Reyna is Leaving

GEORGE

(dancing & singing) Come on, friends...join me!!

♫ So long sad times!,
Go 'long bad times!,
We are rid of you at last
Howdy, gay times!
Cloudy gray times,
You are now a thing
Of the past, cause:

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
Let us sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again ♫

Wonder why I'm singing about happy times? Well, Reyna's dog school is finally over and she'll be going home. Thank Bast !!! It's been 12 weeks...12 loooong weeks, and I must admit, at times I wasn't sure we'd get through it, but soon my quiet, happy home will be restored. Don't you think the line "We are rid of you at last" is particularly fitting for this occasion? I do!

Some of you are probably wondering how she did in dog school and if her lessons had any effect on her behavior. Well, since I try to keep my distance from the grey menace, I can't answer that. Mom, can you tell about Reyna's school?

MOM

Thank you, Georgie. And could you try to hold it down for a minute while I talk?

GEORGE

Sorry.

MOM

Reyna's training was done at The Animal Motel where 2 of our families other dogs, Daisy and Shasta, were trained. Over 12 weeks, in a class with between 10-15 other dogs, they learned basic commands such as "heel", "sit", "stay", "down", "stand" and "front" (calling the dog to you). Reyna knows the verbal command as well as the hand signal for each. Either my husband or I attended each class and worked with her and I'm happy to say there has been a big improvement in her overall behavior. She's more calm and, most of the time, she does listen.

My daughter was 8 months pregnant when the dog school decision was made, after 3 years of having a large dog misbehaving. Since there was no dog training school near them in central Wisconsin, we offered to have her live here and do her training. In the beginning we had doubts about what she could learn since Reyna is a very hyper-active dog who has separation anxiety and simply wouldn't listen at home. The hyper-activity caused her to pant continuously and be very distracted during class. The separation anxiety caused her to not do well on the "stay/distance recall". If we got too far from her she'd break her "stay" command and a few times went around the room visiting other dogs, but did eventually come to "front".

Reyna is a loving, good natured dog. She's still young and and is really just a big fluffy goofball. She wasn't the best student or the worst but I'm proud to say she did get her graduation certificate.

Congratulations, Biggie Woof. We love you.

GEORGE

(ahem) Speak for yourself, Mom! "We" don't love her. "We" are happy she's going home.

Now everyone sing with me!

♫ Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
Let us sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again ♫