"Tail" of Two Dogs

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

At the first training class of the week, at The Dog Den, Neva excels and is the best in class. She has begun to DOWN without a lure, has a solid COME, and is quickly picking up on the walk at my side. She also runs to her BED on command, waits for an OK to eat or exit her crate, and I think she is potty trained (99.9%). This is all good for a puppy less than four months old.

Our second class of the week was an OccuPaws class. Meeting all the requirements of a OGDA four month old, however, Neva is still lagging behind the others. Her litter mates have shown progress on BACKing up, STAYing, and HEELing. Neva does play very well with others (as seen above sharing a toy with her sister and brothers).

Although she is quite distracted by the other canines in class, her performance has more to do with her inept puppy raisers. We need to step it up or risk having another of our puppies flunk out.

The first snowfall of the year is always interesting, but can't compare to the first ever exposure to snow. Experiencing these firsts with your puppy keeps you young at heart - it's priceless.

Neva loved frolicking in and "drinking" the fluffy frozen water. It must have gotten in her ears as she rolled around because she couldn't hear me call her into the house.
Oi Vay, puppies and their selective hearing.