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Schools

Celeb Dogs Play Poker at Local Pre-School

Poker playing dogs seen on Disney Channel and GMA make a stop at Abiding Presence Pre-School.

Jilli and Ruby the world’s only poker playing dogs performed for the Abiding Presence Pre-School open house in Fort Solanga on Thursday afternoon.  That’s not all they did, the two Yorkshire Terriers and their co-star, a white Chihuahua named Spidey played basketball, pushed wagons and brought their trainer, Rick Caran, a tissue when he sneezed.  

The internationally known act has appeared on Good Morning America, Animal Planet, Live! with Regis & Kelly, Disney Channel and News 12 just to name a few.

About thirty kids and parents got to watch the dogs first hand on Thursday.

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“I loved when the dogs played basketball,” said five-year-old Sean Kehoe a former student at the pre-school who will be entering kindergarten at next month.

“It was good when they did the tricks,” said Kehoe’s five-year-old cousin Megan who also is a former pre-school student.

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Jilli, 14, and her trainer Rick Caran became famous when Jilli learned to play poker.

“This was a unique thing,” Caran said. “I put it on You Tube. I called her the world’s only poker playing dog and in six years no one challenged us. Two years ago a Japanese dog trainer said his dog could play. But when he challenged us his dog ripped up all the cards.”

Jilli plays poker by actually picking cards, going to a pile of money, picking up a dollar and putting it in the pot.

Jilli is not the only poker playing dog anymore. Since she is getting on in years Caran has taught her two-year-old sister Ruby all her tricks.

Caran started training dogs when he was just eight years old. He would go to the pound and train the “smartest” dogs.

“I discovered all the dogs wanted to be trained,” he said. “They all could learn something.”

The animal act started as a hobby for Caran who was formerly involved in silk floral arrangements and indoor gardens.

“It started when my mom was in an assisted living facility about ten years ago,” Caran said. “I would do trick shows for my mother and a few of her friends. More and more people started coming. Then I noticed relatives would come. Then people would ask me if I could perform for their parties or offices and it took off from there.”

Caran currently does his act full time and sometimes has three bookings in a weekend.

Caran recently wrote and illustrated a book called “Jilli Dog; The Little Dog That Made Mr. Kranby Smile.”

He signed copies of his book at the pre-school.

“This is a wonderful school,” said Lorraine Kehoe of Kings Park who has had five children go through the school. “The teachers are wonderful. I like going into the class and helping the teacher and seeing the kids in their environment. It’s a really good nurturing school.”

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