Whether you took a class to train your dog or have done the work on your own it is important you continue to work with him throughout his life, reinforcing what he has learned.McKEESPORT, Pa. - The groom, clad in black top hat and tails, stood solemnly at attention while the bridal party marched down the aisle to the strains of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D.
Wedding guests "oohed" and "ahhed" at the lovely dresses, but some chuckled and nudged each other as they noted that the four bridesmaids were real dogs.
No offense was taken, for the bridesmaids were also literally dogs: a silver toy poodle named Lexi, a Maltese named Sadie, an Irish setter named Cherry and a golden retriever named Heidi.
The Riverside Care Center in McKeesport, about 10 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, went to the dogs when residents and staff became invited guests at a June wedding. A canine wedding. Ten dogs took part, all dressed in elaborate apparel.
Tiffany, the flower girl, and Amber Star, the minister, are Yorkshire terriers. Lovey, the ring bearer, is a cockapoo, and Josh, the best man, is a West Highland white terrier.
When the soundtrack switched to "Here Comes the Bride," the audience/wedding guests burst into applause as Peaches, a collie-shepherd mix, walked sedately down the aisle wearing a formal white gown and veil.
At the altar, Peaches joined the minister and the groom, a Shetland sheepdog named Toby.
The dogs and owners are members of the non-profit Keystone Canine Training Club in Bethel Park, about 10 miles south of Pittsburgh. All of the dogs have been certified by Therapy Dogs International (except for Amber Star, who is still in training because she's only a year old).
Each year, the dogs and their owners make hundreds of visits to nursing homes, hospitals and schools, in addition to staging five to 10 dog weddings like the one at the Riverside Care Center on Saturday, June 20.
The other feel-good factor was hearing the laughter of the nursing home residents. After the ceremony, residents petted the dogs.
You may never have the chance to attend a Keystone Canine dog wedding, but let's all give a virtual round of applause to the dogs' owners:
- Caroline Chapman and her husband, Phil, who played the wedding music, own the bride, Peaches, 11, and ring bearer, Lovey, 7, who was handled by their daughter, Sandy Chapman. They all live near McMurray, about 10 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.
- Lucy McCloskey of Bethel Park owns groom Toby, 4. Clare Schmalz of nearby South Park owns best man Josh, 8. Tom and Phyllis Bandi, who live in Upper St. Clair, about 10 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, own minister Amber Star, 1, and flower girl Tiffany, 10.
- Lexi, 5, in blue, and Sadie, 6, in pink, owned by Emil and Barbara Pohodich, of Bethel Park; Heidi, 6, in purple, owned by Betty Jean Maier, of Whitehall, about five miles south of Pittsburgh; and Cherry, 6, in Kelly green, owned by Sally Tress, who lives near Canonsburg, about 10 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.
During the wedding, Sadie kept her paws four-on-the-floor, but after the ceremony, she pranced around the room on two legs and twirled in circles, making her full-skirted dress billow and swirl.
"She thinks she's a ballerina," Barbara Pohodich said.
Story and photos distributed by The Associated Press.
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