Kasbah rocks, Darla rolls (the ball)

All I’d heard about this new Barn dog Kasbah was that he was "a bit of a handful." So when I found out I’d be handling him at a Pit Ed Class/Open House, I was nervous. Kas the Spaz indeed lived up to his name. Clearly a sweet dog, but one who’d never who’d been required to be polite or deal with impulse control. 

The crazy thing is, when we talk about Kasbah now, it’s not about how far he’s come or how well his training has gone. All of that is true, but Kasbah’s lasting legacy is that he is the greatest play partner a dog could ever hope for. He’s so much fun, so energetic, yet totally appropriate. He plays fair, doesn’t get his feelings hurt, and is happy to handicap himself with smaller pups.

Establishing boundaries and pouring on that training sauce didn’t just turn him into a well-behaved little man – it allowed his star qualities to shine through.

Kasbah won’t be at the Barn forever, and of course that’s a good thing. So is it luck that one of the new arrivals, Darla, seems to be a naturally gracious play pal as well? To see her and Kasbah in the yard together is pretty much dog poetry. Or maybe it’s like a good dancer who elevates the rest of the troupe – in this case, Kasbah makes his partners look like they can really tango. 

Could be that Kasbah’s style has rubbed off on Darla; more likely, she's savvy in her own right. Either way, it’s nice to know we’ll have another play-wunderkind around when he’s moved on. Check it out:

Kas has the ball as Darla approaches and Puddles (at left) referees.

And just like that, Darla's got it!

Queen of Dog Mountain, Darla flaunts her prize.

And... down it rolls. Let the game begin again.

PS. Just looked over at another window on my computer screen and saw the BADRAP update. Kasbah has been adopted! eeeeeeeeeee!