Kindergarten

Part of the life of a CCI puppy is regular puppy school attendance. Soon after he came to live with me, I started taking Sergi to Kindergarten with contract trainer Mike Fowler. We go to class every two weeks, and sometimes will also go to an additional Cath Phillips class as an added bonus.

Sergi is a very bright and intelligent puppy. He learns his commands quickly and is eager to please. During his first class, Sergi behaved appropriately and did exceptionally well in the most important skill: Walking on a loose leash. He will work during the next couple of months on other commands like Sit, Down, Wait, Shake, Speak, Drop, Dress, Here, Kennel and Release. By the time he takes his final exam for Kindergarten he will be required to perform a 2-minute Sit-Stay with distractions and a 5-minute Down-Stay with distractions.

There is a lot of learning going on during a puppy's first six months and Sergi will learn all of these commands with little difficulty. More importantly, he will be schooled in all of the behavior qualities that will make him able to live side-by-side in peace and contentment with his forever partner: What items are appropriate for chewing; when to bark, when to be quiet; where and when to toilet; how to stay/sleep happily in a crate; how to greet strangers; how to be alone and stay out of mischief. These things will come more slowly and are the hardest of all to teach.

Being the bright and inquisitive dog that he is, Sergi has already demonstrated difficulty in shutting his brain off and relaxing. He is very busy, busy, busy, and constantly is eager to explore, taste, and jump on the world around him. His challenge ahead will be learning to control his energy and find a balance between play, work and rest.