Puppy Class - A Walk Through Morristown

FYI: very long post!

Well last night we had our monthly puppy class, but this time with a summer twist! Every summer we like to make the puppy class outdoors. We head over to downtown Morristown and we have come up with a walk through the town that has the pups walking over different surfaces and coming across different objects and people. We almost didn't have this walk since the weather was threatening and looked like we were going to get some more rain. Not like we need anymore!
We all met around 7:15 at the Creamery and oohed and aahed at the new little fluffballs that have come into our chapter. Little FEENEY II, PATCHES, PERCY, MINA, SHELBY. So cute all of them!
We begin our walk and head down the street. It's great for the pups to be around all the sounds of a small town/city place. There are usually sirens that can be heard, lots of cars driving by, and a lot of distractions around.

We find little places where the pups can work on their commands. There are some low walls that the pups can use the Jump command and hop on up. Then we let them walk along the wall since it's narrow and they have to learn to navigate that.

There is a small little area that's surrounded by a fence that we walk the pups along because it is all grating. Many pups balk and hesitate when going over the grates and they have to learn to ignore it and just keep walking. We can't have them stopping or walking so far around them when they are out in the working world. It seems that everyone did well! Even the pups!

We then come to a park or really something like a "square" like you would find in a bigger city. It was surrounded by the roads and it was great for distractions and working on commands. There's a big fountain that all the dogs like to use the Up command with and have a peek into the fountain.

I think STORY wanted to take a swim!

Nuri and I at the fountain

Someone decided to get a group picture here at the fountain on one of the benches that surrounds it. It is always a process and its so funny to try and get all the pups to stay and not move!
After all of this we head across the street so that the dogs can be introduced to a statue! (A little background info: Morristown is widely known as the home of The Seeing Eye. The statue we visit is of William Morris with a Seeing Eye Dog complete with harness) Most of the dogs do not like the statue and will shy away from it. It seemed that everyone was pretty good and I don't remember seeing any of the pups really fearful of it which was awesome! Nuri was a bit hesitant, got up there and figured that it was a statue, then walked away cause she was bored with it. Yay Nuri!!

It then started to really rain so we all ran back to the Creamery for some ice cream! The pups were exhausted and everyone seemed to have a good time just catching up and talking some puppy news. All things considered it was a great and fun puppy class!

PATCHES asleep on the bench

FEENEY was wiped out and all wet!