[PyrNet-L] Heidi in Puppy Pre-school

Hi, All...it's Kathy with our preschool update as promised. Must start the most recent adventure on Tuesday. We went to the Vet which is always fun because we are not allowed to leave our Samoyed at home when Heidi is going in the car....he pouts & whines something fierce....does the word "spoiled" come to mind? Anyway, Heidi got her last puppy shot & the Vet suggested that she & Bear get Lime Disease shots (Important Note-the shot does NOT prevent lime disease, only some of the worst side effects). All went well & Heidi weighs 48 lbs(she was born on 2-14) & is growing as straight as an arrow. We rode all the way home (only about 2mi), I pulled in the drive, turned the car off & at that very moment my sweet little girl tossed her cookies BIG TIME on the car seat. The whole time I'm cleaning up the mess, I'm saying "Just 30 seconds more, you couldn't wait 30 seconds more?" She was under the weather all evening & the next morning. By the time we were to go to school she was tiptop again. There are 10 puppies in the class & Heidi is the only Pyr & also the only dog that did not bark & carry on. She was tentative about meeting & greeting other dogs & tried to hide behind me. Of course, I was ready to be her protector but the instructor gently browbeat me about coddling her. Part of the training course is socialization so I had to encourage her to shake paws, so to speak, & make friends. She liked the trainer's Collie (Laddie) best, probably because he was more laid back. The rest of the evening was a smashing success. Because Heidi was the calmest of the group, she was picked to go first to show off what we had worked on all week. First we demonstrated the "Watch me" command which she did right away with words only. Next was the "Sit" command (I had to get her to stand up in order to tell her to sit) & of course not only did she sit but did it right away. Last was the "Come" command. I was really nervous about that one because she does not always come when called, especially if a blade of grass is more interesting at the moment! Should not have worried. hard part was getting her to leave my side so I could tell her to come to me....yes, ladies & gentlemen, our little girl came when called the first time!!!! If there were grades given, everyone else would have had to be marked on a curve. She was the ONLY one who did all the commands to perfection. A little side note, the trainer confirmed a suspicion of mine. She said the breed would much rather meet other people than other dogs & they are right up there when it comes to intellegence. I'm feeling just like a proud mother whose child has taken her first steps (been there, done that, so know the feeling). That's all on that subject folks. Thanks for listening, figuratively speaking of course.

On another note, I would like to share a small problem & get some input. Our Samoyed (Bear), is 16 mos. old. Since he was about 6 mos. old, he has had the concept of "Mine" & "Yours" down pat. Don't ask how he learned it because we don't know, unless it was all the toys we'd buy him & give him, saying "Look Bear, this is yours". If he goes near something & I say "Mine" he never touches it again. This includes my house plants in large planters on the floor. My problem is with Heidi. She does not seem to have that concept, especially with my bedroom slippers. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks again & happy 4th of July to all of you out there!
Kathy, Joe, Chewbear(Sammy) and Heidi(pyr)
Wish you well.. Woof, Woof