ATTENDANCE: 10 today.  2 absent (Sophie & Ivy).  Present:  Katara Shiba Inu (new!), Gus Frenchie, Molly Morkie, Lyla Ital Greyhound/Min-Pin, Dexter Boston Terrier, Lucy Jack Russell Terrier, Kaylee Westie, Oliver Fluffy Mix, Lily Pomapoo and Sasha Feist Mix.

REMINDER:  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 Labor Day Holiday on Monday, September 6.

PLEASE...there is NO PARKING in front of my house on Ocean Street.  PERIOD.  You will get ticket if you park there, and I’ll get in trouble with the City as well.  You are welcomed to park in my driveway (turn your car around to face out if you are able) or on Simmons Road just past my house.  Please be swift in dropping off/picking up your dog so that others don’t have to wait in the street for a parking spot.  THANK YOU!!

OUR DAY:   It’s been a lovely morning, but it’s getting hot in the sun.  We’ve been in the shade and will continue to stay there this afternoon!

We have a new gal today...another DWD family has expanded!  Kai-Lyn Shiba Inu (18 months old) has a new sister Shiba named Katara.  She’s a black-and-tan and she’s just adorable at 11 weeks!

Katara is very social and has no problem making friends and also keeping herself safe during play by using her skills to communicate to her new pals.  We love this!  Lyla has been great with her and so has Lily.  She’s great with both these dogs.  Gus likes her a lot and so does Sasha, but they tend to be just a little to quick for her just yet, so I’m supervising and “helping” these two understand that Katara is just a baby.  Kaylee, too, can be a bit heavy-pawed with Katara at times.  I think Katara will get into the pool on her own soon.  She really gets excited when anyone is in it, and she runs circles around it, puts her paws up on the edge, sticks her nose into the water.  Katara uses her bark just a bit during play when she’s having a blast.  So far, she’s had a great day and is napping pretty heavily right now!!

Gus is getting too big for the Tiny Tots class, I’m afraid.  When he tackles you, you know it!  So...my suggestion for his Daddy is to get him neutered and then bring him back with the Tuesday Pack after that’s been accomplished.  He is displaying quite a bit of male-dominant behavior, which is understandable due to his age, but it’s not a great thing for him to practice here at puppy school.  He’ll be among friends in the Tuesday Pack, as several of his Tiny Tot pals have already transitioned to that class.

Sasha, too, is getting big for the Tots and would do well with the Tuesday Pack.  I’d like to keep her with the Tots for just one more week and then switch her over.  This is because I have another dog graduating from the Tuesday Pack this week and that will create an opening for Sasha the following week.  BUT...I’d really need Sasha to arrive at 7 a.m. on her first day with her new pack because it would be way too overwhelming for her to get here at 9 a.m. when everyone has already arrived.  I hope we can accomplish this!  Sasha’s comfort in the wading pool gets better each week.  Today, she was lying down and soaking, as well as splashing up a storm in there!!  Totally fun to watch her!

Molly is sporting a fresh summer haircut today and is just having the best day!  Her pal, Oliver, showed up after all and they’ve been romping really well together.  Molly also loves to play with Gus and Kaylee and especially with Lily.  She’s been a good pal today and has really loved soaking in the pool after she leads high-speed chases around the yard.  Molly can sometimes be rough with other dogs, so she’s getting some coaching on that as the weeks go by.  She especially wants to let any new pup know that she’s the boss.  Umm....no....the Pack Leader is the boss.  I think Molly does this because she’s a little fearful that the new kid will be rough, or that the new kid will take her place as Princess of the Pack.  Lol!  I watched her around 10:30 sniffing and examining Katara closely as she (Katara) rested.  This seemed to satisfy Molly’s curiosity about the interloper who joined us today!  Nice!

Lyla has been great today.  She loves to play with Gus and doesn’t let him try any of that funny boy stuff, so that’s good.  Occasionally, I have to warn her about biting and twisting his big cheeks.  She stops immediately when asked.  Love this!  Lyla has also been really awesome with the new baby, Katara.  She seems to enjoy babies a lot.  This is cool!  She has mommy tendencies...  Lyla has been in the pool a few times today.  She likes to soak when it’s quiet around the pool.  Lyla’s favorite time of day is still Snack Time!  Haha!  She doesn’t display resource guarding, though, which is great to see!

