White-colored, brown-spotted Buster here. Within a couple of weeks of me adopting Mister Tom I started learning obedience stuff. That was more than ten years ago. I still go to classes to learn stuff. Eddie goes to classes to learn stuff, too. My favorite thing about going to class is seeing all my pals and letting them give me pets and scratches and treats. When I adopted Mister Tom, he did not know anything about teaching dogs. Mister Tom loves dogs because we are smart and handsome critters. Since I am the first dog ever to adopt Mister Tom he was determined to help me become a well mannered dog. That is when I started taking Mister Tom to classes with Walter (see the poem I wrote about Walter on April 2, 2013: http://busterjbrown.wpengine.com/?p=19).

OBEDIENCE (Copyright 2014 by Buster J. Brown)

Who knew the training and work,
All the practice that it took.

To learn the things I needed to know,
Actually to compete in obedience shows.

Years I toiled on the simple things,
Before setting foot in the competition ring.

Long sits, long downs part of the repertoire,
Staying where told for what seemed like hours.

Precision heeling, about turns, recalls,
Repeated until I could do them all.

Jumps called “broad,” “bar,” and “high,”
Mastering all you would swear I could fly.

Dumbbells of metal, leather, and wood,
Retrieve as commanded as well as I could.

White cotton gloves, pick the right one,
Marked and commanded I was off at a run.

All of this done to please my companion,
Bonded we did in one way or fashion.

In the end my ultimate reward,
“Good boy” the only words needed heard.