Sweet Singing in the Choir.........

For me, the best thing about Christmas is the news of the Brambledale diaspora that it always brings and I am grateful to all the kind people who send cards, photographs and progress reports. I can’t include them all here but I do want to share the latest news of Dylan (Brambledale Brighdon, son of Brighde and Don).
Dylan featured on this page about a year ago, when his ‘mum’, Denise Bateman, described his work with the Waggy Tails Club, for children with special needs. Through working with trained dogs, these youngsters learn vital skills of communication, sensitive interaction and self control. Denise wrote ;
“Dylan gives them 100%.....I trained him quietly and he responds mostly to hand signals......It takes the children a little while to realise that they don’t have to shout and that they get nothing by jumping around!”
Denise is an excellent trainer of long experience but the demands of Dylan’s role require more than can be taught and Dylan is a wonderful example of the calm, confident, willing character that makes a real Beardie so special.
Last month the children and dogs of Waggy Tails took part in a Christmas service at their local church and Denise kindly sent me a cutting from the local paper with this lovely picture. 
                                                              
Dylan obviously shares the Brambledale enthusiasm for joining in with whatever his friends are doing and the newspaper reports that he sang along with the singing of all the carols – much to the delight of the children and amusement of the vicar.

For those who missed my previous story on Dylan’s work, here are some pictures of him working with Waggy Tails children.