Angus Goes to School

All he needs is a sack lunch and a knapsack and he's ready for school.

Angus started school today, because you can't start socializing too early. So we got him kitted out in a new red harness and a new leather leash, packed him in the car, and drove four blocks to Canine Coach.  Puppy kindergarten!

Right away we saw our neighbors (a Famous Writer and his daughter) and their new puppy, one of two Ziggys in the class. One of two black poodle-based Ziggys in the class, that is. Funny.

Neighbors! Famous neighbors! With a puppy one month older than Angus.

There's also a Stella, and a Guinness, and a Hazel, and an Everest, and a bunch of other absolutely adorable puppies of various sizes and breeds and behaviors. The instructor went around the circle and met each dog and, she couldn't help it, when she met Angus she said, "Oh, you're so cute," and I beamed with pride. Because he is--intensely cute.

Here we will learn, over the next few weeks, commands such as COME and STAY and LEAVE IT and, most important, good social behaviors for our dogs. How to make sure they don't jump up on people, or bite their hands, and how to ensure that they are friendly to strangers (human and canine both) throughout their lives.

When Rosie took this class, they told us, "Have her meet 100 dogs every week." An impossible task, but one that we understood: the more people and dogs she met as a puppy, the friendlier she would be. And Rosie is absolutely our friendliest dog. I attribute it to that early, frequent socializing.

Rosie making friends in spring of 2012

It was easier with her because that was April, not January, and we went down to Como Lake and staked out passersby. Now, of course, it is blustery and five degrees and the only people down at the lake are intrepid runners, who do not want to be stopped, not even for an adorable puppy. But we will find a way.

It was an intense hour. We played the name game, and each dog got to greet every other dog in the room, and then we learned how to teach them not to claw and bite when they are offered a treat (show them the treat, but don't let them have it until they back off), and a bunch of other things, and we got a little homework, and then we came home.

And Angus went in his crate and slept hard for the next three hours.

Oh, lord--don't puppies grow in their sleep? Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.