Oliver has been a happy, busy boy today.  The one thing that Oliver finds difficult to do is COME when asked.  The whole pack will enter the upper yard together, but Oliver either sits right where he is and doesn’t move, or he comes up to the gate and then darts to the right at the last minute.  Instead of chasing him down, I simply leave him where he is....alone....until he decides that we’re having more fun than he is.  Then, he asks to join us and I oblige him.  Otherwise, we’d be playing the “chase me” game all day and that’s no fun for the Pack Leader.  In fact, the first time he didn’t join us, I did go and get him....but then I took a misstep and we both fell off the stone wall.  It was no big deal.  I landed safely and Oliver didn’t even notice what happened...but STILL!  I’m too old to fall down.  Haha!  Oliver hasn’t gotten into the pool yet, but he loves to dig a big hole in the sandbox and then climb into the cool sand and chill out for a while.  He’s enjoyed his two gals, Molly and Lily, a lot today and he’s been playing nicely with Lucy and Sasha as well.  When he plays with bigger dogs or boy dogs, that’s when he tends to use his bark.  The squirt bottle works like a charm!

Dexter has retained all of his learning from last week!  This is wonderful.  He has been playing really well and is totally relaxed and happy.  He’s humping the gals less (and the boys too!) which is great.  I think he realized last week that this wasn’t going to fly with the gals or the Pack Leader.  I am working with him today on NOT jumping on humans when he is excited.  At home or out and about, having him drag a leash so you can step on it is ideal in helping to stop this behavior in its tracks.  Dexter is loving playing with Lily today and they’ve developed this game together where Lily jumps up on a big boulder and Dexter tries to nip at  her toes.  Very funny...

Kaylee is also a jumper.  She loves to put her paws on me to get my attention...but it results in the wrong kind of attention because her little nails hurt the bare legs of summer!  She immediately goes onto her back and exposes her belly for a rub, which is a riot.  She’s practicing “sit” when she gets to me.  This is also a great idea for a jumping dog.  They LOVE to perform and earn a treat, so ask for a sit or a down when they approach.  This shifts their attention from “jump and go crazy” to “sit and stay.”  Perfect!  Kaylee loves the pool, the sandbox and the Nylabones here at DWD.  She’s a great pal for Lucy JRT and also loves Sasha and Lyla and...well...everyone!  She’s busy or she’s napping.  There’s no in-between for Kaylee!

Lucy JRT is growing!  She really loves to play and run and dig!  She’s been digging in the wrong places today and it’s funny to see what the other pups do when that happens.  It’s as if they KNOW it’s wrong and they sit and watch and then look around to see if the Pack Leader is coming.  Lol!  Just like naughty kids, right?  Too funny....  Lucy doesn’t see what the big deal is and often goes right back and tries to dig again.  Impish, this one!  She really likes Katara and has sought her out for play a lot today.  Kaylee is also a favorite of Lucy’s and they do really well together.  Lucy leads Kaylee on all sorts of chases around the yard.  She loves to hide from Kaylee in the play tunnels!

Lily is just doing so well, I am amazed!  She made pals with Dexter easily last week and today, she’s been great with Katara.  Lily weighs NOTHING, so everyone loves playing with her.  She’s fast and fun!  And now that she’s confident, she’s busy all day!  Yay!  Lily isn’t a fan of the pool, but she does drink from the water bowl a lot during the day, which is good.  She really loves to be chased.  She loves to dig in the sandbox.  She loves to wrestle but you have to catch her first and then you have to KEEP her.  Oliver tries really hard!  Haha!

Ok...I think that’s 10 pups!  I hope I’ve covered everyone...  Again, we’re having a great day and this is a great group of pups.  Lots of good learning and practicing of social skills today.  I couldn’t be happier with their continued progress!  We’ll see you all later for pick ups.  Just a reminder that I do close at 5 p.m......