Wren

On August 3, 2003, 10 Labbie puppies: Willa, Wesley, Wren, Winnie, Woody, Whitney, Winter, Wilson, Willis and Wonder; "Wren in her favorite hiding spot at 9 weeks" were born to Rebecca and Coast. 6 puppies passed there test and Southern Tier would be receiving two. Barely a week after Varsity left I got the call that Winnie would be coming to live with us and Willa would be going to a first time raiser. Unfortunately, my family would be up in Syracuse when she would be arriving so the plea went out for someone to take Winnie for a few days till we got back. Sadly there was a medical issue that Willa encountered and was released. Soon after this phone call we found out that a different AC wanted the puppy Wren but wanted to change her name to Winnie and my PE said it was fine so we got Winnie/Wren (that is what it said on all of her things when she came). I could hardly wait to get back from Syracuse to get the new puppy. We met at WalMart to pick her up and it was love at first sight. She was such a little thing, a very dramatic difference between her and my buddy Varsity. She was a very easy puppy and caught on to things very fast. She soon learned that outing were fun. She was allowed to come with me to the nursing home on the weekends when we went to Syracuse to visit my grandfather. She loved to have all the attention. She never once had an accedent or was rough to any one. She quickly became the class favorite and would be switched around at class so that raisers with difficult dogs could have a break. This did change as she got older and hormones started flowing. In March I was asked to do a presentation for 4-Hers at March Madness in Cornell. I was a bit nervous but Wren was there and I did not do as bad as I thought I would (I hate public speaking but with PIT you are always talking). Wren loved to go to after school events with me. She went to her first swim meet ( my senior meet) at the tender age of 12 weeks. She grew up traveling to meets and baseball games. Then came the day that I got up the courage to ask for permission to bring Wren to school for the day. May was eval month and I had to go straight there after school to make it on time. I approached my principal about it and he said..YES! I couldn't believe it. One day at school was better than nothing and there is now the possibility that PIT may be allowed back during school. So we proudly marched into school on the 19th and she was awesome. She proved that she belonged there even though the administration was leery. She showed at county fair and got 100. I was a bit nervous about having a female dog as they go through heat. Also I was afraid that her heat cycle would interfere with her going up to State Fair. Thankfully she waited it out and was able to show at State fair with 2 other Southern Tier puppy raisers. She received a 99 at that show. She also stayed the full two weeks at fair and was an ambassador for GEB in the Cynology booth everyday. I was lucky with her that she went into heat a day before or area's annual pond party. Luckily, it had already been arranged for me to take my AC's golden while she went on vacation and Wren would be going to a helper for a few weeks. After heat she was back to her laid back self. On August 3rd, Wren got a phone call (well I got the call) that she would be returning to GEB for her IFT test on the 22nd of September. I couldn't believe it! They were taking my baby and she was barely a year old! What a shock from having Varsity for 16 months to Wren leaving before I had her for a year. I went into a mourning period. My fingers were crossed when I put my baby on the van to take her back to GEB. As per our tradition set by Varsity and Edwin's departure we (my mom and boyfriend) went out to breakfast at the truck stop. "Wren and I before getting on the van"

My fingers were crossed on the day of Wrens IFT. I didn't know what to expect with her leaving so young. I was relieved to get the phone call that she had passed her IFT. I looked forward to recieving monthly updates on Wren's progress in training. A few months later I got her IFT on a DVD and could not wait to watch it. To my suprise Wren had the worst IFT of the dogs that tested with her. A dog with less reaction to the nasty umbrella was released and Wren made it through. I was confused by this and confered with my AC about it. She said that Wren's evals were good so they passed her because they figured that she had a bad day. From that point forward I started to read between the lines of her training reports but to my suprise in her March report her trainer said that Wren had a great possiblity to graduate soon. It renewed my hope that she would graduate. Sadly on April 20th I got the dreaded phone call that Wren was being released. I was asked to make a decision weither or no tto keep my girl or let her go on to another home. My family and I had discussed this possiblity when we saw her IFT DVD and had already decided that we would take her back. I told my AC this and she made sure that I wasn't just making an emotional decision but I was sure so she sid she would arranger for her to get a ride back home. I was again going to be in Syracuse when she arrived so again I called on the help of the family that took her in when she arrived a s a puppy and they were more than happy to taker her full circle. UPDATE:Wren is now an agility dog and has made it through the Novice level of obedience in 4-H. She has her ILP so that I can show her in AKC obedience and agilty shows. She helps me teach my 4-H obedience, agility and Rally-o classes. She has to relearn her comes and we worked hard on her stand stay. At some point I hope to get her CGC and possibly do Therepy work with her when I get a chance since her favorite thing to do as puppy was go to the nursing home to visit my grandfather. Of course she is a wonderful helper with the GEB pups that come and go. We shall see what the future brings for her. Im glad she is home.

"Wren at a year old."