Har-row bloggers and welcome back, or a big welcome if this is your first visit to my page.
Mum says that on the whole I am a very good boy and she is very please with my progress. However, there are times when I stick my paws up to her and tell her where to go, because I am now 5 1/2 months old and I am starting to grow up.
I am a very thoughtful boy though, and I really do try dog hard to get things right. However, there are are few things I really don't understand, but I am trying so hard to get my head around them.
You see, I am a very sociable dog. I meet lots of people and lots of other dogs who all want to say hello to me and be my friend. Therefore, if it were up to me, I would run up to everyone and everything and give them all a big wag and a smile, or perhaps invite them to play with me. Mum really doesn't think this is a good idea, and asks me to wait. I know what she means when she says "wait", but ooooh it's so exciting when I see another dog, or a person, so I just ignored her and ran off. I again heard her shouting "BARKLEY WAIT", but it was all to much fun, so I decided to stick my paws up at her and continued running. She really wasn't pleased by my actions, and told me so. But the last couple of occasions I gave her the two paws, I turned around and discovered, much to my horror, that she had gone!!!! Yes, she and the others walked off and left me - all on my own! I got a bit panicky and cried out. I then saw her coming back towards me, but she didn't look at all pleased. I wagged my tail, but still she didn't smile and talk nicely to me. Then on the last occasion, it was even worse. She came back, clipped the leash to my collar and then tied me up to the fence, and then went off she went to talk to the other dogs and owners who were in the class. Would you believe it?
I just had to sit down and have a think about it. She eventually came back, untied me from the fence, and then lead me back towards the other people and dogs. She then told me to "wait" as she removed the leash. I did. I wanted to run off though, but I did as she asked. She then said "ok" which meant I could go, so off I ran to meet the others. I then heard her call "BARKLEY COME", so I did. This time I had my lovely happy chirpy mummy back, the one who is pleased to see me when I run up to her. I was then given another time out to think it all through, but I still couldn't make a great deal of sense out of it.
Why doesn't she want me to run up to everyone I see? She explains that there are people out there who really don't like me because I am a dog, and will do anything they can to get me in trouble. They will scream and complain that I had run up to bite them, and go very hysterical. There are also other dogs out there who might attack me, especially if they are on their leashes. I am starting to think this is a funny world I have come to live in. Why on earth would somebody not like me because of what I am?
This is of course the reason why mum is working very hard on teaching me to "wait" when I am running on ahead of her. "Stay" when joggers and cyclists go racing by and to "Barkley come" when I spot another dog in the distance. I then have to go back to her side and await further instructions, which could either "o.k" if it somebody we know, or "wait" until whoever or whatever has passed by. In the picture above, we are all lying down and waiting as a cyclist rode along behind mum as she was taking the picture. On this particular outing, I had walked passed lots of people of all different ages, some of whom wanted to speak to me, whilst others didn't. I also saw a lot of dogs, some of whom I was able to meet up with and have a few minutes fun. For once mum was completely satisfied with my training and gave me a HUGE hug and reward. I don't think she expects me to be 100% all of the time - not just yet, but she is really pleased that I am learning to do what is required of me.
I still don't understand this world though, but Lotte, Nalle and Tallulah just seem to accept that this is the way things are. It does help me to watch their reactions.
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