Dog tricks amaze Vernon Hills library crowd

Jaws dropped open as Robin Bengston of Lake Villa brought her Dog Stars to Aspen Drive Library in Vernon Hills on Wednesday. Cedar, a border collie, and Gracie, a 10-week-old black Labrador, entertained a crowd of about 50 people with incredible tricks, including jumping through hoops and doing somersaults and headstands.

Bengston has been training dogs for general obedience, rescue and entertainment since 1990. She performed two shows at the library Wednesday.

The highlight of the show was when she called up three children from the audience to hold hoops as her dog Cedar jumped through eight hoops to the amazement of the crowd.

Bengston hopes her show will encourage kids to try to train their own dogs to do some of the tricks she performed.

To find out more about programs at Cook Park and Aspen Drive libraries, visit www.cooklib.org.