Chapter 10: Graduation Day

After weeks of puppy kindergarten, graduation day finally arrived.  My hu-mom packed up the car and we drove to the campus for a final "test" of our skills, followed by a graduation ceremony. 

The test included being put through the paces...and we were required to follow through on each of the commands learned over the past weeks: sit, stay, down come, stay, etc.  I passed and my hu-mom was given my sheepskin...ahem, I mean diploma (sorry all you little lambies out there!).

My graduation day...such a proud day, yet such a humiliating day.  You see, the only other dogs who "stuck with it" through to graduation day were the chihuahuas.  One of my classmates humans was very proud of her little one's accomplishment and made a special graduation hat "for the official graduation photo."  The mortarboard was passed around so we could ALL have photos taken to mark the special day.  All I can say is I know how Marmaduke feels, for I was truly a giant amongst a class of miniatures on my graduation day....

And so here it is...my proudest...yet most humbling moment captured on film...

~Zoe

Chapter 9: Puppy Kindergarten (continued)

Well, here we are with more on Puppy Kindergarten.  So far we have covered the things our humans need to keep in mind:
1. The importance of trust
2. Our learning capabilities
3. The importance of hard work
4. How to put on and use our collars properly
5. The three voices (correction, neutral, and command)
6. The importance of timing

Basic commands:
1. Sit
2. Come
3. Down
4. Stay

And best of all... Puppy Massage!

This week we put all of the above into practice...

Then Lisa broke it up by introducing us to the outdoor exercise equipment on campus.  She wanted our humans to expose us to multiple surfaces and heights, so we wouldn't be fearful when approaching changes in the surface of our walking paths -- also, she told our humans that this exercise would help build trust.  Lisa had us climb up and down a small incline, walk on bumpy surfaces, asphalt, dirt, grass, cement and across a wobbly plank of wood. 

This week was pretty intense and ended with my favorite...a Puppy Massage.  Ahhhhh.

Until tomorrow, have a Grrrrreat day!  ~Zoe

Chapter 8: Puppy Kindergarten Continues...

Things went well after the first two weeks of Puppy Kindergarten and my hu-mom and I practiced the "Sit" and "Come" commands until we had it down.  In fact, this wasn't part of the training that Lisa gave us, but my hu-mom heard about using hand signals, so in addition to voice commands, she also would give me hand commands, for "sit" and "come". 

Here is the hand command my hu-mom used for "Sit"...

She started with her hand down at her side, palm forward, and as she said "Sit", she would bend her elbow and raise her palm up so it was parallel with the ground. 

The "come" command was a bit more dramatic...

but she said it was necessary so that if I was off at a distance or there was too much noise and I couldn't hear her, she could put her arms out to the side (a big movement), and I would come running into her open arms.

So, as I said before, we had fun practicing the "Sit" and Come" commands, but now it was time to learn the "Down" and "Stay" commands, and follow it up with Puppy Massage....aaaahhhh....

The "Down" command was taught by having us sit -- then a treat was placed in front of our noses, and our humans pulled the treat down and away from us, so that we would follow with our nose...  As soon as our elbows hit the ground, we were given our treats.  My hu-mom learned quickly that she had to move the treat away from me a couple of feet, otherwise all I did was look like the hunchback of Notre Dame, but didn't accomplish the "down" command.

Instead of saying "No" to me all of the time, my hu-mom would say "Augh!" whenever she wanted me to NOT do something.  I must confess, the "Stay" command was filled with lots of "aughs!"...

My hu-mom was instructed to have me sit, then she would place her palm in front of my nose and say, "Stay".  She would then take a step back, wait a couple of seconds, then call me with a "come" command.  At first it was a little confusing, because she had a treat in her hand and I wanted that treat, so when she started moving away from me without giving me the treat, the foodie in me took over and I would follow her to get that treat!  She would "augh!" me, and take me back to the starting point, have me sit again...give me the "stay" command...again...then take a step or two away from me, wait a couple of seconds, then call me to "come."  I finally got the hang of it and she could more and more steps away from me and I would wait until she called me.

I must confess that after hearing so many "Aughs!" in one session, I was ready for the puppy massage.  Lisa showed our humans how to give us a deep, but gentle massage using small circular motions from our head to our tail, down our legs, in the little indentation just above our paws, and how to rub our muzzles, ears, face.  She told our humans that as they touched us, they built trust, and got us used to touch.  Lisa said that it would help us to not be afraid when other people tried to touch us, including the Veterinarian.  All I can say is THANK YOU LISA...I LOVE MY MASSAGES!!!!!  (If you want to learn more about puppy massage, click here)

In fact, it's time for one now, so I'll be in touch again tomorrow.  BUT, before I go, there is just one thing.  A reminder to Vote for Liberty!  Today is the last day of the contest, and I would really like to see Liberty ride on a Rose Parade float, so if you haven't voted, please click here and do so today.

Thank you and have a WOOF-derful day!  ~Zoe

Chapter 6: Puppy Kindergarten - Orientation

Yes, that first spring arrived and my hu-mom told me it was time for me to go to school -- Puppy Kindergarten to be specific. My hu-mom signed us up and we attended at the local community college.

My teacher's name was Lisa...and she was so nice!

She met my hu-mom and the other humans before meeting us puppies, and she gave them a welcome packet -- complete with resources needed to help us puppies build a successful and rewarding relationship with our humans!

Lisa shared about the importance of trust, leadership, and leadership! Yes, according to Lisa, if we canines sense that our humans are not going to lead us, we fill in the void ourselves...and that will NOT turn out well!

She also shared that every puppy is unique and learns at it's own capability, speed and need -- just like humans! I think she shared that with our humans just so they wouldn't get so frustrated when one puppy in the class picked something up faster than another...

Lisa also shared that, "When people don't make time to train or establish structure, dogs become unruly, at times impossible to control." Sadly, this type of situation accounts for a number of the dogs taken to animal shelters by their owners.

And with that, Lisa told our humans that "behavior CAN be changed" and asked, "How much are you willing to work at it?"

And best of all, she encouraged our humans to let the classes and training sessions be a special time for us to bond and have fun.

Our class schedule:
Week 1 - Orientation (humans only)
Week 2 - Come command
Week 3 - Sit command / come command with distractions
Week 4 - Stay command / toy gauntlet / puppy massage (my favorite!)
Week 5 - Down command / combination exercises
Week 6 - Graduation

Equipment list:
collars / leashes
toys
food / water bowls
premium puppy food (i.e. some food that is really good & motivates your puppy!)
treats
Grooming items (including Dental)
Books / videos

Well, that's it for orientation. Now it was time for our humans to go home, read through the packet of information that Lisa provided, and arrive next week with puppies in tow, ready to work!

And for today...Something to make you smile...

"What a dog hears"

Next Week -- Puppy Kindergarten -- from a puppie's perspective...