For the past two Saturdays Chesney has been attending Puppy Basics preschool at the local SPCA! The goal of puppy class is to socialize your dog with other dogs, teach basic obedience, and have your puppy become an all around upstanding doggy citizen. The reality is a room full of puppies endeavoring to run the Indianapolis 500 around various obstacles and leap frog over each other while us humans do the dance of leash untangling and tiny puppy avoidance. The smaller puppies get a separate area so as not to be trampled by the thundering herd of slightly manic larger dogs playing their own version of full contact football, minus the football. In the tiny puppy pen a more civilized game unfolds. Sophie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, has figured out that going from person to person and sitting down gets her infinite treats. The smallest of the bunch, a Yorkshire Terrier named Rizzo, thinks that the world is just too big, other dogs are ridicules, and any human sitting still is just a lap waiting to be sat on. Chesney runs around like a fiend snatching treats from anyone willing to risk his velociraptor jaws, however he does generally sit before claiming his prize (and various fingers). Overall I feel like he enjoys the companionship of his fellow ruffians and their humans and will one day become the model of dog obedience. Ha-ha.
Chesney thinks that walks are a good opportunity to eat leaves, rocks,bark, sticks, garbage, grass, bushes, other dogs, and marks on the pavement. He never successfully swallows much…as I’ve gotten lightning fast at extracting these various items from his throat. However walks do become slightly challenging when your trusty hound sits down and flat out refuses to move every five feet while eying his next potential snack. Thus I took to the internet and discovered the solution to our walking woes! Whenever Chesney slams on the brakes I do what can only be described as an interpretive dance around him while cooing encouraging phrases. I only look mildly deranged and Chesney thinks I’m playing the BEST GAME EVER. And guess what?! He walks!! One proud momma right here.
Back in the menagerie the cat has decided to embrace his role as the older and wiser brother. He patiently tolerates body checks, tail bites, obsessive following, and the theft of his toys as he slowly trains our tiny dog how to be a tiny cat. In retaliation for these crimes against his otherwise peaceful existance Spider has taken to devouring my plants. And then throwing them up on my bed. Lovely. However he hasn’t murdered any of us in our sleep and has gotten rather snuggly of late soooo I’ll take what I can get.
That’s all for now, delightful internet friends! Check back next week for the latest pupdate and thanks for reading! 🙂
Acorns & Animals 