I go over to visit. I want Kip to accept living there as a fact. I’m going to encourage Sarah to take a novice obedience class with Kip. Yes, he knows everything, but she doesn’t, and this will give her a chance to learn. Perhaps she will become hooked and will get his last Rally Advanced leg and show him in Open. That would make me so happy. She’s also interested in the therapy work and may go through the testing and observation with him to become a registered therapy team — that would also make me so happy!
Kip has accepted responsibility for their household and makes trips up and down the stairs and through the house to check on the three people and the Golden. He’s happier when they are all downstairs — it makes it simpler to keep track of them. Yesterday they uncovered the pool and a group went swimming. Kip sat by the edge and accepted pets, but did not even think about diving in (thank goodness). Sarah’s grandchildren came over on Sunday to meet Kip. He was ecstatic to have children there. They urged him to roll over and to lie down — he doesn’t take much encouraging — you just have to applaud for him.
He sounds very happy, Sarah sounds really happy. I think this was such a good thing to do for him.
Sarah just called and all the women who come to her home to swim in the mornings now want a Cardigan just like Kip. As the people who have Leo said, “They don’t understand — there is only one.”