It was final exam day—for my dog. And I was nervous.
It all started a few months ago when my mom and dad made a deal with me. After years of hearing me pester them about our need for a dog, they agreed to get one if I promised to care for it, train it, and love it.
“The dog will be your responsibility,” Dad warned, “—and not just when it’s convenient.”
Libby, a four-month-old yellow Labrador retriever, arrived shortly thereafter. She was a 30-pound ball of fur, claws, and teeth with an uncanny ability to jump, dig, and chew.
“I think she is part-kangaroo,” I said as she bounced up and down on her hind legs to greet me.
She could also run like a racehorse. Each day after school I exercised Libby by taking her for long walks or by repeatedly throwing a tennis ball for her to chase down. When it was too wet to play outside, I lobbed an assortment of furry, squeaky toys up and down the stairs for her to retrieve. She never seemed to tire.
When Libby was six months old, Dad enrolled her in a puppy training class. I was to accompany them each Saturday for five weeks to learn how to train Libby to behave properly.
On the first day of dog school, Libby was as excited as I had ever seen her. She howled and whined and stood on her hind legs when she saw the other dogs in the class. Her tail wagged at about 100 miles an hour as she ran and greeted each of her canine classmates.
“If we could harness her tail’s energy,” my dad said, “I think she could generate enough power to light up a small city.”
Despite the distraction of having four potential playmates in the room, Libby breezed through her first class because we had already taught her to sit, lie down, and recognize her name. My homework was to reinforce these ideas throughout the week.
Weeks 2 and 3 were more difficult. We were tasked with training Libby to avoid jumping on people when she met them and to walk on a leash without tugging ahead. When she was introduced to these concepts in class, she responded the way she usually did: she leapt on every dog owner in the class and pulled me around the room like she was leading a team of Alaskan sled dogs.
“Dad, she’s not getting it,” I told him a few days later. “She’d rather greet people and lick them to death than stay down and get a treat.”
“You have to work with her more,” he told me. “She’ll come around.”
When I objected, saying I didn’t have enough time because of baseball practice and homework, my dad gave me his serious look. All he said was, “Remember our deal.”
That was enough for me. Our trainer said we were supposed to keep a “smile” in the leash when we walked, meaning there should be some slack between the owner and the dog. My leash was more of a tight-lipped grin. On our training treks down the street to the park, I frequently commanded Libby to “stop and sit” when she forged ahead. Libby would obediently sit and wait; then she would charge ahead. With so many starts and stops, our 15-minute walks stretched to half an hour.
I grudgingly missed a trip to the water park with my best friend for week 4, so I was not the happiest owner at the class. But the teacher said it was the most important class of the series because she was going to talk about the commands to “stay” and “come.”
“Teaching your dog to come when she is called can save her life,” she said. “If she takes off chasing something into a dangerous area, she has to respond to your call.”
She was right. I had seen Libby bolt across the street once while chasing a squirrel, and I was glad we lived on a quiet street with little traffic. So I worked extra hard on our homework that week.
Now, it was time for her fifth class—her final exam and, hopefully, her graduation. It seemed strange that I was so nervous for Libby’s final test. I wondered what would happen if she failed. Do dogs flunk?
When Libby’s turn came, she nailed the sit, lie down, and stay commands. When I told her to stay and I crossed the room, she waited patiently, ignoring the other dogs, tilting her head to one side, and fixing her eyes on mine until I told her to “come.” It was impressive. We made our way through the cones pretty well, too, with only a couple of brief “stops” needed when Libby pulled the leash ahead of me.
At the end, the teacher applauded. “I definitely think Libby gets the most improved award,” she announced.
I hugged Libby and gave her a jackpot: five sausage treats. “Way to go, Libs,” I said as she licked my cheek. I could smell the sausage all over my face, but I didn’t care. “I’m so proud of you.”
My dad put his hand on my shoulder and patted Libby on the head. “I’m proud of both of you.”
