Steps Out Of Puppyhood

By this time I was about 12 weeks old, and had been allowed to basically do as I pleased on account of being so small and young. I'd been taught only the word "NICELY", a command I learnt the night we spent in Worthing after I nearly removed several of Man's fingers with my puppy needles when reaching for a chew. A simple process of drawing the treat away when I went to snatch until I got the hint and the lesson was very painlessly learnt. Painless for me, anyway. Other than the odd threat to "SCRUFF YA" when I was making a particular nuisance of myself - I was seriously pathetic when it came to even a flea inspection on the back of my neck, yelping like the end of the world was nigh even though any vet will assure you that I couldn't actually feel a thing - I had basically just been being a pup, with no expectations of anything more.

It was when we got to Brighton that my training "proper" began. Being a hungry little soul, I didn't like it one bit, as the first and, I now appreciate, most important command for any street dog to learn was "WAIT". And the best way to teach it is to make the pup in question wait for his food. Oh dear.



The first day of training was the one when we busked in Churchill Square. It was fairly late when we packed up, so food was dished out there and then rather than waiting until we'd made the long trek back to the bottom of town for the night. In retrospect, it was dead simple. Pour out two bowls of food. Command both dogs to "WAIT". JD does just that, this being old hat for him, a ritual observed every night. Put pup down in front of his bowl and place hand gently across his chest between him and the food, repeating the command. Encourage his back end to rest on the deck as his older companion is demonstrating.Then cower with embarrassment as said pup proceeds to howl, yelp, yap and howl some more, drawing every judgemental eye for streets around to stare at "Those awful tramps, look what they're doing to that poor little puppy".

I did my absolute best to convince every single one of them that I was subject to the most awful and heinous abuse, and succeeded. One even came up and enquired, although I was dismayed to find that they were quite approving when told the whole story. After what seemed like hours, I noticed JD glaring daggers at me and realised he was being kept from his dinner as well. I shut up and sat down for approximately one eighth of second before Eyes said "Go on then" and my tummy was filled. Three days later I was mirroring JD like an old paw.



Once Eyes was certain that this command had gone in, she started making me wait for all sorts of stuff. Eventually it became clear that I would do exactly what I was told on the "WAIT"ing front, so late one evening she scooped me up and we left the cosy circle at home to ascend the steps into Brighton nightlife. This was to be the start of a new ritual for us, and was when we really bonded as Mistress and Dog. Up until then I had looked to Eyes for love and protection, but little more. It was on our night-time training treks that we became a cohesive and working partnership, as we explored the city together.

The first night, she carried me across the main road between the beach and the town, then headed off to the East where there were quiet residential streets with no traffic. Backwards and forwards we drilled, as I learnt to walk at her heel ("WAIT" when I tried to trot ahead), stop at a road ("WAIT"), sit quietly whilst she admired a view ("WAIT"), and even stay where I was left when she walked away ("WAIT"). I hated that bit, and whimpered, but I didn't move. These lessons learnt, more command were fed in - "WAIT AT THE ROAD" when I was allowed to trot ahead. "STAY CLOSE" when I needed to be within grabbing distance."WAIT FOR ME" when I got too engrossed in something just out of sight.



After several nights of this, she took my tiny lead off for the last time. I wouldn't need one again until I started to get too old to resist the temptation of a passing bitch or tempting snack. That would be many years later. These days I feign deafness, but then old age is always meant to be a second puppyhood, and I am enjoying mine to the full. But for now, I was a proper street dog. Free as bird but with no desire to take that freedom. Then we started REALLY exploring.