dog day-another update

12:21 pm
I just got back from doing our first heeled walk. I can't articulate how proud and excited I am. Arden is everything I could have ever wanted in a dog, so far at least. Like, if they thrust me into the kennel and said "ok, go pick out your favourite dog", I can't imagine that I would have picked any other dog.
When arden and I were out walking, we would stop occasionally, and I'd ask him to sit or lie down. He would obey the command instandly. It was like "Arden, sit." and he'd drop his bum right to the ground. When I asked him to lay down, he would sort of lean against my leg first before sliding all the way to the ground.
We ran into another one of my classmates with her dog. Arden sat calmly by my side, so I rewarded him with a treat. The other classmate's dog came bounding up to me and began licking my pocket! haha. Anyway, shameless brag about my boy right there-he's so tall, majestic, and perfect. He's like my angel in dog form. I got the trainer to take a few pictures of us with my IPhone, but I'm having a really hard time getting the picture sent to my e-mail. I'm still working on it, though!
Ok, we're heading off to lunch now. I'm pretty hungry all of a sudden!
oh oh oh! He also peed for me! Right away in fact. I just stepped out the back door, put him in front of me, nad he sniffed for like five seconds and hten peed. My heart soared. I hope he'll poo for me this easily as well. I am so happy.
Here's a link to a song that keeps replaying in my head. It seems so perfect for this occasion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHkvan-NFnM
1:04 pm.
Back from lunch. arden did absolutely amazingly at lying nicely to the left of my seat. Other in the class requested dogs who are a bit more active/independent, so the girl next to me had to keep telling her dog to sit. it'd sit for a second, and then go tscrambling to its feet. I described my dog as zen to her.
"Oh," she said, "That's exactly the kind of dog I don't want."
"Good thing you didn't get him!" I said proudly, and gave my pale yellow boy some love. He is perfect. Perfect.
So in a bit, we're going to do a group relieve (which sounds a lot more romantic than it is; few dogs actually like to relieve in the "group" setting, because they're surrounded by a zillion other dogs, with their discombobulated handlers urging them to please for god's sake take a crap). LOL. and then it's "firedrill practise with the dog" which should be...epic.
Talk soon!