My dog gets excited when I say the word “dog park.” He knows he’ll see friends there.

But yesterday was different. There was only one other mixed breed dog, working with his owner. “Your dog appears really alert,” I said. “Does he do tricks?” “Sure,” the guy said. “I am teaching him to be an impressionist.”

The puppy sat down, and when the man said “Speak,” the dog emitted a long “baaaaa.” The man explained, “Right now he’s learning to mimic a sheepdog.” Next, the guy tossed a small rubber ball, and the dog chased it. I smiled. “Now, I guess you’re teaching him to be a retriever.” The man nodded yes. Then he took off his wrist watch, and showed it to the dog. The man would point to a number, and the dog would scratch the dirt the number of times the owner pointed to. The puppy guessed every number right. “That’s great,” I said. “So right now you’re teaching him to imitate a watchdog?” “No,” the man replied. “A clocker spaniel.”

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