Lobo was his name...


'Oreo Lobo' was his name. He was a magnificent Siberian Husky. Grey and white with piercing blue eyes. And the signature sickle shaped tail that was in a constant wagging motion. Friendly enough but, independent, typical of a northern breed dog. Though he was full pedigree, he was on the larger end of the standard size for his breed. He stood twenty three inches at the shoulder and weighed 100 pounds.

We first met on a warm sunny day. I was working in my front yard while across the street a neighbor had a visitor showing off a new litter of puppies. I was unaware until I turned and there sitting in front of me was a small black and white ball of fur. He'd crossed the road and ran up and sat behind me. It was love at first sight for the both of us. Before I knew it he was a member of the family. My kids were very young and when it came time to pick a name they came up with 'Oreo'. This was because he was black and white and reminded them of an Oreo cookie....Kids. I added 'Lobo' for balance. I wasn't about to prowl the neighborhood yelling, 'Oreo'..'Oreo'!! If he got lose.

He grew quickly and so did his curiosity. I was having difficulty controlling him. He liked  to wander. On more than one occasion he managed to take off and not come back for a few days. I was worried he'd get injured or worse. He didn't respond to reprimands. He'd just stand there, a blank stare and his sickle tail slowly wagging back and forth. I was out of ideas, short of tying him to a clothesline post. Then my wife said, 'why don't you take him to school?'....School?? Are you serious!! Who takes a dog to school? Before I could refuse, she handed me a newspaper ad..'Dog Obedience Training'. 

I signed Lobo and me up for Obedience training. The instructor was a retired police officer and he ran the class like a drill Sargent. The result was amazing. Our first night, Lobo responded to a few minor commands. Everything was done using a leash and collar. Wow, I thought, this is easy. Not so fast big guy!! A few weeks into training we began training without a leash. All control was done using only our voices. We were attempting to leave our dog in a 'sit / stay' position, while we, the handlers walked across the room and stood at attention facing our dog. Lobo was supposed to stay in the 'sit' position for five minutes. Things went fine until he decided he'd had enough. Before I could react, he bolted across the room, pushed through a crowd of spectators and ran down the stairs. My voice trailing after him and doing no good. I ran after him, calling 'Oreo...Oreo'!!...didn't I say earlier I wouldn't do that?? I chased him all over  town. Just when I was running out of breath, he decided to let me catch up to him. When we returned to class, my instructor smirked and said "Never chase a Malamute", knowing full well Lobo was a Siberian Husky. Apparently he wasn't a fond of Huskies. I ignored his comment and continued training. After completing sixteen weeks of training, we were ready. It was time to put all our hard work to the test.
 
This would be the first Dog Obedience Trial. Both of us were nervous. We watched the other competitors work through the routines....exercises on and off leash, hand / voice commands and the dreaded sit / stay. Now it was our turn. We stepped into the ring and took our position. The judge gave us the 'nod' to proceed, and we were off. I was so focused on our performance that It's difficult to remember the details of that first competition but, I never forgot the result. We took first place and a trophy! From then on, we attended many Obedience Trials and always finished in the top three. The amazing thing is Siberian Huskies are difficult to train and consequently aren't often seen in the obedience ring. Lobo was an exception. He was a  celebrity. Everyone knew him by name.
 
I've had several dogs since, obedience trained and competed with them. Had good success but, you never forget your first dance....and Lobo was kinda like my first dance..unforgettable.