WP's Testimonials

Joy: Go Forth Rejoicing

Our first service dog!

Joy is absolutely wonderful and the light of my life. She is becoming an incredible PSD In Training. If I fall asleep during the day, she won't let me sleep more than two hours before she gently licks my nose to wake me up. If I have an anxiety attack while we're out, she'll automatically go from my side to sitting directly in front of me, facing me and she doesn't take her eyes off of me until I tell her that I'm okay. That is not a skill you can teach. They either have that ability or they don't. She amazes me everyday!

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and some days my hands are so stiff and painful that if I drop something on the floor like my hairbrush, coins, car keys, the leash, etc., I have to use both hands to scoop up whatever I dropped. So, Joy is not only my PSD In Training, she is also my Assistance Dog In Training. I've taught her to pick up whatever I indicate and she does it beautifully. She'll pick the item up and place it in my hand. I have a soft braided rope on my laundry basket so on days when my hands hurt, she pulls the basket for me. Of course I make sure that the basket only contains very light loads. Our next laundry task is teaching her to take the laundry from the dryer and drop it in the basket.

Most of Joy's training requires her to carry herself with great decorum since we are in the process of public access training. However, she is an extremely athletic young dog with boundless energy so I'm always looking for ways to exercise her where she can just have fun. Last summer we took an agility class through the Greater Fredericksburg Area Kennel Club and she excelled at it. I, on the other hand have trouble running on uneven ground because of the RA in my feet and ankles but I set up a mini course in my yard using dowels that I stuck in the ground for weave poles, a hula hoop for the tire and a mop handle for the pole jump.

Her favorite Exercises are trotting along beside me on bike rides and playing fetch with squeaky tennis balls. I don't ride my bike in snow or rain but she has a winter coat and a raincoat so the weather hasn't prevented us from taking daily walks and she absolutely loves the snow! The snow stopped our bike rides and most of our games of fetch since we kept losing balls so I had to come up with another way to exercise her physically and mentally other than our walks. I moved all the furniture out of my living room and put it in the dining room. This gave us a wonderful "training" room where we started learning Canine Musical Freestyle. I got Joy to be my PSD because of Recurring Major Depression and Anxiety. Now I'm dancing with her to 1950's rock n' roll and having a ball!!

Kirk, my husband, has said many times that Joy is worth every cent we spend on her because of what she's done for me. He couldn't believe it when he came home from work and found Joy and me dancing in the living room! LOL! He said if he hadn't seen it he'd never believe it because Joy dances better than he does! LOL! We've recently added a new move to our routine. I sit on my knees on the floor and hold my arms out to the sides and she'll jump over one arm go around my back and jump over the other arm making a circle around me.

Now that the weather is better we go to area parks for hikes on the trails and we love wandering around downtown Fredericksburg where everyone absolutely loves her. When she's wearing her vest, she's working and can't visit so I make sure we have "off duty" visits where we leave her vest in the car so her many admirers can pet her and tell her how beautiful and wonderful she is.

Last week I had an appointment with my Rheumatologist and took Joy for the first time. My doctor was amazed at how well behaved Joy was and when she saw Joy pick up her leash and hand it to me, she was blown away and told me that she wanted to learn more about Assistance Dogs because she has other patients who would greatly benefit from having one of these wonderful dogs in their lives. Not only the fact that Joy assists me with different tasks but the fact that she gets me out of the house and keeps me moving. Since I got her, I've lost 41 pounds!

She is an amazing dog and more intelligent than any dog I've ever had. She loves to work and will work more eagerly for a game of catch or fetch with the tennis ball than she will for treats, although she loves her treats. I bought a book called Poodle Clipping and Grooming by Shirlee Kalstone and do all of her grooming myself. I've only had her groomed professionally three times since I've had her. The lady that taught the agility class that we took last summer is a master groomer and Standard Poodles are her passion. Her name is Annie Grace and she does some limited breeding. Her male and female that she breeds have gotten their championships in the breed ring and are titled agility dogs as well as TDI Therapy Dogs. She really liked Joy's athletic ability on the agility field and offered to work with us on agility and to help me with my clipping skills. I couldn't help but laugh because I'm very aware that I'm not a groomer by any means but Joy and I are learning together.

Joy's excellent breeding shows through despite my lackluster clip jobs and everyone who sees her asks if she is a show dog. Poodle people ask where I got her and of course I always tell them. She is small at 44 pounds but to me she is the perfect size because in the evening when it's time to relax, I kick back in my recliner and invite Joy to join me so we can cuddle. She never gets on the furniture on her own and the only chair she is allowed in is my recliner and then, only when I invite her. On cold damp evenings, she is better for my bones than any heating pad or hot water bottle and she's done more for me than anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication ever could.

