Fudge and Vern and Their New Saturday Morning Dog Training Classes!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

From time to time, I work with a dog trainer that I really like with Fudge and Vern. She rarely has group classes, so I asked her to recommend someone that did and we started the classes on Saturday. My husband’s level of enthusiasm was underwhelming at best when he found out he was going to share in the fun, since I had enrolled both Fudge and Vern.  My trainer told me the guy running the classes was a very big man. Keep in mind that my trainer is a little wisp of a woman and I probably look like Lurch from the Adams Family to her when she is standing right next to me.

 

When we pulled up, we were not sure we had the right place because all I saw were German Shepherds and a man of normal size who seemed to be in the midst of a lot of dogs.  While we waited in the car for the beginner’s class to end, one gentleman with yet another German Shepherd decided the best place to wait for class was within 3 feet of the back of our van, so that Vern and Fudge could repeatedly say hi to his dog.  I used this opportunity to yell “quiet” in my loudest voice and my husband used this opportunity to tell me to relax and maybe I should lead by example, while covering both his ears.  Off to a good start, I say.

 

 

Once we emerged from the car and established we were in the correct place, it became obvious that most of the rest of the class knew each other.  Some of them asked me what kind of dogs Fudge and Vern were and I thought about saying, “They are long haired German Shepherds,” just to fit in, but in the end I said, “Labradoodles.” While we were still in the meet and greet stage, Vern remembered he needed to take his morning constitutional and without any warning, squatted and pooped in front of the crowd.  Fudge takes hours to poop and it usually involves lots of circling, sniffing, more discretion, and extreme thought is given to placement. Vern, on the other hand, always makes you feel like he is saying to himself, “Dude, I knew I forgot something!” because he will just stop mid play or mid walk and with no preparation go potty.  I know those other owners were jealous, at this point.

 

First things first, and the trainer had us get in a circle and wanted us to each walk around, sit your dog in front of each owner, shake hands, and move to the next guy. While I am waiting my turn, I see some people looking at Vern and smiling. I was thinking they were admiring our dogs, until I turned and got a glimpse of Vern and realized I mistook a smile for pity.  There he sat in a perfect sit with what can only be described as a bucket of slobber falling slowly from his mouth. Vern likes to do things in a big way and I am not talking a little bit of spittle peeking out from the corner of his mouth. I am talking a glob of white, gooey spit dripping from his jaws. My husband trying to be helpful told me to wipe it off, but I didn’t have any Kleenex (note to self, bring Paper Towels next class), so he then advised me to use my hand.  I had two choices, walk around the circle with what looked like a rabid dog or shake hands with each and every other owner with a handful of goo.  Instead, my hero, my husband, took matters into his own hands and helped Vern to shake it off before the introductions started and another crisis was averted.

 

Fudge, meanwhile, sized up one dominant German Shepherd early on and let it be known that Labradoodles are not sissies. In no time, that dog was standing behind his owner and did not bother Fudge again. I have to tell you, I was impressed with our dogs. They were asked to do things we had never done before and for the most part, did a good job. I had a moment of panic when he had us put them in a sit/stay and drop the leash and move a distance away from them, but no one ran away or called out any German Shepherds to play chicken.  The best part of the day, however, happened when we got back home. Both dogs slept the rest of the day. I told my husband, “sometimes learnin’ makes you tired and being smart ain’t easy!”

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

I forgot to add that when I first started reading your post I was thinking you were going to tell us that you were mistakenly sent to Schutzhund Training instead. (You know the training where you wear all of that protective gear and then you encourage the dogs to attack you. Wouldn't that be fun?)  Maybe that is what Vern thought? First he "lightened his load" so to speak (some wild animals do that so they can run from prey faster), and then when he saw no way out, he thought it would be best that if he couldn't look vicious, he might as well look rabid as a way to protect himself. :)

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Another LOL from me! The pooping part got me going because I could just envision it right in my head as if I were there. Hudson kinda looks embarrassed when he poops and it almost looks as if he is looking around to make sure nobody is watching him. :) We went to Kentucky this summer and took the dogs. It was our first trip with them in a hotel. Hudson is used to his privacy when he goes poop, so trying to get him to poop on a leash was quite an ordeal. After walking, and walking, and walking, and more walking.... I was wishing that I had the foresight to teach him the "Drop it like it's hot" command like you did. It would have been very useful right then. :) Why do you think Vern was drooling/slobbering? Eyeing up a tasty German Shepherd? or Nerves? BTW, Hudson's "Cousin" is a huge German Shepherd. He is kinda afraid to take him on and play with him, but little Lily isn't :) Girls are tough.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Way to go, Fudge and Vern!  Leave it to a couple of doodles to spice things up!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Jennifer, I knew you would be proud of Vern!!

Cindy, It gets better...LOL!

F, Vern has never done that before, so it was interesting.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Oh a family affair!!! Good luck to you all and it sounds like it was a great start! Way to drop it Vern!!  Hilarious!

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

So there is hope that Zach will stop leading me around by the end of my skirt - small steps!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good job Fudge and Vern. Funny, I've seen dogs getexcited by a group of dogs and slobber like that. Once we took my son's poodle for a vaccination and then to a dog park. I thought he was about to die since he was foaming at the mouth. But then after a few instances of this I realized it was just meeting and greeting excitement.