Writing Prompt - What's the message in this reading? What did you learn from this reading? Can you relate to the point of view of the writer?
The message in this reading is that even if something is really hard to accomplish, you should never give up. I learned that when you give up, you could be letting other people (or in this case, animals) down. Giving up on yourself doesn't mean that you are just letting yourself down. For instance, if you gave up on a test and just guessed, you could get a bad grade and let your parents down because they know how hard you worked. The point of view of the author is that you should never give up on something even if it is hard to do. I can relate to this when I have a hard test to study for and I want to give up, but I don't. I study and study for the test and I usually do a good job.
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Uthra Pandian
1/15/2014 09:44:31 am
I think this author's message in this story was very useful. I think it means that when you try something out for the first time it will not always work on your first try. You should be patient and do your best. Practice does make perfect. It will all your effort it will probably turn out really good in the end. So that is what I think the message M.G. Merfeld was trying to say in the story Libby Graduation.
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Ian Kimura
1/15/2014 09:48:54 am
The message is that if you try your hardest it will pay off. The girl tried her hardest to train her dog, Libby. It took her a little while but on her final exam she won the most improved. I learned that nothing is impossible if you try your hardest. I tried my hardest in baseball which allowed me to go to the next level. Both me and the girl tried our hardest by skipping activities to train the dog and practicing a lot.
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Yash Guddanti
1/15/2014 10:00:39 am
I think the message in this story is that no matter what obstacles are ahead of you, you still need to work and try hard on what you are trying to achieve. I learned that you should have perseverance in many things and not give up too easily. I think the writers' point of view is that you should never give up when something is challenging, but not impossible.
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Saloni Mahajan
1/15/2014 10:02:21 am
The author's message could help you with many things in life. It means that even when it seems impossible, if you work hard, you can make anything happen. She also said that you should be patient when it least seems possible. This helped her when training her dog in obedience school. The author's dog also seemed to try her best. But she rather lick people to death than stay put and get a treat. Clearly, it takes lots of work to get things done!
The message in this reading is that if you try hard and never give up, your work will pay off. You shouldn't give up. The dog owner in this story didn't give up. Some tasks you face are hard, but you can do it. You should believe in yourself. I learned that you should always work hard and face all tasks even if they are hard. Never giving up will help. If you try again and again, one time you will get it. M. G. Merfeld proved this point in a nicely written story. I agree with the author's view and message proved. One time, I had to pass this basketball test. I was scared at first but then practiced hard and did it.
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Srutilaya
1/15/2014 10:21:38 am
The message in this passage was if you work hard, you will always win. I learned that if you put a lot of effort, your work will pay off. I think the author's point of view was if you try hard, nothing is impossible. I can relate to me because on a very hard test, I studied very well and got a great score.
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Jasleen Toor
1/15/2014 10:22:37 am
The message in this story is that if you try really hard, you will succeed in whatever you are doing. For example, at the beginning of the story, Libby was as jumpy as a dog can get. She would not obey the class commands when she was supposed to. So, despite skipping going to the water park and baseball practice and other activities, the girl worked her hardest trying to train Libby, and made her more obedient and taught her the new commands. Finally, during the graduation, Libby won the award for most improved. I learned that I should never give up and always try my best, like when I tried to get many hoops in a row in basketball. I spent every recess and lunch and every spare minute during the weekends trying to get all the hoops, and I finally got many in a row. This is just like the girl working extra hard on trying to train Libby. And all your efforts and hard work will always make you better at what you are trying to do, just like the girl and Libby.
