School Days is a reoccurring feature in which I ask people about
their early memories of school. Everyone has a story to tell about
this and I hope to give them a voice here. (Note: School Days will be a bit different today. We are interviewing Aunt Martha who will tell us about her dog's school days.)
Here is Today's Story
Bear went to puppy school when he was six months old in 2004. His school was held in a vet's office after hours.
Tell me about Bear's experiences at puppy school.
The purpose of classes were to work on basic obedience and socialization. They were once a week for a couple of hours and lasted for several weeks.
Did Bear like going to class?
Well, not exactly. The classes were about 25 miles away and he got carsick, so it was hard to get him into the car. We tired various remedies for car sickness with only limited results. I didn't like this part.
How about when he got there, were things better?
Well, sort of. Bear is a flat-coated retriever--a big dog with high energy and a happy enthusiasm for most dogs and people he meets. So, he was excited by everything that he saw and barked every time that something happened in class. One class, we had to go into one of the exam rooms for a timeout because of his barking and they forgot to come get us.
Also, since he was big and excitable, we had to go behind the counter when it was free time. They were afraid that he might hurt some of the small dogs in the class with his enthusiasm. So much for learning socialization.
As time went on, did things get better?
Well let's just say at the end of class, he didn't get the award for "Most Improved." He got the award for "Most Talkative" Today, Bear is a happy, well behaved dog. Thank goodness.
