Life of a Saussell: And Sit

So this morning we were all up early as I wanted Stitch on his best behaviour for meeting his new buddies at class, he was fed and watered, walks entailed chasing around the garden looking for cats and then we were off, half hour drive to Episkopi and the dog training centre.

As we pulled into the centre we could see all the other humans with their dogs all waiting patiently and having a chat to one another, the previous class was finishing so there was a lot of humans and animals milling around, two rather large Huskie looking dogs were still in the training area as I passed over fees to Lindsay, they were very beautiful with their big blue eyes but god were they big, distance required for those two I thought to myself, they were very well behaved though and never pulled their owner over once, because they definitely looked like they should have been pulling something, a sled maybe.

We were eight dogs, and 12 humans including Lindsay the trainer, only one human per dog although we were allowed to swap out if we wanted. Registrations were taken and I got chatting to Mo and his human, poor Mo had recently had his coat shaved for summer so he looked like a retrievers black head, with a sausage grey body and a lions tail, then it was Blake who was a pointer cross, he used to be called Blackie but his new foster mum said that name had to go, he was a lovely chap, with huge paws and dashingly long legs, there was Luna a female German Shepherd with Alpha issues, a Schnauzer with ideas of grander who was so funny when Lindsay tried to get him to sit, his aristocratic nose was up and he was not giving in readily, there was a spaniel with massive long ears and a flowing golden russet coat, a massie who was so funny because if anyone came near her she just rolled over, he tail was between her legs on most of the walk, but eventually she relaxed and the tail came out, and then there was the baby of the class, the most beautiful bundle of white fluff who's name I can't quite remember maybe Cara, she was a Westie and had only been allowed to join because she had permission from her vet, the poor wee thing had trouble keeping up on the walks and did't want to do as she was told initially but came round in the end.

We started off the class by walking around on leads following in a line, keeping the leads nice and loose, the only dog we were allowed to pass was Cara as her little legs didn't allow her to travel fast or far, Stitch did well on his walk with Mo in front and Luna on the about turn. Then we were all lined up and it was teaching sit command, Stitch is already up to speed with this but with all the distractions he had to be coaxed into position, but a neat little trick we were taught is if they do not respond on the second queue take the collar at the front and pull it up until they sit, worked a treat when Stitch was being distracted by something flying over his head and he was trying to chase it's shadow instead of paying attention. We all then had to take turns in getting our hounds to sit whilst another dog walked up and down the lines, instructions were given when behaviours appeared like Blake eating his lead whilst walking, he didn't do it again once the lead was snapped, I really do like Blake there is something very endearing about him. Luna was having a moment when she decided she wanted to drink water and on her second visit to the water point Lindsay instructed her human to pull her back as she was not doing what she was here for and the human should take back the control. All the dogs were really well behaved throughout but some funny moments occurred over the hour, like Luna refusing to sit for her human, and Lindsay taking control which involved Luna on her back legs refusing to sit, and a battle of wills unfolded, Lindsay won and Luna sat, the same happened with the Schnauzer, little Cara did beautifully for such a young puppy. Then it was time to teach stay, again a couple of moments of 'I don't think so', then humans ruled, Blake was up before Stitch and it was so funny when he finished and he was given his treat so he just sat in place to eat his reward which meant that Stitch had to wait for his turn to show off his skills, eventually Blake finished his treat and Stitch was ready and he performed wonderfully and I was a very proud Mumma. When class finished we let the dogs off to play and then Luna and Mo chased Stitch around until he had enough and the teeth were out, Luna was told off by her human for being too friendly and Mo just wandered off, this is the bit I'm not so keen on, how do you know when your dog baring it's teeth is a good thing or a bad thing, Stitch never bares his teeth but obviously the chase was done and he wanted to stop, maybe the next lesson will give me more insight into this behaviour.

We drove home via the Buccanneer for some lunch after driving past some crazy cyclists who deemed it necessary to drive through the T junction instead of round it, the other professional cyclist who were waiting at the junction just looked on shaking their heads, obviously amused at the lack of road sense used by the non professionals, then it was a drive past another bunch of cyclist (sunday must be cyclesunday) with a car over taking them on our side with no regard to bikes or cars, and whilst on the mobile jeeeez! I was glad to get to the pub, although my beloved did offer to open his car door whilst another set of cyclist were pedalling past, that man and his sense of humour.

We drove home and settled down for a cosy snuggle as being out last night had left us feeling a touch jaded, when I asked my beloved did you learn anything from the training as he had watched the lesson he replied 'yes never go to training with a hangover' enough said.