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Daria Chen
1/15/2014 10:26:36 am
The message in this story is that if you try and never give up, you will accomplish your goal. I learned that when you try very hard and have hope, you will most likely fulfill it. I can relate this reading to me because I also have a puppy of my own (who is very naughty and climbing all over me now) in which my father and I took to training classes, as well. Though, our training class did not have at test at the end of it. But, she did pass. :)
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Mukund Krishnakumar
1/15/2014 10:29:51 am
I think the message in this story is that if you try your hardest you will succeed in achieving what you wanted to. An example from this story is when Libby trained her dog well and skipped fun activities in the hope that her dog would do well in the final exam. And in the end, her dog won the award for most improved! From this, I learned that if you persevere you can achieve your goals. I can relate to this when I'm studying for a test. Sometimes, I want to give up, but I know that if I do, I'll fail the test. So, I study hard for my tests, and it pays off when I get a good score. Obviously, the moral of this story is that if you persist, your work will pay off.
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Michelle Yu
1/15/2014 10:30:04 am
I think the message in the story was that you should never give up or lose faith in yourself or someone or something-in this case a dog named Libby. The girl in the story was about to give up, but she tried her hardest. In the end, her golden retriever graduated. I learned that you should try your best, and in the end, all your hard work will pay off. I can relate to my piano lessons. I had to practice to get all my songs perfect for a recital. Practice makes perfect-if I practice correctly. I tried my hardest, and it was all right.
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Siri Tantry
1/15/2014 10:34:23 am
I think the message is to keep trying, even though the task for you is difficult. I learned that some tasks may seem easy at the beginning , but as you keep going they start getting difficult. In the author's point of view she understands that getting a dog isn't all fun. I can relate to my dance class because I learnt that preforming is not always fun because you need to nail all the steps down perfectly. Thus, this is what I think the message the author meant to say in this story.
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Safa Fatima
1/15/2014 10:56:07 am
I think the message is never to give up no matter if someone says it's impossible. Don't let anyone make you feel what you are. Make them feel what you are and what you can be. I still have probably alot of things to learn and this should definitely be one of them. I feel like I try a hundred times and fail each time. Even the tiniest bit of frustration blows my top, and I leave that accomplishment (like getting a basket hoop, a few months ago) undone. Empty. Every time someone mentions it, probably, you all would say," I don't want to talk about it," and leave. That's wrong. You should face it. Conquer it. Keep trying until you have the pride to yell," I did it!! I did it!!" And all the time, never let frustration take over you, and have an empty hole. Do what you can. What you don't do, you will regret it later when you can't do it it at all. After all, this has happened to me. I was trying out for the basketball team, and I couldn't shoot a single hoop. Then, I would blow my top. Even though, I kept trying, and finally, shot hoops. This is pride. This is life. Never regret anything. This is a belt only you can untie . . . To what? Your future.
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Rohith Bharanidharan
1/15/2014 11:01:08 am
Even the toughest obstacles in life can't get in your way and block you if you keep trying. This is the message the author sent. I learned that if you keep trying nothing is impossibe. The writer thought he wouldn't be able to train his dog and then after his dad told him about the deal he tried hard and managed to train Libby.
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Ariel Li
1/15/2014 11:01:47 am
I think the message of the story is that you should try your best and never give up on any task, even if it seems impossible to do. In the story, an example is that "I" had to train his/her dog to do some tasks that seemed impossible to do at first. Soon, because they tried their best and didn't give up, they passed the final exam. This is a important lesson, and everyone should try their best and never give up like the person in the story.
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Siddhaarth Gajapathy
1/15/2014 11:12:14 am
The message in this story is to never give up no matter how hard it is. If it is your dream you have to try,try,try,and try no matter how difficult it gets. I can relate this to when people have a hard time on a project some people just put no effort in it and they can possibly fail, on the other hand people who work very hard will get a good score. This is what I think the author meant.
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Aniruddh Suresh
1/15/2014 11:16:10 am
I think that the message in this is to keep up your word whenever you make one. If it is hard or harder than you thought, keep trying and keep your word. I learnt that whenever you make a promise, you should always keep it, no matter how hard or easy, big or small. I think the point of view was that when she made a deal to get a dog, she agreed to take care of it and it was her responsibility. She trained her dog and passed the exam so she kept her word.
