School Daze

Last night was our third class in school.  Mom talked with our teacher (who is an Animal Behaviorist) about the trouble some dogs have when they meet me.  She asked if I was emitting "alpha waves".  My teacher laughed and said, "No way!".  She explained that Stanley and I are both middle-of-the-pack dogs (the best place to be she said) and that the reason some dogs responded negatively to me was that there may be some hesitation in my greeting and it made other dogs defensive.  (She even demonstrated how this is even true with peeps.)  She said Stanley is so over exuberant that new dogs are not suspicious of him.  She said with continued socialization things will improve.  Whew!  Me and mom are so glad to hear that!

We are learning some behavior modification things that will make us more polite as well as more of the "Leave It" command (with greater distraction and temptation).  This week we also are learning "Wait" which is different from "Stay".  But the big surprise was with my ex-girlfriend friend Marley!  Marley got bigger and went crazy!

This is during play time.  Stanley is talking to Charlie and I am talking to Marley.  Teacher is on the floor with Blackie.

When we were all let off leash the other pups didn't know what to do.  But me and Stanley did!

Charlie saw us and he came over to play too. Stanley tried to kiss our teacher!

Then Marley came over.  Notice she is on leash.

Blackie came to play.  She is very docile and her brother Blacky is so timid he just stares at the wall.

Me and Blackie with Teacher.

All of us pups with Teacher (except Blacky who was probably still staring at the wall).

Blackie farted so we got out of there!

Playing, notice Marley still on leash.

Teacher was telling me I was the cutest pup EVER!

Me and Charlie just shared a joke:  What did the 3 legged dog say when he walked in the bar?  "I'm lookin' for the man who shot my paw - BOL!!!"

Marley (still on leash) talking to Charlie.  Notice I am no where around!

Marley reading me the riot act (no leash).

Marley jumping all over my case (no leash).  Stanley coming to "straighten her out".

So here is what happened:  Teacher said we could play and Marley kept coming over and getting all over my case.  Teacher told Marley's peeps that if she acts like that with a big dog, she'll get her head bit off!  So they pulled her back and said not to do that again.  Then Marley comes in to play again and just like last time she started yelling at me and then she tried to hit me!  That was when Stanley had to step in!  "Enough of this Marley!  You mess with Murphy then you mess with me!" he shouted.  After that Teacher said Marley had to keep her leash on and her peeps had to pull her back every time she tried to yell.  So the rest of us played off-leash and Marley kept getting pulled back over and over again because she kept yelling at me!  Sheesh . . . women!  Anyway, now we're trying to hook up Marley with Charlie so me and Stanley can just play.  Hopefully that won't be too hard because Charlie humps likes everybody.

Murphy