Obedience Class

Obedience Class

We assembled one evening a week: seven of us with our dogs. Owen and me, then the rottweiler, the border collie, the shih tzu, the Labrador, the English springer spaniel, the pit bull, and their respective owners. We came to train our dogs—and to be trained—by a master trainer who knew the ropes. (Or more precisely, the leashes.) We learned basic commands and how to motivate our dogs to obey them. That meant food treats in return for obedience, at least to start with. But once the commands were learned, the treats were not automatically dispensed. “Good dog!” might be offered, or another word of praise, or a pat, or sometimes just more walking or playing.

As near as I could tell, that was when school ended and relationship began.

We started with sit—saying the word, giving a motion, then shaping the desired posture on our dogs with our hands. (Treats all around for doing it right.) Then we began to work on the no-hands sit, then on stay. We let our dogs know they were released from both sit and stay with an enthusiastic “Okay!” and a strong leading motion.

I learned a lot at obedience class. (Owen did well too.) I can’t help but think of his lessons as a reminder to me of my own. I have a very good master. He loves me beyond reason. He proved it, once for all. He chose me, paid for me, and means to live with me and lead me all the way home. If my lessons go well, there will be more—much more—for me than treats for obedience. There will be real, satisfying, vibrant relationship. The kind that’s built on reliability and trust. Not predictability. He doesn’t promise that. But he will keep on doing the things he’s promised, and I’ll keep on believing he knows more than I do and does everything in love.

Each time our class was done, the instructor admonished us to go home and practice. To introduce distractions—the everyday kind our dogs might not experience in the classroom. Skateboarding children. Whizzing traffic. Other dogs. Lots of them. Taking obedience to the streets allows trust to strengthen and confidence to grow.

I’m off to obedience class. Are you coming too?

Those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him.

1 John 2:5