I'm sending you several photos but the files are large so I'm only sending one per e-mail since I've had problems trying to send more than one at a time.

Take care, Cathy & Joy

Barny the Wonder Dog

Katie, just a little off line response, your comments about trying to do what's right for the dog and people are very kind, and on point. you're also correct that Parker is a crowd pleaser in our house, he's a very handsome dog and he should do well in show. Perhaps if the heavens align in a certain way Parker will land here, if they align differently, he will land in another loving home, just not this one, but by then you may have another litter of wonderful poodles, one of which may need people as Barny-boo did. It's such a joy to see Barnaby prancing around the house with his poodle tail high and wagging so fast it looks like it might fly off !!

He's a happy dog Katie. I know you care about all of your dogs as if they were all your kids, you can rest easy that Barnaby landed well. Four months ago Jana wasn't so sure about a dog, and now she wants Barny to stay in the 'big bed' and is a bit disappointed when he hops down to go to Brendan's room (as am I). But, Barny's wanting to be with Brendan is as it should be in many ways. Barnaby is so happy to see Jana and me when we come home, but Brendan is his guy for sure. thank you for allowing us the joy of Barnaby in our lives Katie, Merry Christmas and best of the season to you and yours, Dick

Dick, Jana, Brendan and Barnaby, Herndon, Virginia

Guess this is only about four months late! Anyway...Fancy is doing great! As you know she is a certified therapy dog for Fairfax County. Last summer we had the opportunity to obtain a beautiful 3-year old black Standard Poodle from the Loudoun County shelter. Stella was given up due to a divorce situation and we were fortunate to get her. She has been a wonderful companion to Fancy and they get along just great! We think Fancy has lost a few years as she seem to be acting more like a five year old than a nine year old! We take both dogs for daily walks of about an hour or so....they get lots of exercise. Stella is the opposite of Fancy....always excited...while Fancy likes to take it easy and slow most of the time. We love them
both and they seem to be very happy in our household. I've attached a couple photos we took yesterday (4/12/09).

Thanks for keeping in touch.

Peter, Robin, and Fancy, Falls Church, Virginia

Here's an updated picture of Fancy, who's still going strong at over 10 years of age! Fancy is a certified therapy dog.

