Welcome to the Wednesday Dogs of Dogster! Every Wednesday, we share a story from one of our Dogsters. This week is about Kate & Gizmo, her scruffy Pug mix.

We all remember those first-day-of-school jitters: will everyone like me? Will we get snacks? When’s naptime? Will the teacher give me lots of cuddles and pets?

I’m talking about my dog, of course – at the ripe age of one, Gizmo headed off to school, in the form of doggy daycare. For a few months, he was king of the school…

First Day of School

At the doggy daycares near me, new dogs have to be gradually introduced to the existing pack to see how they react and if they can play nice. They get little trial periods where they meet the other dogs, under observation from everyone working there. Luckily, Gizmo passed with flying colors, demonstrating his playing social skills, like the play bow and recognizing other dogs’ body language – those applications were intense, but he made it into his dream school in the end!

The School Day Routine

On daycare mornings, I would feed Gizmo his breakfast, pack up his dinner, and change him into school clothes – sturdy collars and leashes, plus a puffy coat if it was cold (all of which come off on arrival, for their playing safety). Then I’d pack him into the car (seatbelt buckled, of course) and we’d make the lengthy 5-minute commute to school while listening to the mindless morning radio shows.

Every time, Gizmo would lose his mind with joy at seeing the daycare. A man after my own heart, valuing his education. I’d walk him in, hand him off to one of his favorite people in the world (she admitted to regularly sneaking him cheese puff treats from the self-serve dog treat bar), and make it home in time for my morning meetings.

Several blessedly silent, dog-free hours later, I’d pop back over to pick up a very happy, very exhausted little guy. He usually managed to wrangle a treat (or three) out of whoever was manning the checkout desk, and then I’d bundle him out to the car. The next day, he’d always be completely chill, napping all day and dreaming of his next schoolday.

Gizmo’s School Personality

Gizmo likes other dogs (especially if they’re playful), but he LOVES people. At school, he made a name for himself by sticking close to all of the humans in the room. Because he is so insistent on being loved, he quickly became a favorite, developing very sweet individual relationships with each regular carer.

At naptime, he insisted on a lap (look at those poor slobs lying on the ground!):

In pictures, he was always right in front, ready to receive any petting, treats, or praise on offer. The daycare also ran an Instagram page that featured the dogs at play. Let’s just say that Gizmo made quite a few appearances there!

He also made particular friends with a Mini Poodle…

Not On My Watch

One evening when I picked him up, the dog carers told me a story: they needed to bring a maintenance man into the dog playroom during daycare hours, so they called all of the dogs to one side of the room and offered special peanut butter treats. Every single dog went happily with them – except Gizmo. He refused to be distracted or bribed away from his very important duty as a playroom guardian. No maintenance guys would be slipping in here, not on Gizmo’s watch! Apparently, he stood next to the maintenance guy, barking his head off, until the work was complete. I picture him thinking to himself: whew, it took a lot of barking, but I finally chased that interloper out of here! Well done, me.

I Know That Dog!

Another time, the employees told me about Gizmo being recognized. You may remember that he made the top 10 in People Magazine’s World’s Cutest Rescue Dog contest, and he was featured in several local TV news shows. The daycare had a big picture window through which pet store shoppers could watch the dogs play, and one day, a woman looked in and exclaimed, “I know that dog!” It turned out that she had seen Gizmo’s star appearance and recognized his adorable, distinctive little face.

Graduation Day

After a few months of weekly daycare, Gizmo seemed to be settling down a little bit, and I started to think about just keeping him home with regular walks and visits from his doggy friends. Daycare is not cheap, after all. At the same time, his beloved daycare announced that they were closing – too hard to staff – and would only be offering the pet store and grooming. So Gizmo “graduated” from daycare with a BA (Bachelor of Arfs, ha) and took his education out into the real world.