Back to School

Archie had his first puppy class tonight.
We took him out for a walk in the afternoon. From near our house you can walk over the fields to Stowe and we thought we might try him off his lead for the first time. 
Unfortunately as soon as we left the house the heavens opened and it started blowing a gale. 
We heroically carried on to the start of the fields but then the lightening started and poor Archie looked like a drowned rat so we decided to head home and leave it for another day.
I went to school for Miss L and took her to swimming. She enjoyed it as ever and I had a lovely half hour chatting to the mum I talk to every week.
Then it was a mad rush to get her home, pick up Archie and head to puppy training classes.
The traffic was hideous, it's in the back end of nowhere and I took the wrong turn three times in the dark. But we got there eventually!
I don't know quite what I'd been expecting but it wasn't a dark, damp freezing barn. I was completely unprepared and, of course, everyone else was completely prepared. Story of my life.
There were three ten week old border collie puppies who were siblings and whose owners all knew each other and the trainer. They were all in Barbers and Hunters which made me feel a bit inadequate in my scruffy old boots (not wellies because I hadn't been expecting a sandpit) and my ineffectual jumper. I was bloody freezing!!!
And they all had proper leads - the trainer had to lend me one because apparently retractable leads are 'no good at all' for training!
And they had proper treats not like the huge ones that I'd bought.
Sigh. How does everyone else always know what to do????
The other woman was a strange one. Scruffier than me with a titchy Pomeranian (which she bizarrely wouldn't put down, wouldn't let interact with any of the others and called a "little shit" whenever he came to her on command!!!!!)
But the actual class was great. Archie was very excited but behaved really well and did brilliantly with sitting, laying down and coming when called.
He loved playing with the other puppies and racing round in the sand. 
And of course he was the only one who did a poo!!!!!
When we got home he proudly showed off his new skills to Mr K and the Little Misses. He is so eager to please I think he's going to take to training really well.
Next week we will have a proper lead, proper treats, warm socks, Hunters (yes I own a pair of Hunters!!) and a warm coat.