	WP's Testimonials Here are some of our babies in their new homes.
	Joy: Go Forth Rejoicing Our first service dog! Joy is absolutely wonderful and the light of my life. She is becoming an incredible PSD In Training. If I fall asleep during the day, she won't let me sleep more than two hours before she gently licks my nose to wake me up. If I have an anxiety attack while we're out, she'll automatically go from my side to sitting directly in front of me, facing me and she doesn't take her eyes off of me until I tell her that I'm okay. That is not a skill you can teach. They either have that ability or they don't. She amazes me everyday! I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and some days my hands are so stiff and painful that if I drop something on the floor like my hairbrush, coins, car keys, the leash, etc., I have to use both hands to scoop up whatever I dropped. So, Joy is not only my PSD In Training, she is also my Assistance Dog In Training. I've taught her to pick up whatever I indicate and she does it beautifully. She'll pick the item up and place it in my hand. I have a soft braided rope on my laundry basket so on days when my hands hurt, she pulls the basket for me. Of course I make sure that the basket only contains very light loads. Our next laundry task is teaching her to take the laundry from the dryer and drop it in the basket. Most of Joy's training requires her to carry herself with great decorum since we are in the process of public access training. However, she is an extremely athletic young dog with boundless energy so I'm always looking for ways to exercise her where she can just have fun. Last summer we took an agility class through the Greater Fredericksburg Area Kennel Club and she excelled at it. I, on the other hand have trouble running on uneven ground because of the RA in my feet and ankles but I set up a mini course in my yard using dowels that I stuck in the ground for weave poles, a hula hoop for the tire and a mop handle for the pole jump. Her favorite Exercises are trotting along beside me on bike rides and playing fetch with squeaky tennis balls. I don't ride my bike in snow or rain but she has a winter coat and a raincoat so the weather hasn't prevented us from taking daily walks and she absolutely loves the snow! The snow stopped our bike rides and most of our games of fetch since we kept losing balls so I had to come up with another way to exercise her physically and mentally other than our walks. I moved all the furniture out of my living room and put it in the dining room. This gave us a wonderful "training" room where we started learning Canine Musical Freestyle. I got Joy to be my PSD because of Recurring Major Depression and Anxiety. Now I'm dancing with her to 1950's rock n' roll and having a ball!! Kirk, my husband, has said many times that Joy is worth every cent we spend on her because of what she's done for me. He couldn't believe it when he came home from work and found Joy and me dancing in the living room! LOL! He said if he hadn't seen it he'd never believe it because Joy dances better than he does! LOL! We've recently added a new move to our routine. I sit on my knees on the floor and hold my arms out to the sides and she'll jump over one arm go around my back and jump over the other arm making a circle around me. Now that the weather is better we go to area parks for hikes on the trails and we love wandering around downtown Fredericksburg where everyone absolutely loves her. When she's wearing her vest, she's working and can't visit so I make sure we have "off duty" visits where we leave her vest in the car so her many admirers can pet her and tell her how beautiful and wonderful she is. Last week I had an appointment with my Rheumatologist and took Joy for the first time. My doctor was amazed at how well behaved Joy was and when she saw Joy pick up her leash and hand it to me, she was blown away and told me that she wanted to learn more about Assistance Dogs because she has other patients who would greatly benefit from having one of these wonderful dogs in their lives. Not only the fact that Joy assists me with different tasks but the fact that she gets me out of the house and keeps me moving. Since I got her, I've lost 41 pounds! She is an amazing dog and more intelligent than any dog I've ever had. She loves to work and will work more eagerly for a game of catch or fetch with the tennis ball than she will for treats, although she loves her treats. I bought a book called Poodle Clipping and Grooming by Shirlee Kalstone and do all of her grooming myself. I've only had her groomed professionally three times since I've had her. The lady that taught the agility class that we took last summer is a master groomer and Standard Poodles are her passion. Her name is Annie Grace and she does some limited breeding. Her male and female that she breeds have gotten their championships in the breed ring and are titled agility dogs as well as TDI Therapy Dogs. She really liked Joy's athletic ability on the agility field and offered to work with us on agility and to help me with my clipping skills. I couldn't help but laugh because I'm very aware that I'm not a groomer by any means but Joy and I are learning together. Joy's excellent breeding shows through despite my lackluster clip jobs and everyone who sees her asks if she is a show dog. Poodle people ask where I got her and of course I always tell them. She is small at 44 pounds but to me she is the perfect size because in the evening when it's time to relax, I kick back in my recliner and invite Joy to join me so we can cuddle. She never gets on the furniture on her own and the only chair she is allowed in is my recliner and then, only when I invite her. On cold damp evenings, she is better for my bones than any heating pad or hot water bottle and she's done more for me than anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication ever could. I'm sending you several photos but the files are large so I'm only sending one per e-mail since I've had problems trying to send more than one at a time. Take care, Cathy & Joy	I am the proud grandma of Tuxie, one of Harper's and Roos puppies. When my daughter stated that she wanted to get a friend for her female standard, I knew who to call right away, Katie! I met Katie over six years ago when my friend adopted Jacques from her. Knowing Jacques and his wonderful temperament and Katie's dedication and breeding program, she didn't even need to see Tuxie before making him part of her home. Tuxie has proven to be the gentle and sweet tempered standard poodle that we knew he would be. Katie's dedication to her testing also ensures the health and