The life and times of an English Airedale Terrier puppy

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Puppy School Graduate

First things first (when would first things ever be second though?), I have to say thank you to Fufu for my lovely Chinese New Year card & Valentine's heart. I have to confess I did chew the loveheart notelet a bit (love nibbles), but I love them both, thank you!


Last night was Puppy Class night, so off me & mum trotted as usual, while dad stayed home & cooked the dinner. I love going so much & I'm always really impatient & twitchy on Wednesday evenings until mum finally puts my harness on & lets me into the car. As soon as we arrive & pull up into the car park I am always desperate to get out & go to see my friends & the trainers.

Last night after we'd all said hello to each other & had a bit of a play, we did a lot of our usual exercises; sit, down, recalls, sit-stays, down-stays, waits, & walking nicely past the other doggies (that means no bottom sniffing or trying to play, sooooooo hard). We normally do 30 minutes of group work, then spend 15 minutes working on our own on the exercises on our progress sheets for our awards, get tested on our skills & have them signed off by the trainers, & the hoomans have chance to talk to the trainers about any naughty things we're doing (who, moi?). Well last night Tracey, the lady who runs the club, came to talk to mum & asked if she would like to start bringing me to the "Big Boy" class from next week as she didn't think the "Puppy" class was challenging me any more. Mum was really pleased & was more than happy to agree. I was like "Whoa, hold your horses there Missy!". I mean, all my friends are in this class, plus what if we don't get treats in the Big Boy class? Mum promised that I'd definitely stil get treats & pointed out that I do make new friends very easily. Yes, I suppose I am super sociable, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Plus, I'll still get to see my old mates as they come out of their class & I'm waiting to go in to mine At 8 months, it seems like I'll be the baby of the class by quite a long way though, so I hope they cut me a little slack.
These are the secret of my success!

I've finished my Silver Award now. To gain it I had to:

Sit - Dog to sit in front & at each side of the handler & stay until told to move

Down - Do to go into a down position in front & at each side of handler & stay in that position until told to move

Walk on a loose lead - Dog to walk in a controlled manner in a circle & a figure of eight pattern

Come when called - Dog to come back to handler on command ignoring any distractions & have a lead attached

Leave it - Dog to walk past & around other dogs in a controlled manner

Calmness - Dog to wait patiently whilst owner has a conversation with another person

Fetch - Handler to throw an article. The dog must pick up the article, bring it back & allow the handler to take it from them

Car - Dog to enter & leave a car in a controlled manner

I've had a look at what I have to do for the Gold Award - yikes! I'm going to need a lots of practice & a LOT of treats!

I guess I'm getting to be a grown up puppy dog!

Licks
Oscar x

17 comments:

Headgirl said...

What a very clever boy! You're going to be a star!
I hope you get extra treats today & I send you lots of strokes & tickles ...
luv Blue

Molly the Airedale said...

You're so smart that you're moving up! Good for you! Your mom and dad must be so proud of you and being proud means lots of cookies! Make sure mom knows this!

Love ya lots,
Maggie

Liberty Doo Dah said...

Hiya Oscar! Mum can't find me a puppy class so she has to teach me herself! You're doing so good! Keep up that Airedale stubborness though! Must defy those hoomans occasionally so as to keep them on their toes!
Love,
Liberty

Loui (and his mum!) said...

Oscar! You are my hero....fabulous that you have been promoted to the big boys class now!

Loui xx

Bogart H. Devil said...

WAY TO GO OSCAR!!!!!!!!

Love,
Bogart

Cash said...

Congratulations Oscar~!! You are a very smart and KEWL dog!! I know your Moma is proud, and I know you will do fine with the gold award too.
Jasper

Boo Casanova said...

congratulations oscar. i'm a big boy too today. i can officially date anyone! :-)

wet wet licks

Boo

Suki & Joey said...

Wow, Oscar. Look at all the stuff you can do! And I thought I was doing well. Well, I guess you are a little older than me. I hope I can be as smart as you one day :)
Puggy kisses xoxo
Suki

Fu Fu said...

Woh Oscar, great to hear that you're doing well in class. :) I think you're real smart and will get lots of treats.
Hey you got my card. Hee. was the loveheart notelet yummy? DOnt eat it ok, it's just paper

~ fufu

Joe Stains said...

wow you know a million more things than me and the doofus and we are old guys. we never went to school :(

Myeo said...

Oscar, when we read the list of stuff you got to do to get a silver, we dont think we can ever make it. We get distracted and we can go 'down' & 'sit' but we can never stay. You are really a smart boy to get a Silver...

Love
Boy n aby

Sophie Brador said...

Woo hoo! You're a star.

Simba and Jazzi said...

Well done you!!! So clever.

Simba xx

Scrappy and Pebbles said...

That was nice of Fufu to send you cards and congratulations on Puppy School.

Tail wags
~Scrappy

Oscar's mummy and daddy said...

Blue - Thanks for the tickles, behind the ears would be great

Maggie - Nope, no cookies for poor little me, sniff

Liberty - Yeah, I know how to put my paw down, don't you worry!

Loui - Ooh, I have never been anyone's hero before

Bogart - Thanks big guy

Jasper - I'm not sure, the gold looks TOUGH

Boo - You're going to be even more of a casanova then?!

Suki - You'll be great too, you just wait & see

Fufu - Yes, but I like eating paper

Joe - But you have your inspector skills to fall back on

Boy & Baby - You just keep looking cute & no-one will notice if you aren't obedient

Sophie - Tell that to mum & dad. I didn't even get any nicer treats!

Simba - Thanks, how you getting on with Silver?

Scrappy - Fufu is a good friend to all us doggies!

Licks
Oscar x

Anonymous said...

Vite un petit coucou au passage.... Je te souhaite bon courage pour tes cours. Les miens commencent samedi prochain. Bisous mon Oscar

Rachel said...

Wow clever boy Oscar! Good luck in big boy class! I was the baby of my class when I went to big boy class first but it was loads of fun making new friends!