Chloe isn't the only smart dog in the house. This week in class she and Aunt Pat learned Sit, Down, Touch, and they played "Pass the Puppy", which involved having one's collar grabbed by other humans in class who were positioned in a circle, and getting treats from them. I'd be a little shy about this one if I'd been there, since our humans are always careful of having us around strangers. Plus, Aunt Pat was worried that Chloe would chase the nearest squirrel if somebody didn't have a good grip on her collar. Thankfully, everything went well. Chloe jumped on Aunt Pat a couple of times during the exercise. I think Chloe wanted Aunt Pat to know where she was, and she wanted Aunt Pat to see what a good girl she was.
Chloe and Aunt Pat had worked on Sit before, so Chloe did just fine, until one of the Instructors came around to check on them. Then, she froze, and Aunt Pat had to use the "tickle spot" method of running her fingers down her spine down to her tush, to get Chloe to sit. I wonder if she got cold feet or if she got distracted by the treats the Instructor wore on her belt.
I'm an old pro at Sit. I've been sitting to command for a while now and I'm more than happy to demonstrate for my sisters, especially if it means extra chicken pieces. Granted, the chicken pieces Aunt Pat uses as a special reward are extremely small, so the more the better! When we're doing our, err, Chloe's homework, I have to bark to get Aunt Pat's attention so we can do another demonstration...and get another treat.
We all need extra time with Down. Aunt Pat holds the treat in front of us and lowers it to the ground. Katie and I both like to look down in case Aunt Pat has dropped a treat on the floor. I'll stand up to look below where I was laying to see if any crumbs have fallen, and we're used being upright when we eat. Aunt Pat has had to run her fingers down our spines again looking for the magic spot in order for us to get down. By this Monday's class, Chloe has to go down and up three times consecutively. I think Aunt Pat's praying for rain.
Chloe and Katie have an appointment at the Groomer tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe once Chloe has a new look, she'll be in the mood to show off on Monday.
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