The First Class

Well, this past Saturday was Pippa's first training class and I'm happy to report that she was, in fact, the star student. The class started at 1:00 at PetSmart in Jones Valley; but, before we went into the store, I needed to pick up three things from Target (next door) and left Pippa in the car and was basically running through Target. I had only left her in the car once before and that was the first Saturday I had her when I ran into Star Market for one item. Since her personality has blossomed and she's wild as a buck, she has not been alone in the car so I was terrified that she would start eating the car seats or something. Thankfully by the time I got back to the car, everything was intact and she seemed a-okay. 

 

I dropped the Target bag in the car and hooked up Pippa to the leash and went inside to PetSmart. They were having a pet adoption outside and I was afraid Pippa might start acting a fool around the dogs outside (The Tide did this sort of thing) but thankfully she didn't and we went right on inside with no problems. I had to purchase a non-retractable leash before the class started because the only kind I had was retractable and that is not the kind the trainers like to use in the class; so, I made the purchase and we headed to the training area. 

 

The trainer's name is Linda and she is very stern with her training, which is fine because Lord knows Pippa needs some sternness. There were two other dogs in the class as well. The first is a Corgi named Sophie who is the same age as Pippa and the other is Little Bit who is a two-year old teeny tiny dog who belongs to an elderly lady. The lady just recently became Little Bit's owner and is apparently having some issues. 

 

The class got started a little late and began with a basic introduction and description of what was going to be covered in the class. Then Linda started working with the dogs on "sit". She worked with Sophie first and then Pippa. Sophie had apparently been practicing "sit" at home and was able to do it fairly well. Pippa learned "sit" from my dad weeks ago and is an old pro by now so she did a great job. Little Bit on the other hand....well, she didn't do so great. She would not sit at all and her sweet owner also had a difficult time understanding what action to use to help Little Bit learn "sit". I must admit, it was a frustrating process to watch. Linda eventually got tired of trying and moved on to the next exercise which was "watch me".

 

Once again, Linda started with Sophie who did okay after a few tries. Pippa, on the other hand, was also already familiar with "watch me" from her Poppa (my dad) and was a star student. She was even called a "show off" by Sophie's parents. I assured them that she would probably not do so great in coming classes as she already knew "watch me" from my dad. Little Bit...well, once again she didn't do so great. Linda hinted that Little Bit may need to have one-on-one lessons and that she would be able to determine that for sure after the next session. I've got to tell you, I tend to agree with Linda here. I think that all the attention that is being spend on Little Bit is not really fair to Sophie and Pippa and it's also frustrating to watch. So, I'm hoping that Little Bit will get the boot and we will be able to continue on with just Pippa and Sophie. That sounds kind of mean, I guess, but I want to make sure we get an adequate amount of time with the trainer for the money I paid. 

 

The class was supposed to last an hour but because of the late start, it went a little short. Pippa and I headed home and she slept most of the rest of the afternoon and evening with the exception of waking up to play for a few minutes here and there. She also slept through the night which was nothing short of a modern day miracle. Apparently training at PetSmart will really tucker a young pup out.  

 

Next week we do not have a class because the trainer is on vacation, so we will pick back up on the 19th. I'll be sure and keep you posted on everyone's progress and on the impending fate of Little Bit.