Yes, I know it sounds silly. Yes, I think the class may be featured on an upcoming episode of "Portlandia." But I am serious about having a dog who is well behaved, can be mellow in the house, is nice to all other people and dogs, etc. A dog that is a pleasure to have around. And since we have never owned dogs as adults, I wanted to get some help to jump start training. Thus - puppy kindergarten.
HOWEVER.... I am not sure I am a "puppy kindergarten" kind of person. I think that in an alternate reality, one in which I never had kids, I could have been. But not in this reality... Here I have an actual child in a class which doesn't have to have her species as a qualifier. It's not "human kindergarten," it's just kindergarten. The real kind. The class has ten dogs, 8 of which are accompanied by couples, one is a woman with a kid who hasn't been to class in weeks, and then there is me. I felt like everyone was thinking "Oh, poor dog, being raised by a single parent."
I really like Tashi a lot, love the googly eyed look she gives us just for being around, the willingness to follow commands if there are treats at stake. Buuutttt... I don't think I LUUUVV her. Some of the other dog owners (although they refer to themselves as mommy and daddy in regards to their pup I will not) have the same teary proud eyes that I get when I see DaVinci or Little D do something remarkable. When Tashi catches on to a new command, I wanna give her a high-five, a knuckle bump - "Yeah we totally nailed that one!" She is my bro, my dude, my companion, not my child.
When the puppies all get to play together, the instructor divides the room in two so the bigger and bolder puppies can play on one side and the smaller more shy dogs can play on the other. I have had Tashi around a lot of dogs now, mostly adult, anywhere from the neighbor's Chihuahua to a friend's Saint Bernard. Tashi does great with them all, and rarely gets the smack down telling her that she's overstepped her boundaries. Most of the other couples at puppy class hover right over the dogs while they are playing and pull them apart frantically at the first sign of what looks like puppies having fun. It is a bit overwhelming, and sometimes I get the distinct feeling that they think I am raising Cujo, even when their dog goes with wagging tail right back into the fray.
And here I go making yet another excuse about the photo - I tried to take some at puppy kindergarten, but Tashi and I were too busy hiding smokes behind the cafeteria with our leather jackets on. And sexting. (does that make me sound a little more current? I am pretty sure the rebels aren't dressing like The Fonz anymore.) The photo above was taken today, and you can see how her scruffy fur on her face is growing longer and longer. She is looking less and less like a Bernese, but also taller and taller, so not much like a terrier either. And maybe next week I will post about our child with hands for feet (see far right of photo - super freaky).
This is hysterical! All of it. Let's get together soon!
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