Moira Rose Donohue - Dog on a Bike: And More True Stories of Amazing Animal Talents!

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Is that a dog on a bike? Yes! Its Norman.

Norman takes a spin around the block.

S omething is moving at the end of the block. And its coming closer. Is it a bear on skates? A Wookie on wheels? No, its Norman, a Briard (sounds like bree-ARD). And hes riding a bike!

Whats a Briard? Its a very shaggy dog. The breed came from France. But Norman isnt just any Briard. Hes a superstar dog.

Norman can ride a bike all by himself. He hangs his fuzzy front paws over the handlebars. Then he pushes the pedals with his back feet. And off he goes, fur flying! True, the bike still has training wheels. But hes not even six years old yet!

It all started years ago. Norman is owned by Karen Cobb. Shes a professional (sounds like pro-FESH-eh-nahl) dog trainer. Her father was a vet, so she grew up around animals. But she never had her own pet dog. After she finished college, Karen got a dog of her own. It was a Shiba Inu (sounds like SHEE-buh EE-noo). She wanted him to be very well trained. So she read every dog training book she could find. She took classes, and she began teaching him.

Did You Know?

Briards come from the Brie region of France. The Brie region is also known for its world-famous cheese!

She didnt know it, but Shiba Inus pick and choose which commands they obey. That makes them hard to train. Teaching him basic obedience (sounds like oh-BEE-DEE-ens) skills, like come and watch, was a challenge. It was also difficult to teach him agility skills, like running through a tunnel and weaving between poles. But she kept working at it. Eventually, he came in first place for his breed in the entire country!

Karen was hooked on dog training. She wanted to do it for her job. So she took more classes and worked at a dog training company. Thats when she first met a Briard named Norman. Normans owners wanted Karen to train him.

Briards are big, lovable oafs. They weigh about 75 pounds (34 kg). They have long, wavy fur. Some have ears that stand up. They love to jump and bounce. Briards are herding dogs. They stay very close to their owners. That makes them easy to train. And although they often act like clowns, these goofballs are supersmart and very loyal. Karen wanted to own one. But by then, she had two Shiba Inus. She would have to wait to get another dog.

Karen opened her own dog training school. She had a busy life with her family, her business, and her dogs. Finally, after many years, she knew it was the right time to get a Briard. She researched all the breeders and found the one she liked best. This breeder was in Washington State, U.S.A. Karen called her.

I want a dog that is gentle but one that really wants to learn, she told the breeder. The breeder understood. But she said it might be a while. That was OK. Karen was willing to wait until just the right litter came along. After all, its not every day that a star is born.

Did You Know?

Thomas Jefferson met the Briard breed when he was the U. S. minister to France. He and the Marquis de Lafayette brought the first Briards to America!

In fact, it took another year and a half before the breeder thought she had the right litter of pups. Karen flew out to meet the puppies. There were four that were show quality. That means they could compete in dog shows. The breeder put different-colored collars on those four so that Karen could identify them.

Here, fetch! Karen said as she threw toys to the four pups. She watched to see who wanted to play.

Then she ran and hid. She waited to see who would come to find her. Two pups did. They seemed to be the most curious. But the one with the blue collar was gentler.

Come here, boy, she said. He bounded up to her. She ruffled his fluffy fur. Karen knew then that he was the one. It had been a long wait, but worth it. Can you guess what she named him? Norman, after the first Briard in her life!

Norman was about to begin his new life with Karen. But first, he had to travel to Georgia, U.S.A., where Karen lived. It was almost 2,000 miles (3,219 km) away. He would have to fly on a plane.