All I Need To Know, I Will Learn in Puppy Kindergarten

Brady has grown by leaps and bounds. When we first picked him up in mid-January, he weighed 11 lbs. and I could easily pick him up and hold him.  I loved putting on Prince's song "Raspberry Beret". Then, I'd twirl him around and dance across the kitchen with him. I knew he enjoyed it because he'd wrap his tail 'round my back and lick my chin.

January 24 - About 1 month old

Now that Brady weighs 30 lbs., I can no longer pick him up and dance with him. In fact, the picture below was taken the last time I picked him up. Since his legs extend below my knees, I won't be surprised if he's picking me up in about 4 months!

March 12- About 4 months old

Though our dancing days may be over, he's a wonderful companion.  I love taking him in the studio, even if his attention span is short. After he plays with the kong and Aloysius, he looks like he's ready for something more interesting. Guess watching me work on the laptop just doesn't do it for him.  Luckily, he has some schoolin' to look forward to....

Next week, he starts puppy kindergarten along with a German-Shepherd, 2 Bichon-Poos and a Collie. The instructor, Martha, is a good "pack-leader" and an efficient, clear instructor. We took her classes with Chester, so I learned a great deal about giving alpha-messages to puppies a few years ago. This helped me to know how to get started with Brady immediately.  I reinforced  how to sit (Emily had started practicing this with the pups by the time they were about 6 weeks).  He's also learning how to take a tidbit of food from my hand without biting me. I hold the bit of chicken or cookie between my fingers and give the command, "Gentle Mouth" without releasing the food until he uses only his tongue and lips to get it.

The first assignment for next week is to teach him how to give me eye contact. I hold a treat up to my eyes and give the command, "Brady, LOOK."  The minute we lock eyes, he gets a cookie.  Martha advised us to keep training sessions short so that the puppy doesn't get tired out, losing interest. So far, we've practiced this one a few times a day for about 3-5 minutes each session.

This command will be key in getting him to pay close attention to my eyes as he learns more commands.