So there we were, about ten of us with our dogs. There was a HUGE German Shepherd with a deep, guttural bark that sent shivers down my neck and Labradoodles, lots of Labradoodles..barking, bouncing and generally just trying to break free.

Size wise, Daisy was a chicken nugget in a sea of turkeys..definitely the smallest dog at this, our first, Canine Good Citizen class.

What was amazing is that within one hour, the trainer had every one of us drawing behaviors out of our puppies that I’m sure none of us knew they were capable of producing. It was this magic combination of learning a new skill, wanting to please and connecting to some genetically pre-programmed disposition already embedded in our animals’ brains. If I had never taken my dog to this class I’d never have uncovered this potential in my pet.

And maybe that’s the secret to success: a mystical mix of hardwired, personal inclinations, a willingness to learn and a strong desire to meet expectations..be they our own or others’.