Normal service is resumed!

And so we are back at puppy class. After almost ten weeks relaxing in France, it was time to get back to business and for Dyls to start the journey towards the Good Citizen Bronze award.

Ok stop laughing at the back, and the front and sides – let’s try and be positive!

I spoke to the trainer who told me she’d had a lovely summer of classes – mmm wonder why – but that Dylan had been much missed.

So off we went and the first to meet us was Boo the cavapoo and Dylan’s partner in crime at puppy class.

Was a tad surprised as I was sure Boo without Dylan’s influence would have been moved up to the next class by now.

But it seems in our absence Boo and Molly, the third member of the girlband, have gone off the rails, and while everyone else – Tilly the tiny Chug, Jo Jo the Yorkie and Nico the pointer have been moved up, Dylan’s gang haven’t!

Dyls and Boo were beyond excited at their back to school reunion and a massive fur blur of puppy playing ensued.

Then came the new arrivals.

Boycie, a stocky little pug full of attitude – well he did until Dylan jumped on him as if to say “I’m the head girl here matey boy”.

Then round the corner came the largest puppy ever. Think the size of a small pony. Ten months old and weighing in at 9 stone (or 61kg for my metric readers) Aslan, the Leonberger, stopped Dylan in her tracks.

She and Boo looked up at this mountain of a puppy. “WTF is this?”

But Dyls takes her role of Miss Congeniality very seriously , so naturally was the first to go sniff and investigate.

Aslan starting bouncing and playing, the floor started shaking and Dylan experienced her first defeat – because as much as she tried – and believe me she tried – she just couldn’t get on his back.

Boo joined in and the two girls acted like lovestruck teenagers over the new boy who has started school.

God only knows what they would be like if they were in season. I’ve definitely got a trollop on my hands!

The final newcomer was Teddy, a Norwich terrier who came in fighting, getting in the other dogs faces and making a crescendo of noise for such a little dog.

Dylan gave her special death stare – uh oh!

So class begins.

Heel walk round the hall to warm up, all went well.

Off lead recall and Aslan scooted past his owners straight over to Dyls and Boo, who leapt on him as if he was Justin Bieber.

Down girls!

Dylan’s offload recall and the first leg went incredibly well. Straight to me, no messing, slid into a perfect sit.

The trainer looked ecstatic. I looked sceptical , Dylan looked as if butter wouldn’t melt.

The next leg and Dylan refused to move. She sat in stony distain as if to say “Oh come on you people, I’ve done it once, what more do you want”.

Yep, you can guess what came next – I was sent off to the broom cupboard – yet again. True case of deja vu.

There must be a better way to spend Monday nights than standing alongside mops and buckets calling my errant puppy.

So I called Dylan, who as is the norm, ignored me and instead had decided she was going to sort out Teddy the terrier who still had not stopped barking.

Dyls stomped up to Teddy, glared at him and started a bark off where there was only going to be one winner . Clearly Dylan doesn’t approve of anyone but her disrupting class!

But I am sensing there maybe trouble ahead with these two terrierists.

Job done and Dyls deigned to stroll over to the broom cupboard. But not to me – she had spotted a mop – and we know how much Dylan loves a mop or to be honest, anything she can put in her mouth that she shouldn’t – so of course just had to drag it out of the bucket.

Luckily, we managed to separate her from the mop before anyone got hurt!

Next was the gate. Now all summer we have been practising this and Dyls has got red hot on this move, so I was confident. We would nail this one.

Dream on Karen.

Dylan decided why wait to go through the gate when you could go round it . And the look of disdain she gave me for going through the gate …

Finally it was off lead walk round the hall.

It started well. But then Dyls zoomed off, leapt onto the trainers chair, up onto the table, snatched a piece of card and triumphantly raced round the hall doing the Welshie kill shake to it.

It took three of us to catch her and turns out it wasn’t just a piece of card, but an award certificate for a puppy in the next class who had passed his first GC award.

A certificate that now has been Dylan-ed with little teeth marks and tears.

Sorry Milo!

The trainer came over and sadly tempted fate.

“Well it’s good to have the little beast back. At least she hasn’t done a wee this time.” Obviously Dylan peeing on the trainers feet has left its mark.

But Dyls is nothing if not obliging and with that looked up at us, squatted and let forth a tidal wave.

So tonight I am opening the €2 Cab Sav I bought in France – oh yes I did stock up in preparation- and Dylan is doing zoomies of joy round the garden after a good nights work.

Dylan is back with a bang!