ATTENDANCE: Bruce Indonesian Mix, Juicy Doberman/Boxer, Cullen Mini Schnauzer, Stella Bulldog, Emmie Doodle, Cooper Doodle, Lilly Australian Shepherd, Anabelle Sheltie, Freddie Boston Terrier, Gemma English Cocker, Scout Golden Retriever, Lolah Bulldog, Eden Mini Schnauzer and Dexter Puggle.  Absent:  Lucy Doodle

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DWD will be CLOSED for the week of August 22-29.  School reopens on August 29 for the Monday class.  School will also be CLOSED for the 4th of July Holiday on Monday July 5 (observed) and for Labor Day Holiday on Monday, September 6.

NOW OFFERING....Copies of up to 200 of your dog’s best images at play at DWD, including solo shots as well as group shots and action shots!!  Sign up if you’re interested and a photo album containing your pup’s shots will be put together for you to view on the big screen of my 27” iMac.  CD’s will be $100 each and will contain up to 200 photos for you to download on your computer and use in your own calendars, cards, photo books and prints.  You get to VIEW BEFORE YOU BUY!

OUR DAY:  A beautiful, sunshiney day so far and the pups are loving it!  Behavior has been wonderful today and they are learning so much through their carefully-supervised social play!  Great to see them growing into such lovely Canine Citizens!

NEW today is Bruce, a lovely two-toned (rust/white) gal who was rescued from the streets of Indonesia this spring by her mom!  She’s an older pup of about 8 months and she is savvy yet cautious about interacting with others.  She is totally taking her time to warm up to the pups and that’s fine with us!  Here at DWD, each pup is allowed to enter the social scene on their own terms and on their own time table.  Patience is key.  I am working with Bruce slowly and gently....she really likes kibble, so I’ve been leaving little trails leading up to where the pups are playing.  She’s falling for it!  Ha!  And she has been allowed ample space to roam and seek refuge until she’s ready to dip her toes into the social waters.  Juicy is her best pal!!!

Also NEW to the Tuesday Pack today is Cooper Labradoodle, who came to Tiny Tots last week and was moved up to the Big Kid Pack today!  Cooper is totally social and it’s been really cool to observe how Emmie is drawn to him.  They’ve been wrestling and running and playing together all morning.  They both “speak Doodle” I guess.  Lovely...

Emmie is also enjoying play with Cullen today, and I’ve been so amused to see how she handles it when things (i.e. Cullen) get too rough.  She heads to the pool!  Cullen runs around the pool and she splashes in relative safety.  She probably just heads over there too “cool off” but she’s also helping Cullen to engage in some water play.  He jumped in at one point!

Freddie has been hanging with the Schnauzers a good deal today.  He also likes to wrestle with Freddie and Stella.  We’re still working on “no bark” today, but he’s doing much, much better with voice control and so is Dexter!

Speaking of Dexter....he's also NEW to the Tuesday Pack today!  He fit in so nicely with this pack that I totally forgot he was NEW to this group today!  Duh...  Sorry, Dex!  I think his hormones are now flowing!!  He loves Stella and has been attempting to mount/hump her a lot today.  Luckily, Stella likes to hang pretty close to the Pack Leader and Dexter doesn’t like the squirt bottle.  This last half hour, though, I’ve been seeing Stella correct Dexter on her own for the behavior and THIS is what will actually keep him in his place.  Schedule Dexter’s neuter surgery any time!

Cullen, too, is ready for neuter any time.  I’ve noticed this week and a bit last week that he is being dominant with the other males, or attempting too.  Today he’s also been rough and bitey with the youngest pups in the class, both are girls.  These are signs that he is maturing and feeling his oats, male-wise.  I’m a HUGE fan of early spay/neuter, as you probably know, and here at school, it’s really important that surgery happen early rather than late, as some males need to be kept out of school if their sexual behavior becomes too much of a burden to the females or a distraction to the male himself.

Stella is having a fabulous second week of school!  She and Juicy have been wonderful together.  There’s this little group of gals that hang out together and they all play really nicely with each other.  Stella, Juicy, Gemma and Anabelle make up this group.  Lovely play!

Oh!!!  I forgot that Lilly Aussie is new to the Tuesday Pack today!  She’s transitioning from Tiny Tots, too, but she’s been out for two weeks due to a respiratory infection.  Lilly is a pool princess!  She just loves to be soaking and splashing!  She and Lolah have been in there together at times, dunking their faces, etc.  Too adorable!  Lilly is incredibly intelligent and wants to do whatever she’s asked.  It’s amazing to work with her.  She is soooo into training!  Everyone loves her!

Scout and Lolah are great together today.  They’ve been playing this adorable game with each other on the edge of the sandbox, with Lolah IN the box and Scout outside of it.  The wooden side of the sandbox provides a barrier for each of them to hide behind, play hide & seek and just generally have silly fun!  I’ve tried to capture their “game” with the camera....

Scout HAS had a few “attack mode” moments today....3 so far I think.  I have been right there for 2 of them and was on him immediately and used the squirt bottle, which made him stop in his tracks.  He comes right out of it, but it IS a scary behavior.  I believe it’s fear-based or a reaction to wild energy in the other pup.  The last time he did it was a few moments ago while I was eating lunch.  It took me a few seconds longer to jump in, and I don’t know what happened to tweak him, but it was over immediately and he was seriously and sternly reprimanded and then given a brief time out and not allowed around the other dog, who went to sit at Mike’s feet.  What’s GOOD about Scout trying this behavior HERE is that I am able to work with it and he’s able to get some repetition of it NOT working and NOT getting away with it....and that means the likelihood of him LEARNING is so much higher.  So...as long as his “freak outs” are caught immediately and used to teach, I’m okay with it.  Plus, he’s got ONE class left after today before he MUST graduate due to size.  Boo!  We love Scout!

Lucy Mix has moved on to adult doggie day care with her older sib.  She will be missed!!!  We enjoyed having her...

Okay...I’ve got to get back to supervising my cherubs!  Lots of hours left to go....and the gang is happily resting on the cool tile floor and on the flat rocks just outside the school room door.  I love this bunch!!