Facebook Note from 6/22/2010 ~ "Signs Toby & I Might get Kicked out of Manners Class"

Toby had his first "manners" class last night and oh boy do we need manners! I was told that he is extremely intelligent...and it was hinted that he is in fact more intelligent than his owner. Here are some signs that make me worried we'll be expelled.........

* As I was filling out the paperwork Toby kept "nibbling" my butt cheek to tell me to hurry. He does this at home too to get my attention and it's cute - he just sits there and then reaches over and does this quick little soft nibble like "hurry up, mom". I was laughing and saying I was hurrying when the teacher said that it was very bad manners for him to do that. : (

* Toby was finding it hard to concentrate and focus with the 20 other dogs there. Then when the teacher took out one of those little red light things and was moving it around Toby took off after it...pulling me along with him to the middle of the circle where the teacher was. I said, "Sorry - he wants the light". She said, "He is supposed to be focused on YOU." I said, "Well, he was until you took out the light thingy."

* Toby insisted on standing between my legs not beside me. I don't know why - he doesn't do that at home.

* I couldn't understand why other dogs kept getting in our "space" and getting Toby all worked up - until the teacher said over her microphone, "You are dropping treats all over!".

* When we were walking in a circle - loose lead walking - Toby kept pulling and passing everyone because when we walk with Sparky they "fight" over who is the "lead dog". Except in a circle there isn't really a lead dog and so we just kept going in very fast circles around everyone with me saying, "I'm sorry" to everyone we passed. The teacher (again over her microphone) said, "he should not be pulling you." I said panting and sweating through my shirt as we whipped by a great dane, "I know but he likes to lead but he can't figure out where the line starts because we are in a circle!"

* Because all of our treats had dropped out of our treat bag Toby decided he would go get some from other owners. He took off and because I wasn't paying attention I lost grip on his leash and he grabbed a fannie pack off of some lady and took off with her dog's treats and me, the teacher and one of her assisstants had to chase him down for the fannie pack.

* As we were leaving - we were to have our dogs sit at the door, wait until we got on the other side of the door and then told them it was okay to go through the door. Toby sat in the middle of the doorway and would not move....then he laid down in the doorway....he didn't want any of the other dogs to come out. I told them that he does this to Sparky at home and we think it's funny. Nobody laughed.

As we finally got through the door, after I had said I was sorry about 312 times, and Toby pulled me to the truck I thought, "NEVER again!" Then I put him in the back seat and this guy was like, "Doesn't he know how to jump up there? He's awfully heavy." I said, "yess I think he does, he just likes me to help him." On the way home I'm giving Toby an earful about having very bad manners at "manners class" and as I'm rambling, he rests his chin on my shoulder from the back seat, sighs and licks my ear.