I’ve had some wonderful dogs, but I have never had a dog like Red. Three weeks ago, he and I were walking down the driveway towards the mailbox – it is a busy road near the new house – and I turned to Red, almost without thinking about it, and I said, “hey Red, stay away from the road, and I held my hand, as in “stop.” I didn’t notice at first that Red stopped in the driveway, and then I made it down to the mailbox and turned around and saw him sitting right where I had spoken to him. I did not train him in any way or even emphasize the request – it wasn’t a command.

From that day on, Red has stopped at the spot where I asked him to stop, and not taken one step further towards the road, which is 25 yards away. We get the mail every day and he always walks with me to that spot, and then stops. He seems to grasp the idea as well as the command.  He never goes near the road. I find myself speaking to him softly and having him react. He is an amazing working dog, tuned completely into his human. I am so grateful to Dr. Karen Thompson for sending this dog my way. I have never owned a dog like Red.