Roxie Goes to School

Roxie has started dog school! Ok, ok so I have had her over a year so I am a little behind on this I know. It's just that I got her so quickly, and then the house was for sale, we moved to the condo, and then I had a whirl wind summer of traveling and getting ready to move and then we moved to Cali where I started working, making friends and well yes...these are all pitiful excuses. So finally...I found a class that I thought would suit both she and I. It is through the Humane Society so of course I always like something that goes towards a great cause. The class is 6 weeks and we are on week 2 but it was the first time Roxie actually went. The first class was just for "parents" to learn what to expect from the class and get the run down on the basics. The class is for dogs who are 4 months and older. She is one of the older ones in there because I guess most people do this when they get a new puppy or shortly there after. Ooops...bad Mom that I am I guess :) I hope to work on a few basic things with her such as not jumping on people when they come to the house, not pulling on the leash, being able to leave something (i.e. not stealing other dog's toys at the dog park), stay, and just overall "puppy etiquette or manners". It is clicker based training with lots and lots of treats of course. She is LOVING that! I am pretty simple with Rox in the way of she gets no people food and few treats other than Milkbones for going to her crate or other rare occasions. I am learning I will have to loosen up a little bit because treats are essential for training and eventually get weaned away or at least less frequent. In class she was a huge fan of baby food and cheese whiz (barf). So looks like my days of buying baby food will come sooner than I ever imagined! haha

I was nervous as how she would react to class because while she is Miss Social (like mom, like pup) sometimes she doesn't always jive well with certain pups. Well...she did wonderfully! She is so quiet and not a barker so that is always nice. Her tail was wagging the entire time and of course she got several "She is sooo cute" or " Look at those ears" comments. She responded well and is a smart pup so I have no fear as long as I do our homework and stay consistent with her she will be an A+ student for sure!

I hope to continue with more classes after she successfully completes this one. Now if I could only train her to not take of 3/4 of the bed or to not shift the car into neutral while I am driving...baby steps...baby steps.