Finally Rigby made it to her first day of puppy kindergarten Monday night. Because I wanted to set Rigby up for success in her first experience of training with other dogs, I switched classes to put her in a class with fewer dogs than the class for which she was originally registered. We missed the first week of this class, so I was quite nervous that we were a week behind the rest.
Rigby's puppy classmates are two German Shepherd Dogs, an Airedale, a Bulldog, a Glen of Imaal Terrier and a mixed breed of the doodle type, a nice variety of pups. (Yes, I knew what the terrier was, as the owner, Jo Lynn, is someone I know from stabling our horses at the same stables in the past.)
As I expected, Rigby was the most active of the pups in the class, very stimulated by the presence of the other pups and ready to have fun. I don't want to do anything to diminish her enthusiasm, but she makes it difficult, always on the move, never still.
Although highly excited by her surroundings, Rigby was always able to concentrate enough to perform whatever exercise was asked of her and she proved to the instructors that she could sit, down, finish to the left, stand and perform her attention exercises.
I was exhausted at the end of the class from all the work of keeping Rigby engaged and out of trouble, but I was also most proud of my pretty girl for showing that she knows her stuff and for working with me through her hyper-stimulated state.
Way to go, Nina and Rigby!!
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