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

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February 18th 2009 12:38 pm
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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.