by Meadow Lark

Created on: May 04, 2008   Last Updated: March 20, 2009

Obedience class for Max and I was not even an option. It was a necessity! I met our black lab, Max, in front of a Wal-Mart with his siblings and an owner who didn't want the hefty price I would have to pay at a pet store for a "purebred" without registration papers! Yes, there were many clues, but my husband and I fell in love with our lab, especially since our hearts were still mourning over the death of our 14 year old cocker spaniel, Hobbes.

We had no idea what we were doing and how our lives would change, but since we have no children, I went into the whole "Puppy Mamma" phase whole heartedly. I rushed home from work to walk our little puppy around the block. He would stop and watch birds in the sky, and I would watch him enjoy everything for the first time.

Later, however, we found ourselves sitting at an official dog training school. It was the kind of training where the owner is not present but pays a large sum of money for the service. I was totally amazed to see several pictures of black labs on the wall. Coincidentally, the name my husband and I agonized over for our dog, Max, was the name under several of the successful labs pictured. Since we learned the cost for the behavior modification classes was over $1,000, Max and I ended up at a closer and much cheaper obedience class that we both attended.

I learned many things at obedience class. The first lesson was that my dog was not like the beautiful great dane next to us. Daffy the Great Dane was a model in stature and obedience. She loved to play and while being a large dog was a perfect playmate for Max. However, I found myself comparing my Wild Max to the Serene Daffy. Max is one of a kind, I realized. At the end of class, our instructor, Jana, placed graduation caps on each dog and took pictures with the owners. While Daffy sat serenely with her white boa (not kidding) and graduation cap, Max had to be held on to very tightly as he struggled to remove any piece of clothing or accessories that were placed on his body. Somehow, we got the cap on and had a quick picture taken before he could rip it apart. I still giggle a little when staring at that 8 year old picture.

The class was invaluable. I never realized it was so easy to make a dog sit, or that Max would learn the commands down and stay. We never did get the "leave it" command conquered, but, of course, Daffy had it down the first day she tried it.

Learning and training are essentials to my dog's life and mine. When we stop learning new things or attempting to train and help others, our lives become quite stale and boring. Right now, my life is full for many reasons. One of the reasons is my black, energetic, sometimes obedient dog, Max.

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