Bear, Ledgewood’s Ladyhawke, a versatile assistance dog, therapy dog, and performer, touched lives through her many roles.
Dr. Zoë M. Backman
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This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, August 2013 issue.
Ledgewood’s Ladyhawke, known as Bear, worked as my daughter’s assistance dog, went to nursing homes until she was almost fourteen years old (she was a certified Therapy Dog with the Delta Society and Therapy Dog International), and even was a poll bearer at a Police Dog Funeral. She was trained in Schutzhund, obedience, agility, herding and tracking for search and rescue. Bear actually did a presentation for TV in Allentown where she attended a town meeting where kids climbed on her and a wheelchair accidentally rolled over her tail.
Then she went outside and did a bark and hold for a bad guy, showing that a dog trained for protection could also be a family pet. The Police Department obtained two working dogs as a result of her performance. Bear performed with the Mummers in Pennsylvania. She traveled all over doing demonstrations. She loved visiting nursing facilities. At Christmas, stockings were pinned to her red harness filled with sugar-free candy canes. She wore reindeer antlers with dignity, riding in our Red BMW, she turned many a head on the Parkway.
American Kennel Club (AKC)
Wallace, an AKC Therapy Dog, uses his intuitive skills to help others, saving lives and providing comfort in therapy work.
