Six weeks ago mom and I started puppy class.  Mom said before the first class, that it was going to be a long six weeks.  Now I didn't understand how six weeks could be longer than six weeks, but she said something about lack of focus and not being able to keep my little butt still.  I still don't know what she meant.  I was just having fun visiting with all the other students in class.  I am absolutely sure they loved meeting me.  I know I loved meeting them.  We are all friends.  There was a little poodle that barked and whined all the time.  What an annoyance that was, but we still had fun playing.  There was a Teruvian that sure was cute and shy.  There were a couple of shepherds and a mutt.  My favorite though was this cute little female Vizla.  She was sooooo cute.  Mom kept calling her my girlfriend.  She sure was cute. 

So the first class we learned something called heeling.  That is where I was supposed to walk really nice next to mom.  Then we also did sits where we were supposed to sit really still for along time.  My butt just wouldn't stay on the ground that long.  My favorite exercise though was the down stay.  I liked it best because I could take a nap during that exercise.  I think it was mom's favorite too cause she would get so excited and tell me how good I was when the teacher said exercise over.  School is fun, but kinda boring too.  So, mom said she would start bringing more stuff to future classes so they would be more interesting. 

After a few classes learning the heeling, sitting and downs we got to also start doing a recall.  Mom told me that this was one of the most important things I would ever learn, so I have been working really hard at it and I try to stay enthusiastic and come really fast.  That makes mom really happy. She is also happy because she says my fronts are really good.  I try really hard to sit nice and straight in front of mom, because if I do a nice front then I get a really good treat.  Boy do I love mom's treats.

After one of my puppy classes we were standing around talking with the instructor and some of mom's friends, and I heard mom tell her friend, Marty, that I was doing better than either Belle of Halo in my heeling at this stage in school.  She said I really knew where I was supposed to be and wasn't even pulling on the leash.  That made me really proud that I could do something better than either of my big sisters.  Well, maybe not better, but at least I was doing really good.  Then I heard mom say I was sit challenged.  I wasn't sure what she meant by that as I never sit unless she makes me.  I am starting to think that maybe mom wants me to be sitting when we stop in a heeling pattern as she always says sit and then pushes on my butt a little bit.  You know though, it just doesn't make sense to me to sit as we are just going to start walking again.  I guess I will eventually figure that one out.

Mom is really patient with me and we always have fun in school.  Sometimes we play with toys and sometimes I get special homemade liver treats when I do something really good.  Mom also said I was ready for graduation. 

I was a little nervous graduation night because when I walked into school it looked really different.  There was a ring just like at dog shows (at least that was what mom said) and there were chairs for the audience, and some people even had cameras. Mom said we would get a number and when they called us we would have to do everything the instructor told us to do and not make mistakes as we were being scored.  She said it was all for fun and we shouldn't be nervous, but I was kinda nervous because I wanted to do good. We went third and our turn came really quick.  I did really good on the heeling, but I forgot to sit until mom helped me.  She said not to worry as the other dogs didn't do as good as I did.  After that I relaxed allot.  The next two exercises I aced.  The sit for exam (we don't do a stand yet in puppy school) and the recall I do really good. Then it was time for all of us to do sits and downs.  Mom didn't know it, but I had a big surprise for her.  I had never done a long sit for a minute for her before (remember I was sit challenged), but tonight I was going to keep my little butt planted no matter what happened.  It was hard because that darn poodle kept whining and getting up, but I just kept watching mom and thinking I can do it and next thing I knew mom was walking back to me with a big smile on her face.  I had done it. Yippeee!!  The last exercise was the down, and that one is so easy. I knew I could do the down, and mom knew it too.  Then we were all done and waiting for the big moment when we got our scores.  Mom was pretty happy. She said we did good and she was still happy because of my surprise for her.  If I had known sitting for a whole minute was going to make her that happy, I probably would have done it sooner.  She even gave me a jackpot.

Now the moment we had all been waiting for,,,,,who would get the high score...we did it.  Mom and me got a 91 out of 100.  That was the best in the class.  We got a blue ribbon for it, and everyone was clapping and laughing and having a good time. Mom said I scored better than either Belle or Halo did at their graduations.  She says I am going to be awesome.  I sure hope so, because it sure it fun to make mom happy.

Well now I am off to Intermediate school where I will continue to perfect my heeling, recall, sits and downs, and learn new stuff like a figure eight, a stand for exam, and the finish.  I can't wait, if it is as much fun as puppy school, I know I will like it.  Plus, some of my puppy friends will be in intermediate class with me.  Sure hope that darn whiny poodle isn't in my class.