My dog is the smartest dog in the world.

At least, that's how I felt after our first obedience class last night at Sound Animals. Pooka already knew "sit," as you may recall. But she did a great deal of "down" (lured by treats) and even responded well to "come," on the leash, at least. We went before dinner, so she was even more food-motivated than usual. Which is to say, she kept an eagle eye on my pocket hand the entire time, and if I wasn't poppin' them out like a PEZ dispenser, she was eyeing some other poor sap. Very smart. I think I'll get a longer leash for next week, to give her more room to work with.

One of the other dog owners (he and his wife brought their 4- and 5-month-old beagle puppies) took his pups out for a potty break. When he came back in, the typically silent Pooka barked loudly -- the barking she usually reserves for "stranger walking around the house." The training people asked if she always barks at tall men with beards. I thought not, but then remembered she also barked at Berg's dad one night. It was in the front yard, so hard to tell whether she was in turf protection mode or reacting to another man-with-a-beard, but now I'll be on the lookout for patterns.

Crate status: Yep, still hating!