Graduated … Again!

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Eighty percent of success is showing up. ~Woody Allen, American filmmaker, actor, and commedian

I Monkey here.

Bet you’ve all been thinking about me and wondering how I’ve been getting along in the second phase of Puppy School.

Wait no more.

I made it! Graduated … again!

Cool beans, right?

Mama was having trouble keeping the stupid hat on me, so I don’t look especially happy (though I was!)

This time, we started class with a rescue hound/lab mix named Daisy and her mom, and another rescue mix (American Staffordshire/pit bull/who knows?) named Sukie with her dad.

I was the only boy, so I figured I’d be the star of this shindig in no time.

If only I could hear myself think.

You see, those two classmates of mine did nothing for the entire first hour but BARK BARK BARK. And the longer we sat in class, the louder their barking got.

Mama says I shouldn’t blame it on the fact that they were girls because she doesn’t yak like that. Sorry, Mama, I’ve heard you get wound up before, and you, too, can talk a blue streak!

Girls. Huh.

So I Monkey sat right next to Mama and refused to join in their gab-fest. And when Teacher determined none of us could hear what she was saying, she dismissed class early, keeping the two girls and their pawrents behind for a little talk.

The next week, I Monkey noticed Sukie and her dad weren’t there. Only Daisy, her mom, me, and Mama. And that’s the way it stayed for the rest of our sessions.

Putting an end to the hen party and letting us get down to business.

Over the next few weeks, we were taught: Heel (walk right alongside Mama’s leg and ignore Teacher when she distracts us with crinkly toys); Switch (transfer from one side of Mama to the other when the sidewalk becomes crowded); Sit and Stay; Down and Stay; Place (go sit in a designated spot and don’t move, even when Teacher bangs on the door and giggles).

We also learned: Tuck (begin on one side of Mama, then scoot between her feet and sit tight for a treat); Puppy Leap Frog (sit down by Mama while Daisy and her mom walk around us, and vice versa); Settle/Chillax (rest quietly in a designated spot); plus reinforcement of the commands we learned in our first level.

Daisy’s mom was afraid I’d be the “A” student and show poor Daisy up, but the girl was trying so hard, and I Monkey didn’t have the heart to best her too much. Still, I wasn’t giving up my title as Teacher’s Pet!

At graduation, we got certificates, a photo with the goofy uncomfortable hat (that we had to give back), and a puzzle toy (that I figured out fast without tearing it completely apart!)

Mama says education is good, and I’m all for more of it. Treats, too. But now it’s Mama’s turn because Band is starting back up again soon, and I’ll have to endure that screechy flute-thing. Sigh.

Signing off, I Monkey your Prudent-Student.

28 thoughts on “Graduated … Again!”

  1. *thunderous applause*

    I’m so proud of you, Monkey! And that photo of you wearing your graduation cap is BEYOND adorable! What a face you have! I seriously think you should look into being a “doggie print model.” I can so see you on the front cover of DOGUE Magazine!

    “Sorry, Mama, I’ve heard you get wound up before, and you, too, can talk a blue streak!

    Girls. Huh.”

    That made me LOL! Besides modeling, you could also be a stand-up comedian!

    Your school curriculum sounded very involved and challenging. Especially the “Puppy Leap Frog.”

    Well done, Monkey! I’m sure Mama is so proud and happy with you!

    Wishing you both a Happy Labor Day!
    X

    • Thank you, Mr. Ron. I Monkey will have to pass your compliments along to Mama in hopes that if she sees how much in demand I am, she’ll ante up on the treats!

      Puppy Leap Frog was hard at first, but after Daisy and I got the hang of it, we looked like pros. The moms were pretty pleased by that — I think both of them thought there was going to be a dogfight or something. Huh.

      Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day, too!

  4. It was really interesting to read about some of the commands that I wasn’t aware of. Sit, stay, and heel are common enough that even people like me who don’t have dogs know about them, but some of the others were new. Good for you for doing so well, and good for your teacher for improving the classroom environment by quieting it down so you could learn! (And, yes: that hat is silly, but it’s a great sign of your accomplishment!)

    • Thank you, Miss Linda. I Monkey am happy Teacher separated those two noisy girls, too. It was pretty clear nobody was going to learn in the midst of all that chaos!