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Thejas Nair
1/15/2014 11:21:31 am
The message in the passage is that even if something is hard , when your done doing it you will be proud. You should never give up, and finish your goal. You might even get a reward for finishing your goal like Libby got in the passage. I learned a thing by reading this story. That would be that hardworking will pay off in life really good. For example, if you really worked really hard for a test and you get a good score that would be the hardworking paying off. Truly, hardworking will help and make your life easier.
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Srutika Sureshbabu
1/15/2014 11:43:54 am
I think the message is that you shouldn't give up. Even if you don't get it the first time, keep on trying. M.G. Merfeld wanted to go to the water park with her friend, but is was at the same time as her dog, Libby's training class. So she skipped the trip to the water park. Since the training lessons were hard for Libby, she wanted to stop trying, but she remembered her promise to her dad and didn't give up. She also tried really hard to get the lesson right. She had to skip many activities to do achieve her goal. What I learned from this passage is that you need to work hard and never give up to get what you want. I can relate to the writer's point of view when I first started to bike without training wheels. At first, I kept on falling down and my dad had to follow me. Days passed and I got better at biking. I could do it without any help. At the end of summer vacation, I could ride my bike as well as my brother. M.G. Merfeld and I both worked hard and didn't give up till we achieved our goals.
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Stella Park
1/15/2014 12:29:10 pm
The message in this story is to always try hard, no matter what. Libby was so wild, but the girl never gave up. In the end, she succeeded. If you stay still and do not fix or try anything, you will have nothing that you have accomplished. It is just like that famous sentence: "Those who do not work shall not eat." The eating is the reward that the people get. Try hard, unless you will get nowhere in life. If you don't try hard at school and do not care about tests, it is likely that you will get a bad grade and go to a low-ranked school. I learned that no matter how hard the situation is, you should always try. Never be afraid that you will fail. You should always have confidence in yourself. People who don't always fail, and every time they fail, they keep on losing confidence. Great and powerful people like president tried to become their post of authority. Presidents have to win elections. If they don't try hard, they will not be elected. Then, they have to wait another four years or so. No one says that succeeding is easy. There are many obstacles that block your way. There will be frustration, maybe people who will try to discourage you, but you have to conquer all of those and take joy in what you did. You alone will break the door to success. The point of view from the author is that she tried hard to train her dog. The reward for her hard work was sharing her happiness with her dog. Even though it is very dangerous, you should always accept a challenge and make it into a goal.
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Aishwarya Arokiaraj #2
1/15/2014 12:32:19 pm
This passage told that you should never give up. Libby's owner only got herself Libby because she promised to take care of it by herself. Libby's owner also was scared that Libby would not pass the test in dog school. We also learn that hard work would be showed wherever we go. Libby's owner was happy to see that Libby passed the test. If Libby's owner didn't practice all the skills, Libby would have not passed.
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Jennifer Choi
1/15/2014 12:47:20 pm
I think that this you should always keep trying and to never give up. M.G Merfeld wanted to go to the water park with her friend, but it was the same time as her dog, Libby's training class. Since Libby's training classes were hard for her, she wanted to stop. However she remembered her promise to her parents and kept trying. What I learned from this message is that if I try my hardest, I should keep trying until the end. I can relate to the writer's opinion, is that before a test i study, and while i study, I usually have a tough time. However, i try hard and I usually get a good grade.
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Navya Singhai
1/15/2014 12:54:15 pm
I think the message is that you should not give up in the thing that makes you happiest. If I could get a dog, I would miss any sports practice to become best buds with it. I think the authors point was that when she had the chance to go and have fun, she stayed back for Libby because she didn't want her dog to fail at the test. In anything you are determined to do, you should never give up even if seems impossible.
