My Greatest Teacher

It takes patience to bring a dog into your life. If you don't have it from the start, you'll learn it mighty quickly.

Fred taught me a lot in the ways of patience. He's a bit thick skulled…literally and figuratively. He's very smart - it just takes awhile to get your point through to him. He was somewhere between six and seven months old when he trampled into our lives. None of us have looked back since.

We worked with Fred so much. There were bad habits to break. He nipped at people in a playful way. I knew that this wouldn't be good - especially since we lived in an apartment building that was crawling with kids. So that was task number one - no nipping.

He was mostly housebroken when he joined our family. It didn't take long to find a schedule that worked for everyone.

And he barked at everything. Everything. We would leave the television on for him when we weren't home in hopes of distracting him. It didn't help that our apartment building had an echoing stairwell and paper-thin walls. And everyone slammed their front door. We tried so many forms of punishment before we discovered the one that worked best.Separation from his people. By scolding Fred and sending him "to bed" in the back of the house, we found the punishment that finally worked. Banished to the back of the apartment to sit alone, until we called him to rejoin us. This punishment actually worked so well that he would begin to punish himself when he accidentally let a bark slip out. It's quite humorous…first there's a low "woof." then you see the look on his face that just says, "Oh crap." He hangs his head, lowers his tail and slinks off to the bedroom, awaiting his cue to rejoin the family.

He never has learned the proper way to walk on a leash. And he'll jump on you in greeting. Until you knee him in the chest, that is. Once you do that, he realizes that you know that little trick and he's less likely to try it on you again.

And the pup needs Ritalin. Big time. He's so full of energy that he's always bouncing off the walls.

But he's the best boy. You can't beat Fred when it comes to enthusiasm. He's got it oozing out of his pores. You can totally trust him when it comes to your food. To the point that you can set a dish down and walk into another room, and he won't touch it. He'll offer to stand guard, and helpfully come to remind you that you've left something in the other room if you're away too long. Fetch is his favorite game. He loves to go for rides in the car. Loves sticking his big, goofy head out the window. If you're scratching him, and you're not quite hitting his sweet spot, he'll helpfully guide your hand in the right direction. The "stay" command can be iffy. But he'll do it when it counts, and he comes when you call.

The biggest trial that we went through with Fred was the dreaded chewing stage. That pup chewed up everything! Remote controls, shoes (my favorite pair!), bookcases, books (a duo by Stephen King - after "reading the first, he justhad to know how the story ended!), CDs…the list goes on and on. In fact, someone correctly identified our cordless phone because of the teeth marks on it when we left it outside.

Fred is a legend in and upon himself. People fall in love with him - they can't help it. He's so goofy and easy-going. The girls at work got a taste of his silly style at the dog park. I would toss one tennis ball, and he would return with two. He would chase his ball, and on his way back would stop to pick up any other ball that might happen to be in his path. Eventually, we had every tennis ball in the park at our feet.

The lady we would leave him with in Germany when we went trekking off across the continent became known as his "German Mom." Frau Krut was the best, and Fred loved her. When he saw us take out his toy bag, he knew where he was going, and we couldn't move fast enough for him! She loved him so much that she would let him stay in her house with her, and not out in the kennels with the other dogs. I'm so glad that his last days in Germany were spent in her care.

Fred found himself shuffling between families when Hubby and I were "homeless" in Florida. He spent a few days with Hubby's brother and SIL and their pup, then followed me back to my parents' house for a few weeks. Upon our departure from Florida, he instilled himself at my brother and SIL's house - blending in with their labs in a mix of flying fur. It was the best times for him, I think…life on the Lab farm.

Somehow we survived his puppy hood. We taught him how to be a somewhat socialized beast, and in return he taught us patience and gives us unconditional love and enthusiasm. Most importantly, he taught me about loving a dog.

Now here I am again. Sadie Marie has joined our clan at the ripe age of fourteen months. Not a girl, not yet a woman.The rules of the household have already been established, and she's working on finding her place in this puzzle.

So far, her biggest challenge is getting on the potty schedule. It is breaking my heart to do it, but until she totally figures it out, she's having to spend her nights sleeping in her crate. I'm heaping praise upon her when she does her deed on the schedule - and I think it's finally sinking in.

To make up for the nighttime crating, she comes to work with me every day. She's got a crate at work, and it is her little cave. The door only closes when I have to leave the office. She's free to roam the office otherwise. The socialization is working well for her. She's a bit shy - leery of everyone else in the office for the most part. She'll stick to me like glue, and look at me for reassurance before considering whether or not to entertain the offers of rubs from others.

We're setting boundaries. She's mastered the art of waiting before entering and exiting the car. She's learned that both the cat food bowls and the litter box are off limits. Trash cans are a no-no, and we're still working on that. She doesn't bark much, and receives a stern reprimand when she does. She comes when she is called, and is learning to ignore the Chihuahuas on the other side of the fence. She walks on a leash wonderfully.

She plays well with Fred. And is content to sit on the couch with me. It is amazing to see her "turn off" the lab in her and just lay down and be calm and mellow. Then I see her running around the house and yard, teasing and taunting Fred, flashing her teeth and enticing him to play.

Yes - for the most part we've been spared some of the worst of puppy hood with both dogs. But we've wound up with wonderful creatures in our lives - showering us with unconditional love and companionship. Sadie has been in my life for only a few weeks, and I already feel lost when we're separated. I love that she follows me around and spends the day in the office with me.

Never in a million years did I think I would feel the way that I do about any dog, much less the two that have found their places in our clan. Fred opened a door for me - and having survived his puppy hood together, I'm prepared to offer love to other dogs. In a way, I guess, he made it possible for Sadie to join the clan.

For Fred, I will forever be grateful. He has taught me well.