excellent pedigree of her poodles. Tuxie and Zoey, my daughter's other poodle, lived in North Carolina and kept my daughter safe and provided company for her while her husband was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Tuxie, Zoey and my daughter are currently living with me in Herndon, until her husband relocates to the area. Tuxie is a truly a sweetheart and an adaptable part of the family. I have my own toy poodles, he is so gentle with them...he even lets the 6 week old puppies climb all over him...too cute! I have recommended Whispering Pines Standard poodles to anyone wanting a poodle. Kudos to Katie for her healthy, beautiful and gentle poodles! Adriana and family of Herndon, Virginia is the proud grandma to Tuxie (March 2008 litter) and friend to Jacques (May 2005 litter). Jacques lives in McLean, Virginia. Isn't he handsome with his moustache? High Praise! Katie- I took Cooper, Lucy and Bettie to be groomed today and you received high praise from the folks there. Another lady was in the shop picking up her dog and was asking about Lucy's coloring. Louise was telling them that Lucy's coloring is definitely not AKC approved, but that she wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to someone looking for a Poodle. She said my dogs had the best disposition of any Poodles she had ever seen. Louise has a dog that won Best in Breed at Westminster in 2009, so I think you deserve kudos! My hat is off to you! *Note: Lucy is a phantom coated poodle, which is allowed in AKC.* More - I had Cooper and Lucy groomed today. When I made the appt. they asked if the dogs had been there before- I said yes and give their' names. The groomer responded with, "oh, the nice ones." Louise is very blunt, and never sugar coats anything. When I dropped them off, and again when I picked them up, Louise said several times what nice dogs they are, what great dispositions they have and how beautiful they are. And still more - I had the dogs groomed again this week and Louise asked for your name this time. She told me again that you had the nicest poodles that she has seen, OR that I had somehow managed to get the 3 best poodles in existence. I told her while I was certainly partial to my 3, I know the rest of your dogs were just as nice. I gave her your name and the Whispering Pines name, so maybe one day you will hear from her, or someone that she has referred to you. Suse Suse, Cooper, Lucy, and Bettie of Charlottesville, Virginia Katie- Mr. Darcy went to the groomer for the first time yesterday. He received similar praise! The whole staff fell in love with him immediately and said he was the best behaved puppy they had seen (not to mention super adorable). He looks very handsome in his new hair cut (and scarf). If I'm not careful the groomer is going to take him home she loved him so much! He starts puppy school tonight so hopefully the excellent behavior continues! Amy and Mr. Darcy of Virginia Beach, Virginia Here's an updated picture of Harper thanks for the reply katie. and thank you for thinking of us!!!!!! petra and rory both sound so different, and so much fun!!!!!!! we are very interested and appreciate the advanced notice. we will be in touch. harper means so much to us and he deserves a good companion. our poodle and all of suse's are such amazing dogs, that we couldn't think of getting one from anyone else but you! we will have to keep in touch as the summer draws nearer!!!! Sarah, Ryan, and Harper, Charlottesville, Virginia Kiri at the agility trial I took Kiri (Rory x Roo) to the agility trial at the Lexington Horse Center just to get her used to the noise and nonsense. At first she was very hesitant (no surprise), but after she saw some dogs she knew she became a happy tail wagger. She loved taking treats and pets from the other people there and even got to socialize with an 8 year old competitor who loved her soft puppy coat. I don't have easy access to children and having a dog savvy little girl fuss over her was a highlight for me. The more I get Kiri out, of course, the happier she will be. She is smart as can be and she starts her first obedience class next Monday. She is just about the sweetest puppy I have ever seen, and I love her so much. Karen and Kiri, Charlottesville, Virginia
		Barny the Wonder Dog Katie, just a little off line response, your comments about trying to do what's right for the dog and people are very kind, and on point. you're also correct that Parker is a crowd pleaser in our house, he's a very handsome dog and he should do well in show. Perhaps if the heavens align in a certain way Parker will land here, if they align differently, he will land in another loving home, just not this one, but by then you may have another litter of wonderful poodles, one of which may need people as Barny-boo did. It's such a joy to see Barnaby prancing around the house with his poodle tail high and wagging so fast it looks like it might fly off !! He's a happy dog Katie. I know you care about all of your dogs as if they were all your kids, you can rest easy that Barnaby landed well. Four months ago Jana wasn't so sure about a dog, and now she wants Barny to stay in the 'big bed' and is a bit disappointed when he hops down to go to Brendan's room (as am I). But, Barny's wanting to be with Brendan is as it should be in many ways. Barnaby is so happy to see Jana and me when we come home, but Brendan is his guy for sure. thank you for allowing us the joy of Barnaby in our lives Katie, Merry Christmas and best of the season to you and yours, Dick Dick, Jana, Brendan and Barnaby, Herndon, Virginia
	Guess this is only about four months late! Anyway...Fancy is doing great! As you know she is a certified therapy dog for Fairfax County. Last summer we had the opportunity to obtain a beautiful 3-year old black Standard Poodle from the Loudoun County shelter. Stella was given up due to a divorce situation and we were fortunate to get her. She has been a wonderful companion to Fancy and they get along just great! We think Fancy has lost a few years as she seem to be acting more like a five year old than a nine year old! We take both dogs for daily walks of about an hour or so....they get lots of exercise. Stella is the opposite of Fancy....always excited...while Fancy likes to take it easy and slow most of the time. We love them both and they seem to be very happy in our household. I've attached a couple photos we took yesterday (4/12/09). Thanks for keeping in touch. Peter, Robin, and Fancy, Falls Church, Virginia Here's an updated picture of Fancy, who's still going strong at over 10 years of age! Fancy is a certified therapy dog.
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