So this week I started taking our new puppy Moose to puppy classes. At first I was disappointed he wasn’t in a higher level class since I’d already taught him to sit, he’s housebroken, and knows his name. What else could he learn in puppy class? Well as it turns out, Moose has a lot to learn…and so do I.

I used to watch the Dog Whisperer every week, before I had children, and my dog was a cute little shih Tzu. He was already housebroken when we got him at 6 months old and very mild mannered, so in my mind, I was a novice dog whisperer myself. Humility quickly caught up with me when we brought home our 16 lb, 8 week mastiff puppy. He is stubborn and he is BIG. He’s gained 25 pounds in three months! And while I always planned on taking him through training for socialization, driving to class this week was like waking up on Christmas morning. Finally he’ll stop biting while he plays and learn to stay off the furniture. Finally he’s going to be the perfect dog, the one I pictured sitting in front of the fireplace at Christmas, keeping a calm and peaceful vigil over the children as they unwrap their new goodies.

And that got me thinking how similar the puppy class is to what we experience when we start getting our financial lives in order, whether by developing a budget plan, getting a new job or raise, or beginning to invest in a retirement portfolio. Finally things are going to start working out. It’s a good feeling to put a plan in place. The beginning of a journey is always exciting. But here’s where it starts to get tough…sticking with the program. And that’s where I’m at with my dog.

The class was great. Moose is naturally friendly, so he quickly made friends with the trainers and my classmates. After 45 minutes of training, he got to meet his puppy peers and I breathed a deep sigh of relief.  And then the trainer gave us homework. You see, Moose isn’t their dog to train. In fact, their motto is that they’re actually training me to train my dog. So he got to play. I got homework. And I realized that our training journey is just beginning, and it’s not all going to be as much fun as the last 45 minutes had been.

I’d already realized that the hard work in budgeting and making financial plans is where you actually get the rewards. I’ve lived that knowledge for the past few years and now it’s not nearly as difficult to stick to a budget and set money aside for savings. But sometimes we all need a little reminder that it usually is the tough stuff that brings the best results. If I want that dog to pose for family photos by Christmas, it’s going to take more than a weekly trip to training class, although that’s a great place to start. And if I want to save enough money to buy a car, build a new deck, or enjoy a long and healthy retirement, it’s going to take more than an automatic deduction to my savings account, although that’s a great place to start too. So here’s to lots of doggy training homework and the perseverance to see this journey through to the end…or at least until Christmas. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.