It began as we were waving goodbye and tucking our new little puppy in for the ride home….Luke’s last words were, “You should probably consider some training for her.  She is part Wheaten.”   What a prediction that comment turned out to be.

I thought that Puppy Class I would be a breeze, as she already knew the basics.  We soon learned that a “Wheaten Greetin” meant leaping up to say hello to everyone. I hadn’t taken into account that our sweet, brilliant, eager-to-please puppy when given an opportunity to embrace her inner social butterfly would become blind and deaf to all commands.   She was “Miss Congeniality” with a wagging tail.  The trainers just shook their heads.  After every class I vowed never to go back.  Bree snoozed.

On exam night, I took a few deep breaths, two Tylenol and faced the panel of judges.  Bree sat at my side looking up like an angel.  When we were called up, she wove in and out of the other dogs on a loose leash without taking her eyes off of me.  No sharp noises or bouncing balls could disrupt her “stay”.  She greeted people with her bottom on the ground for the first time ever.  On the final test, a long distance recall, she ignored the kibble that was dropped at her end and flew down the room to me, skidding the last 10 feet on her bottom and stopping in a perfect sit at my toes.  There was a standing ovation from the audience as she passed with EXCELLENT in every category.

It is over.  We did it.  And it was worth every stress filled moment.  Bree (mostly) walks beautifully, (usually) responds to commands, and is still brimming with happiness every day.  She is a joy to live with.  And yes, she continues to practice the “Wheaten Greetin” at every opportunity.