9/29/13

What a perfect last week with Chester! There were some special guests, including the new warden, and one dog from each of the prison's training programs (the other two being CCI and Easter Seals) was selected to give a demonstration. Chester was chosen from the greyhound program. As usual, he was well-mannered, obedient and very charming. The guests were all amazed that this greyhound could perform all the same advanced commands as the dogs in the other two programs, who stay there for a year or more. As he leaves the program, his list of commands mastered is: sit, down, stay, here, heel, shake, bed, stairs, wait, kennel, visit, touch, up and off, pick it up (he brings the item to you), lap, speak, hug, and turn lights off/on. His handler is so proud of him and of their achievement together. They learned a lot from each other. When she was sad or missing her family, Chester filled that void and made her happy. He is an amazing dog and "a breath of fresh air in a place like this."