Weatherwax Trained Dogs Bob Weatherwax Laddie At Super Zoo

SuperZoo – Las Vegas – September 18,19,20

Aptly named, SuperZoo is the annual national convention

for pet retailers, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center

in Las Vegas, NV. Anything you purchase in your

independent pet supply store will be found here – from

grooming tools to aquarium filters, from sensory

aromatherapy to ingenious toys, from flashing collars and

leashes to the latest in raw diets.

Bob, Laddie, and Throttle were present as the special guests

of BRAVO!, a raw food company that occupies the #2 slot

in the industry and also happens to be the food that Laddie

and Throttle eat and thoroughly enjoy. In fact, when Bob

started the big guy and the little guy on the various BRAVO

protein and vegetable blend products, he saw a difference in

the dogs within a week and a noticeable change within two

weeks. Laddie in particular exhibited more get-up-and-go,

more energy, more vigor, more enthusiasm than he had in

quite a while. Bob says the food knocked two years off

Laddie's age. As for Throttle, who already had plenty of

youthful vitality, improvements in his coat and overall body

conditioning were soon evident.

This trip was Throttle's first on-the-road experience with his big buddy. Laddie is an old hand at elevators, hotel rooms, strange and wonderful bushes to sniff, not to mention hordes of people who make a fuss over him. Throttle always trotted right along with Laddie and made sure to sit right next to him. Bob had a few other ideas up his sleeve. He saw the lights and noise and crowds as an opportunity to train Throttle in an environment that was totally opposite to what the Skye terrier mix has been used to up until now.

Bob patiently enticed Throttle up on

Laddie's posing table and established an

intimate rapport that allowed everything

and everyone else in the hall to dissolve

away. It was as if Bob and Throttle were

in a protective bubble that no outside

influence or disturbance could touch.

Slowly and quietly, Bob showed Throttle

what was expected of him, and Throttle

trustingly obliged, happily accepting a

treat for each step of the asked for

behaviors. Bob took several opportunities

over the three days of SuperZoo to

reinforce Throttle's confidence and range

of abilities. In short order, the terrier took

to surveying the crowds with equanimity

from the posing table, deciding who

could pet him and who he would show

no favor to. He's quite a character.

Throttle also took some cues from Laddie.

People from all sections of SuperZoo came

over to the BRAVO booth to have their photos

taken with Laddie. On many an occasion,

Throttle wanted to be part of the action, so he

would jump up on the posing table and demand that he was included in the photo too. Lots of people were pleased to get a photo with both of Bob's dogs. The business of the event, though, was supplying added interest in BRAVO. Bob, Laddie, and Throttle did a spectacular job of bringing attendees to the booth. Laddie did his part by displaying his love of the BRAVO products. There's no better model than this particular collie!

There was even a Hollywood moment when Ed Begley, Jr.,

strolled through the aisles with his cable television show camera crew.

He was attending a garden convention nearby and took a moment to see the action at the pet suppliers' convention. When he realized that the BRAVO booth was the temporary home of Bob and Laddie, he came over to shake Bob's hand, admire Laddie, and recall with great fondness his memories of Rudd and earlier Lassies. Bob and Ed worked together years ago when Bob's Anatolian shepherd, Marlowe, appeared on the television series, Simon & Simon.

Thank you to Bette Loughran and Melinda Miller, BRAVO partners, for inviting Bob and the dogs to SuperZoo. Despite the concentrated amount of work they had to do, both ladies made quite an effort to provide comfort for Bob, Laddie, and Throttle. Bette, Melinda, and Bob had several animated talks about training techniques. You know you're in the presence of devoted dog people when one constantly offers treats to the always eager big dog and the other gets down on hands and knees to play tug at the

little dog's level.