Pomp and Circumstance

If you had asked me Thursday afternoon I would have said Dory would not be graduating from Beginner Obedience.

The day started out well, Dory had a routine morning and I went off to work as usual. Dory was in her crate and all was right with the world. I had a doctor’s appointment, so I came home to have lunch and change before heading back out. Dory seemed so good and calm before I left,that I had the bright idea to leave her loose while I went out – after all I was only going to be out just a little while….

Well in typical Boston fashion, the doctor was late, the traffic was heavy and it took me longer than expected. I said to myself – don’t worry Dory will be just fine.

Well Dory was fine, as it turns out full, and definitely fine. Before leaving I thought I had secured everything in the kitchen. Knowing that Dory was a notorious counter surfer I thought I had made sure everything was out of reach. The only thing out was up way past where she could reach – or so I thought!

Somehow, the dainty Miss Dory reached the Pyrex glass 8-inch cake pan that was on the stove pushed to the back burner. In that pan were the remains of the apple crisp that I had created for Chris. I don’t know how, and I am contending it was a miracle, not only did Dory reach the pan; she somehow slid it off the stove (a good 30 + inches high) and on to the floor without breaking the dish. She then proceeded to remove the foil covering without tearing the foil and ate the brown sugar drenched apples, crisp and all.

When I got home I could not believe my eyes – there was my cake pan, foil daintily pulled back lying empty on the floor. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or scream.

So if you had asked me if Dory was going to pass Beginner Obedience, my answer at that point would have been a resounding "NO". I figured that between being home alone and gobbling at least two hefty helpings of apple crisp that she would either be bouncing off the walls or so distracted she couldn’t think straight.

To my surprise by the time class rolled around Dory was in fine form. No apparent tummy ache or sugar high – she sailed through her class and is now a proud graduate of the New England Dog Training Club (NEDTC) Beginner Obedience – Class of ’06.

I am very proud of her and I swear that I will never figure out how she got that cake pan down without breaking it or ripping the foil. Dory enjoyed a leisurely weekend the past couple of days, but we both have hard work ahead of us in Advance Beginners. And who knows, maybe we can think about tackling Canine Good Citizen certification – that is unless it involves apple crisp!