Doggone Etiquette —

School Scores

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

A couple of months ago we talked about getting you into school and how much fun it would be. Have you started yet? Oh, I see. You went to Puppy Kindergarten, so now you know it all. No way, Rufus! If that’s the only schooling you’ve had, you have a lot more to learn. You need an upgrade! Even if you did get beyond puppy training, you could do with a refresher course now that winter’s on its way.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:            

Maybe you’ve never done it before, but working with any dog in an obedience class is entirely different from trying to do it by yourself at home. At home the dog is too familiar with surroundings, and you are too easily distracted by interruptions such as cell phones and deliverymen. That’s okay for practice, but in class, the dog learns to pay complete attention to you. Then, of course, the best part is that no matter how disobediently messed up your dog is, or how klutzy you are, the teacher is right there to straighten out both of you. 

A big obstacle to overcome is one that affects many dog owners and has nothing to do with the dog. People are often hesitant about entering an obedience class simply because there will be other people and other dogs who may be (or appear to be) already skilled in the routine. Or, especially if they’ve never done it before, these newcomers are sure they will be horribly embarrassed if they (and/or their dear dog) do not perform perfectly. Relax. This is a fairly normal reaction for first-time pupils. Look at it this way: Every person and every dog in that class is, or once was a “first-timer” so, even if you’ve tried and failed previously for whatever reason, try again. Be sure to keep your sense of humor because lots of the classroom goofs made by people and the dogs are apt to be funny.       

Classroom instruction does not and cannot solve all problems, but you can actually learn a great deal from the mistakes of others simply by paying attention to how the instructor corrects them. There may be a very good reason why your dog does not respond correctly or promptly to your commands, and you’ll find out why and how to overcome it. Think of all this training as the way to give you and your dog a concise working language for better communication and understanding.                                                

There is one drawback which is entirely in your lap. This abbreviated language is too often overtaken and consumed by the “pet chatter” (or verbal overkill) of a well-meaning owner. For Rufus, the language consists of “one command and one response.” And for you, there’s an additional rule: “Don’t nag. Teach!”          

This is canine education. It won’t happen overnight, but your dog deserves the chance to upgrade his school score. All of this would be a waste of time and money if you only use in class what you’ve learned in class. Once you and Rufus are speaking the same language, you can move on to activities that are fun for you both. Use those one-word commands daily as they are meant to be used. Just remember to keep them out of your chatty ‘good dog’ conversations.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

-  Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award last year.