Let's see if she's smiling next week

We've signed up Bella, and ourselves, for several weeks of training. Last night was the orientation session -- we were told to leave the dog at home.

To show what could be done with intelligent training and a consistent approach, the instructor put a miniature pinscher through his paces, commanding him to sit, lie down, jump and stay for a long time. Most impressive. Those of us with less cooperative dogs watched with equal parts awe and skepticism. Personally, it's hard to imagine the gregarious Bella sitting placidly in a room with only one dog present, much less the 8 or 9 that will be there next week. I'll try and keep an open mind.

One thing though: I began to realize that Bella is comparatively mellow. Each person there had to introduce themselves and describe the behavior they were interested in modifying. Their stories ran the gamut from outrageous to completely beyond the pale. These are not dogs; they're hardened criminals. Now, not only am I worried about Bella falling in with a bad crowd, I'm also a little concerned for my personal safety.

But such is the life of a pet owner: Pouring out food, picking up poop and wondering if somebody else's dog will decide to rip your throat out. The rewards more than make up for it. Or so I'm told.