The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale

Chapter 6: Zelda Goes to School

When we enter the dog store parking lot, my heart skips a beat. The dog store is a pug paradise. Toys, treats, dog food, and tons of wonderful scents fill the aisles. I have even met dogs on past trips to the store! If I had to live anywhere besides my home, I’d pick the dog store. 

After we walk into the store, I take Ben and Lucy into the toy aisle. When Hannah appears at the end of the aisle, I am checking the selection of bones.

“It’s time for class,” Hannah says and motions to the right.

Ben and Lucy bring me to strange corner of the dog store and enter a doorway. Inside the small room with short walls are several chairs, a few people, and two dogs.

Dogs!

I bark and lunge at the other dogs.

“Dad, help me,” Ben pleads. Nate reaches for the leash.

“Okay. I have her,” Nate says.

Nate pulls me to an empty corner, and the family follows. They sit in the chairs. I jump in Lucy’s lap to study my surroundings. A black dog with floppy ears is sitting on the ground next to a man and woman. Another dog sits beside her owner, an older woman. The dog is dark brown with pointy ears. She is the biggest dog in the room, probably about seven pugs’ worth. Another woman stands near the doorway.

“Okay, let’s get started,” says the woman at the doorway. “My name is Rebecca, and I’ll be your instructor for the next 6 weeks. Let’s have everyone introduce themselves and tell each other about your dogs.”

Her voice is stern. She reminds me of the scary man from my old home. I sit and listen. 

From the introductions, I learn the black dog, who is the size of five pugs, is a black lab mix named Bella. The other dog is a shepherd mix named Chloe. Both dogs are a year younger than me.

After the introductions, Rebecca approaches each dog, gives her a treat, and pets her. When she approaches me, I back under Nate’s chair. I don’t want to be near her. Her treat might be a mean trick.

Rebecca calls to me again, but I stay under the chair. She leaves the treat on the ground and walks away. I ignore the treat and hop back on Lucy’s lap. I don’t trust this Rebecca.

Rebecca talks to the group for a while, but I only pick up bits and pieces. I watch the other dogs, trying to get a read on them. I start to fall asleep when Hannah interrupts my slumber.

“Zelda, come here,” she says. As I jump off Lucy, I hear a clicking noise across the room.

What was that?

I look around the room.

Click.

This time the click is next to me.

“Do you want a treat Zelda?” Nate asks. I turn to Nate and see a treat is in his hand. How did I miss that? I charge for the bacon strip.

Click.

The click is from behind Nate. Nate holds out another bacon strip. I grab it.

Click.

Nate hands me another treat. Curious, I look around the room and see a familiar pattern with Chloe and Bella. A click, then the owner treats the dog. Although the clicking noise is annoying, it’s easy work for a treat. I eat four more treats before Rebecca interrupts us.

“Okay, your dog will now associate the clicker with treats and good things. Just remember, any time you click, you must treat. Let’s move on to the basic command of sit.” Rebecca turns to us and asks, “Does Zelda know sit?”

“Yes,” Nate says.

“Great. Let’s demonstrate the proper technique with her,” Rebecca says. Rebecca takes my leash and leads me into the middle of the room. I back away from her as far as the leash allows.

“Zelda, sit,” Rebecca commands. I smell the treat in her hand, but I don’t trust her.

“Zelda, sit,” she says again, glaring at me. I stand, resisting the urge to sit. She is not going to win this game.

“Zelda, sit.” Rebecca pauses for a minute and keeps talking, “If your dog is being stubborn, do not reward or click her. Release her, walk away for a minute, return, and try again.” Rebecca hands my leash to Hannah.

“Okay, let’s try with Bella. Maybe I’ll have better luck with her. Bella, sit.” Bella follows the command and sits. Click. Rebecca hands Bella a treat.

“Perfect. Good job Bella,” Rebecca says.

What!

I can’t believe the game was that simple. Sitting for a treat? I can do that in my sleep. My stubbornness and fear cost me a treat. Maybe this Rebecca is not like the mean guy from my old home.

“Zelda, sit,” Hannah says. I sit. Hannah clicks and treats me.

When we stop playing the sit-and-click treat game, my stomach feels like it is going to burst. I have never eaten so many treats in my life.

“That’s all the time we have until the next class,” Rebecca says.

“Okay Zelda, time to go,” Hannah tells me. We walk with the crowd to the door. On our way, Chloe approaches from the opposite side. I make a rash decision to show I am the top dog, even if she is seven times the size of me. I bark and lunge at her before Nate pulls me to him.

“What was that?” Rebecca asks. “Do you have the small dog syndrome?”

Rebecca walks to me and squats down to my level. I back away, but she’s too quick. She grabs my harness, so I can’t move. With her other hand, she strokes my head. My defenses kick in. No strangers pet me. I only allow those I love to touch me. I feel my fur begin to stand on my back. I know I shouldn’t bite her, so I do the only other thing I can. I sneeze, showering Rebecca’s hand and face with snot. Upon snot impact, she releases me, dropping a treat before walking away.

I carefully walk to the treat, suspicious of Rebecca and the treat, but the treat smells like cheese. I look both ways. Rebecca is on the other side of the room, so I take the risk. I gobble it up. It’s the right choice.

“C’mon Zelda,” Hannah says.

My family guides me out of the store, steering clear of any other dogs. I wonder if I’ll ever see Chloe, Bella, and Rebecca again. Didn’t I hear Rebecca say something about next time?