Dog School

High 5 at dog school.
Pete went back to puppy school at Petsmart today after a three-week recess that included the instructor's vacation and the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Once again, Pete was the smartest dog in the class.
Unfortunately, the class has dwindled down to three dogs - a 45-pound German shepherd pup with front legs like baseball bats and a fuzzy little bichon frise who is a social butterfly with little interest in doing what her owners want.
Fortunately, the self-absorbed young woman with the annoying pup has not returned since the instructor suggested she control her dog and pay attention in class.
Today, Pete learned to do a High 5, roll over and a couple of other things.
He's also showing an aptitude for Frisbee-catching, when he's in the mood to play. I have high hopes he will continue to develop in that direction.
And, no, that's not a muzzle Pete is wearing. It's a Gentle Leader Headcollar that was recommended by the instructor as a humane, effective way to train him to walk on a leash. And it worked beautifully. He went from a wild dog to a cooperative happy leash walker almost immediately.
Eventually, he will be able to walk on leash without it, but it's an astonishingly effective training device. He used to shy away from the leash. Now, he goes to the antique crock by the back door where we keep our dog-walking stuff and fishes out the leash and Gentle Leader.