David Hartwig lived a modest life working with horses and fixing horseshoes, when one day, he noticed that a friend had a litter of puppies in his barn. Realizing that he hadn't gotten his wife a Christmas present, David decided to take one of the puppies home with him. But in an odd turn of events, when he was halfway home, David decided to turn around the exchange the first puppy he picked for a second puppy – one who was standing by himself while all his brothers and sisters were snuggling together.
That decision ended up changing David's life forever. Skidboot, as the dog was named, grew up to be an energetic puppy. Realizing that the ranch pup needed some discipline, David – who has a natural way with animals – started to train him. In about five minutes, a bond between David and Skidboot was formed, a bond that would span 14 years, almost every state in the US, and numerous TV appearances.
Having the kind of intelligence that just isn't common in every dog, Skidboot proved to be one of the smartest dogs ever caught on camera, performing tricks that amazed audiences all over the US. His natural love of performing, combined with his bond with his trainer, made Skidboot famous, and gave him and David a life the man had only dreamed about.
Skidboot passed away in 2007 after a wonderful and fulfilling life. David now works with Skidboot's offspring, so his legacy lives on.
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Skidboot and David had a friendship that spanned 14 years.
Because of Skidboot's amazing abilities, they had numerous TV appearances.
...Even making it on Oprah!
