The Second Class

After the first week of puppy training, we had a week off because the trainer was out of work for "vacation" when really she had some kind of surgery. So, after a week off, we all gathered back in the training circle at PetSmart this past Saturday to have a review of "sit" and "watch me" and also to learn and practice loose leash walking. Try saying that fast three times.   

We arrived a few minuted before 1:00 p.m. which is the time our class starts. Sophie the Dog and her parents were already there. We were told that Little Bit and her owner were not going to be joining us because of a conflict for the next four weeks and then told us that it was okay because Little Bit needed one-on-one training anyway, which was not surprising to me. We did, however, have a newcomer named Latte. Latte is a deaf Matipoo with an extremely loud bark. Poor Latte probably doesn't realize how loud he is. Latte and his owner had already completed one class and so they were on the same schedule as the rest of us. I'm not really sure how it is that Latte had completed one class and then got moved to our class, but nevertheless, he is now a part of our Motley Crew.  

We had a quick review of "watch me" and "sit" and Pippa did great. Those two commands she has down to a fine art with the exception of when there are a lot of people around and she doesn't want to pay attention. Then it was time for loose leash walking. We went to the back of the store to learn this. Linda (the trainer) worked with Sophie first and took what I thought was a lot of time with her. We were able to see what we are supposed to do when teaching the pups to walk with a loose leash. Each time Sophie would pass by, Pippa would want to run over to her and it was taking all my energy and strength to hold on to her. 

Then it was Pippa's turn. The Pip did great with Linda and Linda didn't have to spend as much time with Pip as she did with Sophie. When it was my turn with Pippa, she did okay but not as good as she had done with Linda. Of course, Linda has been doing this for years whereas I have not. We practiced for a while more while Linda went to work with Latte and soon it was time to corral all dogs and humans back into the training circle.  

When we were back in the training circle, we practiced going up to each other and asking if we could pet their dog. The point of this was to try and get the dog to sit so that the person asking could pet the dog without being jumped on. Poor Pippa. She did not do very well with this exercise. It took me a long time to get her to sit so she could be petted. Linda also told us all about a walking harness that is good for dogs and of course suckered us all in to buying one. Let me tell you, going to PetSmart every week is not easy on a girls' wallet.  

At the end of class, Sophie's parents mentioned they would be out of town this coming Saturday and could their son bring Sophie to class. I mentioned that Pippa is getting fixed this Thursday and asked if she should come to class. Linda said she doesn't like for dogs to come back to class so soon after being fixed because they have stitches and might be sore. So, long story short, Sophie's parents are going to try and arrange for her to get fixed this week as well and then we can make up the missed class together next week.  

By the time the class was over, I was exhausted and Pippa was too. I made a quick stop to get a handful of things from Target and then we headed home. Pippa even laid down and started sleeping on the way home, which she never does. Usually she stands up with her front paws on my shoulder. When we got home, we napped for almost two hours and Pippa even spent the rest of the night being less than rambunctious. I think this is the thing I love most about training class!  

So, we are to practice out loose leash walking for now and in the meantime, I will be scheduling a make up class for the one we are missing on Saturday.  

I'll keep you posted on the puppy training progress, but so far things are going along smoothly.