My Chocolate Labrador

This is my chocolate Labrador retriever, Jetta Nuit (new-eee). At 8-weeks old, the question was “who was going to training whom?” She is all grown up now, but if the truth were told, she has been a joy and inspiration in my life and my artwork.

Because the Labrador is such an intelligent and active breed, my husband and I studied and participated in obedience and field training events from the time she was just 16-weeks old. All the obedience training was meant to turn a hyper little puppy into a well-mannered part of our family, which worked very well. The field events that we continue to participate in, ensures that she lives a healthy and active live.

These activities not only meet their objectives but also give us a deeper understanding of what it takes to turn a cute puppy into an AKC Master-level working dog. A “working dog” is classified as any dog that is trained for a specific task.

There are many kinds of dogs that are trained for a variety of tasks. The most commonly recognized working dogs are Guide dogs trained to offer support for people that are sight or hearing impaired. Some dogs are trained to search for specific items like drugs or explosives, while others become efficient at search and rescue. There are many breeds trained to assist in a variety of tasks that help out on cattle, sheep and horse ranches.

I was approached by the Labrador Retriever Club of Southern California to design a new logo that would grace their apparel and boost their fund raising efforts to support their various activities. To capture the spirit of this particular breed, I choose loose brush marks to compose the image. The bouncy script, made with the same tool, was a nice complement that kept the entire logo light-hearted and fun, perfect for all of the events that the hats and T-shirts would most likely be worn.

The new logo was a huge success for this group. It also won a coveted place in a national juried show for the lettering arts conducted by Lettering Arts Review, a periodical that supports and showcases hand lettering and Calligraphy around the world. To see more logos that I have designed for the dog world please visit my website and look under “Icons”.

Thanks to our wonderful experience of having trained a working dog, my husband and I made organizations that train dogs for sight and hearing assistance as well as search and rescue activities a part of our charitable efforts. Our Jetta Nuit has become an example for many pet owners that make an effort to give their pets a healthy and productive life.