      My favorite new command is Tuck. I feel so safe when I’m tucked between Mama’s knees. Nobody can “get” me there (she wouldn’t let ’em!), and it calms many of my anxieties to have her close. Mama tries to practice me on a regular basis so I’ll stay on top of what I’ve learned (hmm, I wonder how much of this practice is so *she* won’t forget?!?)

  5. Congratulations, Monkey! I’m proud of you and had no doubt you would be at the top of the class! You look very handsome in your graduation photo.

    I bet Daisy was cute. I love me a little bit of hound, even when they bark! My Grady boy looks like a black lab, but when he opens his mouth, it’s clear there’s hound lurking in there somewhere!

    • Aw, thanks, Miss Kelly. I Monkey thought the cap was pretty cumbersome (it was bigger than the one Teacher used at my first graduation), but I’m glad you think it was cute.

      You’d have liked Daisy. Mama prefers dogs like me with LOTS of fur, but as pups go, Daisy was all right. Her behavior got better and better as our sessions went on, and I imagine her mom was pretty happy with her progress. I Monkey could tell she was practicing and retaining the information, and she quickly stopped that barking nonsense when I refused to join in!

  6. What a great accomplishment, Monkey. I know it isn’t easy to follow the command when someone is trying to get you to not follow them. Good for you for keeping steadfast. All of your virtual friends are proud of you.

  7. Oh Monkey! Penny says Congratulations! She never got a hat when she finished school. She says that having a picture with the hat would be a very good thing. She starts a new class next week. She’s not sure she’s happy about it. We’ll see. Mom starts up in band too…more screeching over here too.

    • Oh, Miss Dawn. I Monkey would’ve gladly shared my goofy cap with Miss Penny, but Teacher wouldn’t let me keep it. Just as well, I guess, because I don’t do dress-up. Poor Penny has to deal with screeching, too?? I Monkey yowl like somebody’s pulling my legs off when Mama gets that flute-thing out. I can’t help it, you know. She even shuts the door and flips on a fan to drown out the screeching for me … but I have sensitive ears. And she dares NOT send me outside, or the police would be here in a New York second to find out who’s killing whom! Tell Penny “Good Luck” with her classes!

  8. Well done, Monkey!!! 👏 I never heard of the Switch command before but I can see how that would be a useful skill to master. Are there any more post-graduate courses you will sign up for?

    • Miss Barbara, I Monkey think I’ve had enough schooling for a while, as long as I can keep Mama practicing what I’ve already learned. She seems to think I’d make a great agility or therapy dog, but I don’t know. I think those skills are pretty polar-opposite, if you know what I mean, heh heh. Switch comes in handy when we’re out walking, and somebody is approaching us from the other direction. I Monkey have a tendency to want to check them out, and some people don’t particularly like that!

    • Thanks for the encouragement, Mr. Frank. I Monkey will keep being me, regardless of how “perfect” St. Dallas was! (I think I’m starting to wear Mama down, too, hee hee!!)

  11. Hi Monkey! Yorkie here. Cool beans, YES! I’m sure your mama is so proud of you both. I think the problem with that hat is that it is my toy doggo size and it is only big enough for an ear muff on your greatness size! Hee, hee.

    Goodness gracious, Sukie was dismissed and left you to train with the Daisy doggo.

    My mama’s favorite would be the PLACE and mine would be the TUCK. I Yorkie don’t know either. I am naturally great with SETTLE/CHILLAX but didn’t know it had a word.

    It is so much fun to hear about your class and congratulations on being the Teacher’s Pet Graduate!

    Best to the Fall season with the screechy flute-thing! Just know that your mama is having happy fun. ❤️🐾🐾

    • Hi Yorkie! I Monkey absolutely LOVE the Tuck command … and Mama does, too. Every time there’s a confusing situation, she tells me to “Tuck,” and I readily go right into the comfort of her legs! Like this morning, when we were walking and they decided to test the outdoor bad weather warning sirens — such NOISE, you wouldn’t believe. I Monkey was tightly tucked and didn’t fear anything. Something tells me Mama gets a bit of comfort when I’m tucked nearby, too, hee hee!

      I’m not fond of Place. I mean, really, how’s a “guard dog” supposed to protect if, every time the doorbell chimes, I’m told to go to my Place while Mama braves the UPS guy alone??!

      Happy Fall to you and your mom. Finally, we’re getting some better weather this week — hope it sticks around!

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