Welsh terrier Madison, seven weeks old, with a gay tail (a tail that is curved forward). Madison came from a breeder in the Syracuse, NY, area. Tomie had researched housebreaking methods and had chosen a crate that was big enough to have sod in it. The first night Madison was in his new home, in the living room, in his sod crate, he didn’t just bark or howl all night. He “dog-screamed.” A houseguest, who couldn’t sleep because of the noise, sat down next to the crate. Madison became silent and fell asleep. He was too social to be left alone… a bit like his owner. Madison was sent to dog training “school” in Cambridge, NY. An earlier dog, Bingley, had done well from his training at this same “school.” But, Madison was expelled as “untrainable.” The place wasn’t clean enough and social (humans, not other dogs) enough for him. It wasn’t a good look for the “school” to have a 24-hour screaming dog on campus. Bob Knight, a dog trainer in the Syracuse area, agreed to try his techniques with Madison. Madison quickly excelled in obedience exercises. The Knights gave Madison the run of their home, a freedom not granted their own dogs. Tomie gave Bob K. permission, and prep school fees, to see how well Madison could do in obedience competitions. Soon, Welsh terrier enthusiasts were traveling distances to see Madison compete. Welsh terriers, intelligent and willful, weren’t known for their obedience achievements. We went to Niagara Falls for a competition. Bob K. told Tomie to sit in the balcony, be quiet, and not laugh. Bob K. was worried Madison would hear Tomie and lose focus. Madison was the star of all breeds that day and eventually became the top-scoring Welsh terrier in obedience trials in the U.S. and Canada for a two-year period. I delighted in writing to the “school” in Cambridge, NY, that had declared Madison “untrainable,” to share Madison’s achievements with a “Gosh, isn’t this funny” note. (Bob) Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality
