Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Tour de Prance --- Puppy School Day 1

Well, we took Sam to the first day of dog training last night. And of course he napped in the mud to cool off prior to class and dirtied his new school fur. Off we went, helping him into the back seat (he doesn't quite get the jumping in part), and wondering what the evening would be like.

He is riding in the car well, now --- staying seated most of the time. It helps that he is big enough to see out the window, I'm sure. The evening went well. He was very timid...tail between his legs, ears low, and body slouching down, when we arrived. He stayed very near to us and sat and looked around. To others, he seemed well-behaved, but we know the truth.

He was nervous about the first day of school. Would the others like him? Soon enough, he was sniff-greeted by a few others...the 9-week old rotweiler (how do you spell that?)and another BIG lab. The rot puppy was the only dog smaller than him, and her name is ---of all things---Delilah! Ha. Samson and...well, you get the picture. Sam stayed calm, sitting/or laying/lying/lieing (grammar patrol --- help!)and watching...often facing the wrong way for the instruction.

Then came the first walking on a leash practice with Glen. Well, he made great improvement by the end of the evening. Enough said. The end of class is "free play." All the owners let go of the leashes and the dogs are allowed to interact. It's fun to see.

Sam seemed to get along OK, though he seemed uncertain at first. Then he romped gleefully with a...Great Dane! A sight to see. Quite the size contrast. The Dane got so tickled he started to prance/pounce on/at/around Sam. Sam just flattened out on his belly on the ground...like a pancake or like someone about to be arrested after a car chase. No one was hurt. I was nervous, but laughing.

And home we came. Sam got a big drink of water and fell sound asleep.

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