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Second Chances

I'm an EDUCATED pup now...I GRADUATED!

I guess I've always been a fearful pup. When mom rescued me from the pound, I was practically afraid of everything. But my fear of other dogs had become a problem, and as a result of my constantly feeling the need to defend myself against strange dogs, I had gotten myself into several fights and even lost a couple of teeth. :(

Mom has worked with me with most of my fears, but she wasn't able to help me with my fear aggression toward other dogs, as she didn't want me or another pup to get hurt.

But, PETSMART said it might help me to take one of their classes! It would give me the chance to go over some of the basic things I knew already (sit, stay, down), but also to be around other pups in the class and maybe get over my fear. So, mom signed us up.

The first class was hard. I hid my tail, and tried to hide underneath the stool mom was sitting on. I was afraid of the trainer, even though she was very nice to me. We learned "look at me!" where I have to focus all my attention on mom and not all the other stuff going on in the room. That was hard! I also worked on "sit", and I learned the hand signal.

The second class we learned "down", and "LEAVE IT!" (I put that part in caps, because that is exactly how mom is supposed to say it.) "LEAVE IT!" is what mom says if I want to smell or taste or am intent on something that I'm not supposed to have. This could be food, a toy, another dog, or anything that might get my attention. I got really good at "LEAVE IT!".

The third week was "Stay". Both "Sit Stay", and "Down Stay". I already knew sit and down, but now I know that hand signals without the voice command. I was never very good at "Stay". But I am now!

In the following weeks we worked more with "Look at me!", "Sit", "Down", "Stay", "LEAVE IT!", and we practiced in the aisles of the store. We also worked on loose leash walking.

On the fifth week, after class was over, the instructor said we could have a group play. By this time, I wasn't nearly as afraid as when we started, and I got to sniff all the other pups, and they all sniffed me too. I growled a little at one very rambunctious pup who wanted to play a little too rough for my liking, but when I did that, I got a "time out", and had to sit facing the wall until I could behave properly. Then I was fine! No fighting, no one growled or attacked me, and I wagged my tail and wandered around the room and met all the other people.

On the sixth week, mom took me to the dog park after class. Tillie went with us too, she's been to the dog park many times. Mom had always figured I would never be a dog park dog. We got there about noon, and no one else was there yet. So Tillie and I ran around and checked out all the smells. Then a beagle came. Then a black lab. Mom was going to take me out, but I just wagged my tail, and looked so interested and relaxed, that she let me stay! And Tillie and I played with the other two dogs, and we all ran around and chased each other. Mom was so proud! I was a good boy and only growled once when the lab wanted to play too hard. Mom said, "AHHT!" and I knew I'd better quit with the growling. So I went back to running, playing, investigating, and enjoying myself.

I went to the dog park again last Saturday, and ran around, played, smelled everyone, and not one bit of fear or growling! Mom watches me close just in case, but I try not to give her anything to worry about.

Yesterday was my last class at Petsmart. I GRADUATED! I was tested on sit-stay, and down-stay, come, and "LEAVE IT!". The instructer lady took my picture with a graduation cap on, and can you believe it...I actually smiled for my photo?? Mom was proud of me, and I was proud of me too.

I'm a smart dog...I learned a trick!

Today mommy is so proud of me! I learned a trick today!

She's tried to teach me this trick before, the one that my sister Tillie knows about picking with your paw which hand mommy's hiding a cookie in. I never understood before, or so she thought. But today, she tried it with a really fragrant cookie...the Natural Choice Crunchy Treats, blueberry flavor...and it only took me about 15 minutes to figure out that I needed to put my paw on the hand I thought it was in. Mommy was so happy! And every time I pawed her hand, I got a delicious treat, so I was happy too! I got lots of hugs and praise. Then daddy tried the trick with me, and I pawed his hand for the cookie too. Mommy said I was so gentle with my paw, and only used my pads to touch her hand...Tillie is very rough and uses her toenails! Ouch!

I am proof that "old" dogs CAN learn new tricks. I really like this one! I can't wait to show the guy in the pet food store!

Toys from Fling and Levi!

We got a box addressed to "Tillie & Joey" last Saturday! Even though I can't read, I just KNEW that box was for us...it just smelled like dog things, definitely NOT people things. Mom made us wait a whole week, until Fling and Levi got our gifts, before we could discover what was inside our box.

Mom unwrapped the box, and cut the tape. Tillie got to look inside, while I waited for her to pull out the goodies so I could share them with her. The first thing was a baggie of good stuff! Rawhide chews, bully sticks, and cookies! There were two tennis balls, and a big fleecy toy, which I decided should be mine, and Tillie picked the IQube with the santa hat squeaky toys inside. We played all morning on Sunday with our toys, and mom let us eat all our treats because we were so good. I ate the cookie and half the bully stick, but I took the rawhide chew outside and buried it for later...and I'm not telling ANYONE where it is!

Mom and I tugged on the fleecy ball for awhile. She is teaching me how to play. Believe it or not, I didn't know how when they first saved me from the pound! I knew how to fetch, but didn't know about bringing the ball back so it could be thrown again. We've been working on that, and I have discovered that playing can be lots of fun. I enjoyed tugging on the fleecy toy, I even wagged my tail while I growled and shook it. I am having so much fun!

Thanks very much for our presents Fling and Levi! We are so happy to have traded gifts with you. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!