Tim Dowling: our dog is bottom of the class at dog school

My dog is a bit of an oddball, even among its fellow canine classmates at local dog school. Its instructors claim it's the bottom of the pack when it comes to obedience and decorum, but there's one thing that sets our hound apart from its peers: unbroken eye contact.

It's a skill my wife has been drilling into the dog, much to the amusement of the other students. During exercises, she'll stare intensely at her instructor for minutes on end, earning them round after round of applause. The dog still maintains this piercing gaze even hours later, much to my wife's delight – and my bewilderment.

The point of dog school is to teach these unruly canines how to behave in public, but our dog has other ideas. Its owner has been supplied with a high-pitched whistle to try and coax it back into line, but so far, the results have been underwhelming. The dog ducks for cover at the mere sound of the whistle.

We took the dog on a beach trip recently, hoping to test its recall in a more relaxed environment. But as soon as it spotted another dog with two border collies, our hound was off like a shot. Its owner blew her whistle, but to no avail – the dog sprinted after the other dogs, refusing to be told otherwise.

As we trudged across the sand in pursuit of our wayward pet, I couldn't help but wonder if its instructors were missing something. The dog kept running up to strangers and begging to be commanded, much to their amusement. It's a strange quirk, but one that has earned us an unlikely reputation as dog-whispering novices.

Our instructor's parting words still linger in my mind: "We really are gonna get held back." Whether our hound's eccentricities will be its downfall remains to be seen, but for now, it seems content with being the class clown.

lol what a weird dog anyway i'm so over this forum, can we just talk about whatever without having to make a new post every time? like seriously 500 characters isn't that much to write and it's so frustrating to have to go back and read all the previous posts just to get caught up. and can we please get some more features? like @mentions or something, it's so hard to find people who are talking about what i'm interested in.

I think what's cool about this dog is that it's not trying to fit into the pack, it's making its own rules. I mean, who needs obedience training when you've got unbroken eye contact? It's like the dog is saying, "I'm gonna do my own thing and make everyone laugh while I'm at it." And honestly, it's kinda adorable. The fact that its owner is just rolling with it and even using its quirks to their advantage is really impressive. It's all about finding what works for your pet and having fun with it, you know?

OMG that dog is like a social media influencer ! It's got a million followers and they're all loving its unique style . I mean who needs obedience when you can just make eye contact all day? And haha yeah those instructors are definitely missing out on the fun . I'm kinda jealous I wish my dog was that easy to train . Maybe they could learn a thing or two from this pup's approach .

Ugh, another feature that just doesn't feel right... I mean, what's up with this whole "class clown" vibe? Can't even try to focus in a training session? And don't even get me started on how embarrassing it is for its owner. I mean, I know my dog can be a bit of a handful sometimes, but at least they have a way to calm down and listen. This dog just refuses to take direction. It's like it thinks it's above the whole obedience thing. And what's with the whistle? That just sounds so... annoying. Can't we just have something more intuitive or less ear-piercing?

The thing about this dog's unbroken eye contact is kinda interesting . It's like they're trying to say "I'm not impressed" all the time . And their reaction to the whistle? Hilarious! I can see why the instructors are stumped - it's not like they've seen a dog that's so confident in its own weirdness before.

But here's the thing: maybe being an oddball isn't a bad thing? Maybe this dog just knows what makes them happy and is okay with doing things their own way. And who are we to judge, right? It's actually kinda refreshing to see a pet that's so unapologetically themselves.

I wonder if other dogs at the school have similar quirks - maybe there's a whole pack of them just waiting to be discovered . Either way, I'm rooting for this little guy (and their owner) - they're definitely making dog school more interesting!

I'm totally feeling this dog owner's vibe , I mean, who wouldn't want a pup that's all about eye contact? It's like they're trying to make up for their lack of obedience skills in other areas . And can we talk about how adorable it is when the other dogs are just chillin' and our dog is like "NOPE, I'm outta here!" . I'd love to see more pics of this pup in action tho, maybe some layout inspiration could be had from their... erm... unique behavior layout . Maybe we could even call it "canine chaotic flow" ?

