Allagante-Gucci

Allagante Gucci

Gucci was my first Silken and certainly gets the credit for selling me on this breed. I brought him home in June of 2008 from Allagante Silkens to be my soul mate, bed mate, constant companion, and best friend. He's exceeded all of my expectations! Plus, sometimes to his chagrin, his loving, playful, sensitive nature was ultimately responsible for my decision to follow my passion for the breed and start Winsome Silken Windhounds.

Gucci was a confident independent puppy. It didn't matter to him he had no 4-legged playmates. He chased flies, moths, butterflies, birds, but never the cats who often share a bed with him. Once he grew some I introduced him to Maggie, one of my Australian Shepherds. "Finally" he said, "someone to run with." I was thrilled at how quickly he learned to turn on the afterburners and really give his Aussie friend a run for her money.

I remember so well the first time I introduced a 10-week-old Sheltie puppy of a friend's to Gucci. He bowed, inviting play, and started running slowly in small circles around her. As she responded by running, he increased the size of his circles letting her feel she was running as fast as he was. They both came in the house together and settled in to a gentle game of wrestle on the carpet - Gucci letting her bite and pull on his legs and ears. Gucci was less than a year and already proved the sensitivity and appropriateness so common in Silkens.

Gucci's best early friend was Sunshine, an Irish Terrier owned by Iola Stetson. He finally met someone to play tug that was as persistent as he was and was also willing to do it ALL THE TIME. They ran the property like wild things and had a ball. She is probably still today his "best friend."

Breezy came to live with us when Gucci was about a year and a half. He displayed the same ability to make himself small and allowed Breezy to run all over him, even being 100% submissive. She could do no wrong in his eyes.

Another of his best companions is one of my cats, Gizmo. They share beds, groom each other, and revel in the constancy of their friendship. Because they are somewhat the same color, sometimes I don't even realize they are curled up together.

Gucci is my ambassador for the Silken breed when anyone visits. He makes everyone feel completely welcome, immediately sharing a pull toy, and finally laying down resting his head on their feet, and looking up at them adoringly.

He was meant to be my neutered pet, and I'm probably at fault for making him too responsive to me. I also didn't know how to encourage lure drive in a puppy. Race practice for Gucci means watch the lure move and that's the time to turn around and trot proudly up to the nearest person. After all, why chase a plastic bag when you have PEOPLE!

Gucci has been very tolerant of me increasing the competition in the house, but he remains the same wonderful soul, mentoring the puppies, and teaching them gently how to play pull. He's a very special dog and I feel very certain I wouldn't have been so smitten by this breed were it not for how perfectly he's always represented Silkens.