DALE ROSENFELDT: From the Inside
The Capistrano Dispatch p20
I am a Graduate Student!
Tonight I graduated from puppy
kindergarten! Uncle Jay says I
was valedictorian; both of my humans
were very proud and my BFF, Buddy,
came to watch me matriculate with his
humans Bill and Karen. But, I just
performed occasionally because I
knew there were treats involved. I
am a stomach with legs.
As you know, if you read “her,” I
am a Golden Retriever puppy named
Ripley…believe it or not. I am living
the good life in San Juan Capistrano.
I walk the bike paths, horse trails
(lots of tasty trail mix!), my own
hood, and EVERYTHING smells so
intriguing. After sniffing my way to
the park, I get to play with all my
friends, Buddy, Barney, Sadie and Daisy, just to name
a few. And, there are treats if I “come,” “sit,” “leave
it” and “stay” so I try to understand these commands
but there are many distractions, just like when I went
through the “graduation” ceremony this evening.
Sometimes I just get lucky, do the right thing at the
right time, and get treated. I did get a piece of paper
that “he” will frame with sticks from his business, unless
I chew it up fi rst. Life is good.
But this whole “Puppy Kindergarten” thing at
PetSmart is pawsitively over the top. There were
other puppies on day one, and I liked the way each
of them smelled and tasted. As the 8 weeks passed,
I got bigger and my new friends Rascal, Bo, and Rusha became puppy
kindergarten dropouts. I hope it
wasn’t anything I sniffed or licked
that drove them away. Sometimes I
can’t help myself. Regardless, “she” kept saying
that I would be fi rst or second in my
class. This is a puppy joke because
in the end it was just Pepsi and me.
Pepsi is a German shepherd, so I
didn’t really stand a chance. He and
his human, Jane, performed admirably
but I was cute if not focused, and
I too got a diploma, TREATS, and
photos in a silly hat. Life is good except for the hat.
Of course, all of us have Yolanda to thank. I LOVE
Yolanda because she teaches my humans things and
demonstrates with me, using treats. Trick for treat!
That’s another puppy joke. Yolanda is cool, calm and
collected and is the instructor at PetSmart in Capistrano
Beach.
Truth be told, I didn’t cram for my exam. My humans
went to Las Vegas last weekend and I got to stay with
Margaret! I LOVE Margaret too because she is four
years old and small like me. She holds my bowl while
I eat and I LOVE to eat. She and I chase bubbles and
play in her miniature kitchen and her “puppy” energy
matches mine so her humans, called “parents,” were
tired when my humans got home. I was tired too, but
in a good San Juan Capistrano way since they walked
me all over our side of the Ortega. At one point I was
so exhausted I rode in the stroller while those with two
legs walked.
What’s next for a dog like me? Puppy middle school!
You remember “Junior High School” was an awkward
time for you as a human struggling through adolescence.
Fortunately Buddy, my BFF, and that hot little
French Brittany across the street, Elan, are enrolled
too and we aren’t as self conscious as you humans, so
we are just gonna sniff, lick, and roll around with each
other, and hope to come away with a another diploma.
Life is good!
Ripley Rosenfeldt
Dale is a consultant and trainer who travels often but
is happiest when at home doing crafty things and making
observations from the inside. Her husband, Ted, operates
their business in Vermeulen Center where Ripley assists
by entertaining customers.