I'm not sure what's more impressive, the dog's unbroken eye contact or its ability to sniff out a party. I mean, who needs obedience training when you can just will people to do what you want? The whistle trick didn't work because it's like trying to stop a furry little bullet with a tiny sonic boom. And those beach runs? Total chaos, but also kinda adorable? My guess is the instructors just need to up their game (or get a few more treats) and learn to roll with the punches... or should I say, roll with the puppy.

I feel like my aunties used to say that some dogs are just too smart for their own good . This dog is literally glued to its owner and everyone else in sight - it's like they're playing some sort of canine game of "keep-away" with obedience! I mean, who needs training when you've got such a strong connection? My cat's never been as clingy as this pup, but I guess that's just feline personality right?

I feel like our dog school friends got a bad rap . I mean, who needs obedience when you've got eye contact that'll melt hearts? It's not all about following rules, right? My own dog has a weird habit of staring at me for ages whenever it wants something, and I just give in . The whistle thing sounds like a fun experiment gone wrong though. Can't say I blame the dog for ditching class when there are new furry friends to play with . Maybe they're not missing out on anything, maybe our pup is just ahead of the pack !

I'm so over dog school features . Like, what's next? Dog therapy sessions where they just sit there and stare at each other while charging by the hour . And don't even get me started on the high-pitched whistles – it's like, hello, canine PTSD . But you know what the worst part is? The owners actually think these weird quirks make them special . I mean, my neighbor's dog does that exact same thing and they just think it's cute . Meanwhile, their dog can't even walk in a straight line without getting distracted . Priorities, people!

I'm a bit curious about this dog's weird talent for unbroken eye contact . Like, what's up with that? I mean, my cat can stare me down all day too, but at least it doesn't go to the beach and chase after other dogs like it does in this story .

And what's with the high-pitched whistle not working? My friend has a dog that responds to that sound immediately . Maybe the instructors should try using different treats or something?

I do love how the owner is just going along with all these weird behaviors and even finds them charming . Like, they're totally embracing this dog's quirks instead of trying to change it. That's a great attitude to have when dealing with pets – I wish more owners were like that .

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how this dog turns out in the long run . Maybe its instructors are just missing something and can help it become more well-behaved .

that dog is literally a master of chaos and getting what it wants on its own terms lol idk how much more of this weirdness the instructor can handle maybe they should just accept that their students come in all shapes & sizes (or in this case, breeds) and learn to adapt

omg this dog is literally the best thing ever! i love how it just ignores its instructors and does its own thing, and then it goes and steals the show by running up to strangers and begging to be commanded lol idk what's wrong with that teacher tho... my doggy always listens to me (mostly) but at least they don't have any crazy skills like this haha

LOL @ this pup's antics! I mean, who needs obedience when you can just stare people down? I'm not sure if it's cute or creepy, but either way, it's got personality. Maybe its instructors should've seen that piercing gaze as a sign of future stardom? Anyway, I love how the owners are just rolling with it and making the most of their dog's... uniqueness. And btw, "class clown" is the perfect nickname for this furry little troublemaker!

Dude, I gotta say, that dog is like a wild card . I mean, who needs obedience when you can just stare people down? It's like my grandma used to do back in the day, always giving those pesky kids a hard time . But for real though, it's impressive how far it'll go for attention. Reminds me of when I was at school and we had that one kid who'd constantly interrupt the teacher, just to see what would happen .

And oh man, that beach trip sounds like a disaster . I can just imagine you guys chasing after your dog while everyone else is having a blast. But hey, at least it's made for some good laughs and a story or two . Guess some dogs are just born to be the class clowns, right?

omg i feel like my friend who has a super hyper pup that always jumps out of seat during lessons but you know what sets her dog apart? IT CAN SIT STILL FOR LIKE 10 SECONDS WITHOUT BAILING it's like they say practice makes perfect right? anyway idk if the dog school instructors are worried or just messing with us rn i mean its funny that the pup is like class clown tho