Saved by Puppy Class

It is unbelievable what a difference a little structured training makes. I am not sure how heeling in a circle and sitting in a row translates so quickly into a calmer, more mature and cooperative dog. I only know it works.

Advocates for Weegie’s Welfare (AWW) were concerned that she had reached the free-to-a-good-home stage of juvenile canine development. To convince myself that she was not abnormal, I read from the puppy book about this stage of development (16-24 weeks): “...defiant, strong-willed and fussy...the bratty zone...insists on being the center of attention every moment of every day...corrections make the behavior worse...driving you crazy.” What a perfect description of Weegie at four and a half months.

But then the puppy class started kicking in. When she gets bad, we work. I learned that with Wily. Give her something positive to do right, and a little miracle occurs (almost) every time.

We are training at Joyce Morgan's Dog Training Center, where Wily trained. It is well worth the drive across town. Joyce is by far the best trainer in central Texas. It would be hard for anyone to argue with that claim: Joyce has trained five Obedience Trial Champions.

You have to know a little bit about competitive obedience to understand the magnitude of this accomplishment. When most people think of dog shows, they think of breed competition, aka conformation classes, in which purebred dogs are judged for structure, looks and movement.

In the breed ring, many dogs finish championships. The idea is, you should finish your championship before you even consider breeding your dog. That's the point of any livestock show: is your animal sound enough in form and temperament to warrant reproducing his or her genes? Of course, you think so. It's your dog. But three qualified and impartial judges should agree with you.

Weegie at 20 weeks A good purebred dog, a good choice for breeding, should be able to finish a championship in the breed ring. A lot of good dogs do.

But in another area of most big dog shows, dogs compete in obedience trials. There the goal is not a championship but a title. Train your dog well, and you should be able to at least complete the Companion Dog title, known as the CD. This is about like finishing a breed champion. A good dog, well trained, should be able to do it.

A good dog, well trained, in time can complete three titles of increasing difficulty. Plenty of dogs finish all three titles, but this is an accomplishment to be quite proud of. I think it would be fair to compare it to not only finishing a champion but also going on to win some group placements, maybe even a best in show.

There is such a thing as an obedience trial champion, however. A dog who achieves this title, called OTCH and pronounced to rhyme with "notch," must first complete all three titles, then compete in the Open and Utility B rings with other dogs who have all completed all three titles, and place first or second in big classes to earn a handful of points each time, until you earn 100 points.

This is VERY hard. It requires a dog that scores 198 or 199 out of 200 points very consistently. It is a top, top obedience dog. Most trainers, in cluding most people who teach classes and most who compete in shows, have an OTCH dog in their dreams. Joyce has trained five.

So we are in good hands, as we heel in circles and sit in a line. We have a long way to go.

Weegie at 20 weeks