Published: July 27, 2007 07:29 pm      

Labs part of the family — and wedding party

VEEDERSBURG, Ind. — All eyes were on the ring bearers as the girls in pink marched down the aisle, carrying pillows.

Anna and Nel had rehearsed their roles well and knew exactly what to do when they reached the end of the aisle. They turned the pillows over to the mother of the groom — instead of the minister.

That was the only glitch with having Labrador retrievers take part in a wedding.

Still, there was no doubt in Dane Maltsberger’s mind that he wanted his favorite dogs to be part of his wedding to Kim Lefton on May 6.

“People who know me know my dogs are everything,” he said. “It would seem strange and odd if my dogs were not part of it.”

Kim didn’t mind sharing the spotlight with the dogs, saying, “I thought it would be great.”

The Maltsbergers, who live in Veedersburg, Ind., run Labncroft Labradors kennels just outside town. They have 10 dogs right now.

Before the wedding, they rehearsed with the dogs, and Dane’s mother, Janet Boling-Maltsberger, stood in as the minister. The dogs were supposed to bring the pillows, with the rings attached, to the minister.

When the big day came, the dogs headed toward Janet, who was sitting in the audience, not knowing she was no longer playing the part of minister.

The dogs were on short leashes held by the flower girls, Emily Maltsberger, 4, Dane’s niece, and Ashlynn Morgan, 7, Kim’s cousin.

Anna, 6, and Nel, 2 years old — who are mother and daughter — wore pink bandannas.

When Dane kissed his bride, Anna stared at him — probably wondering what he was doing, Dane said with a smile.

Dane is a fourth-generation breeder. His great-grandfather raised English setters; his grandfather, Brittany spaniels; his mother, English shepherds and Australian shepherds. For the past 15 years, Dane has raised yellow Labs.

What do he and Kim like about labs?

“That,” Dane said, nodding at a dog lying at Kim’s feet. Ethan, 10, looked up when he realized people were talking about him.

“I don’t mean to anthropomorphize my dogs, but a lab has human-like qualities,” Dane said. “Having a lab is different from any other dog.”

Ethan is the only one of his 10 dogs allowed to stay in the house. The others are at the kennels, but they get to visit Janet’s nearby home, and are taken outdoors often.

Ethan has always slept on the bed, so it was a bit of an adjustment when Dane brought home a wife.

Dane said the dog, already on the bed, looked at Kim as if he were saying, “I don’t know where you’re sleeping. This is my side of the bed.”

A huge golden-framed picture of Ethan holding a pheasant hangs in the Maltsbergers’ living room. Visitors say, “Wow, the dog is really important,” Dane said with a laugh.

“The dogs are very much a part of our family,” he said. “They are big kids and we view them as children.”

Even when they sell a puppy, it’s like going through an adoption process and potential owners have to answer a battery of questions.

While the Maltsbergers were on their honeymoon, they became “grandparents.” Two of their dogs had a total of 17 puppies.

The couple follows the Monks of New Skete’s philosophy as outlined in “Divine Canine.” Basically, once you understand the psychology of a dog, you understand what he’s doing.

A dog has to be part of the family; he needs to be part of the pack, Dane said. If not, it’s very hard on him.

Ethan, for example, knows the couple’s routine and he expects Dane to be home at a certain time. He waits for all members of the pack to get home before he relaxes.

For new dog owners, Dane recommends introducing the puppy to 100 new people in the first 30 days. For the first 16 weeks, you also should travel with the puppy so he gets used to the car.

Another tip is to feed your dog only after you have eaten. In the pack, the “lowest” member eats last. So, don’t get up and feed the puppy right away in the morning; he needs to know you’re the leader of the pack.

Dane is a pharmacy technician at CVS in Covington, Ind., and Kim is an X-ray technician at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center.

The Maltsbergers’ dogs are happy, healthy — and loved, just like family members should be.

ON THE WEB

— Learn more about the Maltsbergers’ yellow Labradors at http://www.thelabncroft.com

The kennels’ name is short for Labradors and croft (a field or small farm).

— The Monks of New Skete’s Web site is http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/

Kitty updates

Nancy Orlea still needs a home for a black-and-white mother cat and her kitten. The mother suffered a broken pelvis and dragged herself back to her kittens. Call her at 442-5848.

The good news is that Judy Goble found a home for a kitten who had been abandoned.

Contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.