She did it, ladies and gentlemen! Junie, our energetic Brittany pup, climbed, sniffed, and played her way through four weeks of Puppy Preschool. By the time you read this, Junie will already be on her 2nd week of obedience training, but we would be remiss if we didn’t take time to talk about how her time in preschool reaped almost immediate benefits.

If you’ve been following Junie’s journey from the beginning, you may remember that while kindergartener J was excited to have a puppy companion, he wasn’t exactly confident that she wouldn’t try to nip him when he wasn’t on guard. It was a love-hate relationship that could cause some pretty escalated and sometimes chaotic moments at the family home in the evening. For example, Junie has a particular fondness for biting and hanging on J’s favorite pair of orange shorts. J was certain that Junie was trying to eat him for dinner and would run around the house crying and yelling, all while Junie held on to his shorts for dear life. Needless to say, mom and dad were counting down the hours until bedtime.

But now…

Junie and J are best friends, the ideal version of ‘a boy and his dog’. Preschool socialization was great for Junie but
it was even better for J. He had the chance to see how other puppies acted, and that it wasn’t just Junie who wanted to nip or nuzzle. J had the chance to pet and interact with puppies big and small, and gained a better understanding for Junie and her temperament.

Now the mornings are full of J playing pirates and superheroes with his puppy sidekick. He spends the evenings playing chase and soccer with Junie in the backyard. J practices commands with Junie and she listens to him, which makes him confident that she doesn’t, in fact, want to eat him for dinner. J welcomes her into his room and is confident that when he tells her to “drop it” when she picks up one of his favorite stuffed animals, she will. Even better, she will do it without a fight or digging in her heels paws.

If you ask Junie and J’s mom and dad, they will tell you that preschool was worth it just for the relationship it fostered between the tiny human and the tiny puppy. You might also hear the dad talk about how before preschool started, he thought it was going to be all fluff and nothing that meaningful. But, after just the first session it was apparent that the fluff wasn’t meaningless at all – it was strategic. Junie was petted by different owners, exposed to items from wheelchairs to bicycles, and given the chance to safely meet and play with other pups. Preschool was invaluable in setting up Junie for success at day school.

We can’t wait to tell you about Junie’s first week at school – and about how J gave her a pep talk before her first day – but you’ll have to stay tuned to read all about it.