mommy and daddy brought their cameras to class but they were too busy looking after lulu to take any photos. maybe next time, they said. lulu started off very well in class. she was a little apprehensive - there were lots of new people, new smells, and 2 very big and very rambunctious puppies playing together. mommy and daddy put her down in the far end of the room and practiced walking her on her leash. she was doing really well until a big puppy came over to meet her and kind of jumped on her. lulu whimpered and backed away but the puppy kept coming at lulu and wouldn't stop! after that, she was very wary of the other dogs in class.
during class (with three other puppies), lulu learned eye contact, recognizing her name, and walking on leash. oh please! i see her doing this stuff at home all the time with mommy and daddy! mommy said lulu was very focused and not really distracted by the other dogs. she didn't want to play with the other dogs during puppy playtime though and actually growled and nipped at them when they came nose-to-nose with her and wouldn't leave her alone. hmph, now she must know how i feel when she does that to me!!!
mommy was pretty upset that lulu was nipping but the trainer said it was normal and just a dog's way of expressing discomfort with a situation. there was another puppy there who was running away from the 2 playful pups. lulu met her and they seemed to get along ok. daddy was not happy with the puppy who kept rushing lulu - or rather he did not think the owner was doing a good job with her. both he and mommy had to pull the puppy back off of lulu a few times during the play sessions. not only that but that same puppy jumped onto mommy and grabbed her treat bag! lulu's favourite freeze dried liver treats fell everywhere (ICK!) and the 2 outgoing puppies fought to eat them all. lulu's stinky "treats" must have been better than what the other puppies had because those silly pups kept going for mommy's treat bag and even put a little hole in it.
hmmm, this post is getting too long and it's not even about me! to wrap up, i guess lulu didn't really learn any new commands in the first class but mommy was very pleased because she saw that lulu was well behaved and obedient. she knew her name very well and could walk on a leash without being distracted for too long. mommy was relieved because she thought that lulu would be very easily distracted in a new environment. the trainer said lulu was very brave for a small dog. mommy later told me that she would do some research to see how to make puppy playtime at the next class a happier experience for lulu.
to close off, here are a couple photos of me in my playpen. after all, not only am i cuter, but this is my blog.
