Diplomas and Dog Biscuits at Obedience School Graduation

See Spot run. Run, Spot, run. See Spot run through your neighbor’s koi pond. No, Spot, no. See Spot tear the pillow to stuffing. See trainer Lezle Stein of Handle With Care Dog Training. Stein teaches with love. See Spot graduate from obedience school. No more looting. No more pillaging. We are happy. Happy, happy, happy. Dog is man’s best friend.

Bill Nation, motorcycle dealership owner

Donna Nation, hair and makeup artist, Silver Lake

Odey, Boston terrier

What did your dog do to deserve this?

Bill: My last dog was so well-mannered, I didn’t want Odey to live in his shadow and be ashamed.

Donna: He pees on my floor.

What was your dog’s role in class?

Bill: The one with attention-deficit disorder.

Donna: Movement gives his life meaning.

What does your dog want to be when he grows up?

Donna: A circus dog. He can throw things in the air and catch them.

Bill: In the industry. I show him magazine pictures of other dogs to try and get him interested in show biz.

In what ways are you and your dog alike?

Bill: Neither my wife nor my dog listens very well.

Donna: That’s true. I do the opposite of what I’m told.

Meredith Freeman, managing director of equity-waiver theater, Los Angeles

Toby, cockapoo

What did your dog do to deserve this?

He poops and pees in the house, barks a lot, jumps on people, is generally rowdy. That about covers it.

What’s your dog’s best trick?

A rollover. He’ll do anything for food; he’s a snack whore.

What has your dog refused to learn?

That my two cats are not his stuffed animals to grab by the neck and throw around the house.

What does your dog want to be when he grows up?

Completely beloved by everyone who comes in his path.

In what ways are you and your dog alike?

We like the same TV shows.

Jeff Horton, teacher recruiter for L.A. County Department of Education, Los Angeles

Larry Pickens, student, Cal State L.A., Los Angeles

Norma, basset hound

What did your dog do to deserve this?

Jeff: She’s a little, how shall I say, exuberant.

What’s your dog’s best trick?

Larry: Eating the reward.

What was your dog’s role in class?

Jeff: The hyperactive child. She can’t sit still.

Larry: Class clown. She likes attention and thinks others’ treats are for her. What does your dog want to be when she grows up?

Larry: A dog trainer. She thinks she knows it all.

In what ways are you and your dog alike?

Larry: We like learning new things.

Jeff: We both like to go for walks and to lie on other people’s laps. But I need to learn to leave food alone when told to. I’m exuberant that way.

Catherine Borek, high school English teacher, Silver Lake

Jose, rottweiler/retriever mix

What did your dog do to deserve this?

This beautiful challenge? He’s too big to not have skills.

What’s your dog’s best trick?

I can put a treat on his paws, but he won’t eat until instructed. Food is no good without permission.

What was your dog’s role in class?

He’s the teacher’s pet, of course.

What does your dog want to be when he grows up?

A philosophy professor. He’s a great thinker.

In what ways are you and your dog alike?

We both get hiccups. We’re both stubborn. We both hate beer. He loves more unconditionally than I do.