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Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Carol Reiter: New class with proud owners

Last weekend, I started a new dog class.

For about 15 years, I have spent hours and hours helping local folks deal with doggy problems in obedience classes held throughout the county.

This class was different.

Oh, there were the typical barking dogs and the doggy droolers and even the aggressive ones. The difference wasn't in the dogs, it was at the other end of the leashes.

I had the great honor of teaching a bunch of elementary school 4-H students a dog obedience class. Sunday was their first class, and man, was I impressed.

The children, who are in fourth through eighth grades, came to a home in rural Atwater with dogs ranging from tiny Chihuahuas to well-behaved hunting dogs to ranch dogs.

Those kids came with more than their family dogs. They brought their questions, and their insatiable search for learning as much as they could about their pets. And they brought something that a lot of people who own dogs don't have.

Those kids came without any preconceived notions of how to train a dog, or any excuses as to why maybe their dog wasn't the best in the world.

Too many times I've had adults come to my classes with every excuse in the world about why their dog had problems. I've heard everything from 'this dog was abused' to 'the poor thing is afraid of big dogs, so I don't know if this is the right class for us.'

Not these kids. Every one of them was as proud as punch of their dogs, and every one of them listened to my incessant talking and never questioned my training tactics. They had no excuses, they only wanted to learn.

And they did. By the end of class, when I always ask if anyone has any questions, these kids were ready for me.

I got questions about dogs that jump on people, about what to do if a dog gets mouthy, and about how long a typical training session should be.

Wow. That was kind of freaky. Normally, when I ask for questions at the end of a dog class, I get a lot of adults just staring at me. Oh, they have questions all right, they just don't want to look like a fool in front of everyone else.

I tell every single class I teach that there are no bad questions, and the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked. I encourage people to ask their question during class, because chances are if one person has that question, others do too.

It doesn't always work. I can't count how many times I've had people wait until we were packed up and ready to go before the questions started. I have no problem staying and answering those people, I'm just always disappointed that the entire class doesn't get to benefit.

I won't have that problem with these 4-H students. Their questions were intelligent, and not one kid was embarrassed to ask me what they wanted to know.

By the time the class was over, the kids were tired, the dogs had all stopped barking, and I couldn't stop smiling. I had a great time, and I hope the kids learned a few things. I know I did.

Those children are the future dog owners of the world. Their parents have helped their kids learn to love animals, and there were almost as many parents as students at the dog class.

I told those students that their dogs don't live in the past, they live in the 'right now.' But I don't think I have anything to worry about, because not only the dogs are living for today. So are the kids, and it's refreshing, and humbling, to see. Thanks, guys, you really made my day.

Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or creiter@mercedsun-star.com.