Saturday, 05 October, 2002
Charlie Graduates
Charlie graduated from obedience school today, so now Debra and I are fully trained in basic dog obedience. We took the 8-week Basic class at PetsMart, where we learned simple commands like "sit," "down," and "stay," along with a bit about dog psychology (such that it is) and the basics about canine health and treatment. As far as we're concerned, the class is well worth the cost (about $90), because we learned a lot of good techniques for controlling Charlie. And Charlie got to learn a bit about socializing with other people and dogs, something that we need to continue working with him on. He's a very energetic puppy, and an enthusiastic greeter. The techniques for calming him down have been well worth the cost of the class. We're considering the Advanced training class, where they concentrate on teaching the dog to behave despite distractions. As Charlie seems to be afflicted with a stubborn streak, and is quite easily distracted, it's probably a good idea.