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Anoop Bhat
1/15/2014 01:11:02 pm
I think this passage meant that if there is a will there is a way. Also, I thought it meant that never give up. Keep trying. I learned that you should never ever give up. Always try your best and you can do it. I can relate this to my real life when I was talking a math test or social studies test. Since I studied hard and never gave up I got a good score.
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*AMRITRAJ BINURAJ*
1/15/2014 01:44:45 pm
Writing Prompt - What's the message in this reading? What did you learn from this reading? Can you relate to the point of view of the writer?
I think that the passage has two messages. The first one is if you put a lot of effort into doing something, your work will pay off, or in other words it means to never give up no matter how hard whatever you are doing is. You have to try,try,try,and try even more no matter how difficult it gets. I can relate this to when people have a hard time on a project and put no effort in it, they will probably fail, but on the other hand people who work very hard will get a good score. I can also relate to it because on a very hard test, if I studied very well, I might get a great score. So even the biggest obstacles in life can't get in your way and stop you if you keep trying.
The second message in this story is to keep your word whenever you make one. If it is hard or harder than you thought, keep trying and keep it. I learnt that whenever you make a promise, you should always keep it, no matter what. The girl made a deal to get a dog, which means that she agreed to take care of it and it was her responsibility. If you break your word you have to face the consequences.
This part of the passage explains both of these lessons even more:
“Dad, she’s not getting it,” I told him a few days later. “She’d rather greet people and lick them to death than stay down and get a treat.”
“You have to work with her more,” he told me. “She’ll come around.”
When I objected, saying I didn’t have enough time because of baseball practice and homework, my dad gave me his serious look. All he said was, “Remember our deal.”
I learned that we should never give up. Also that you have to keep trying to get something. I can relate it to my life for math, social studies, and science. I kept trying and now I get it much better than before.
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Nilay Kundu
1/15/2014 02:24:39 pm
I think the message in the passage means that if you really put your mind to a task, you will be able to achieve your goal. The author had a hard time to train Libby because he had to give up play time to take Libby to class. But the author did not give up because he was determined to have a pet. I learnt that if you really want something, you should make the sacrifice and do what it takes to make it work. For DI, I made the sacrifice of missing fun after school activities. Even though I really wanted to attend them, my urge to go to Globals was greater and so I practiced with my team.
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Mehul
1/15/2014 11:08:20 pm
I think this message tells us to never ever give up. You should always keep trying to do it. In the passage,, the girl/boy always tired to train her dog to get better at behaving. The child always kept working to train her dog. Even though, Libby wouldn't listen the owner kept on training the dog for one reason. The deal that she made with her parents. That is the message in the story
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divya
1/15/2014 11:41:10 pm
I think the messsages are...
Keep your word
Even when Libby and him faced challenges,he kept going.
He knew Libby was his responsibility, he asked for the dog.
Keep on going
The dog and the owner never gave up. Hard or easy they went through it together. That is a trait you need to keep going.
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Ashish Jayamohan
1/20/2014 01:43:47 pm
The message in the story is that if we put our mind on a thing, we can accomplish our goals that we set for that thing. In the story, the boy and the dog had to face many obstacles, but once they really thought about it and set their eyes on it, the things to do were not as hard as they thought. Also, this story tells us to always keep our word as the boy had to keep his promise to his parents about how he would have to tame the dog and make it a good dog. The boy and his dog worked very hard to keep up this promise and do whatever they had said. What I learned from this reading is that we always need to keep our word and promises. This is a very important characteristic of loyal friends and people. So, if you want to be known as a loyal person, you should always start in this way. I also did learn that if you work hard on something, your work will eventually pay off and you will feel rewarded and accomplished. I can relate to the writer's point of view because I told my mom that I would always answer my math questions responsibly and correctly, so I have to do accordingly. Also, i would have to keep my eye on accomplishing what I have told my mom that I would do.
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Page (red hawk elementary)
4/29/2015 12:39:51 am
hey is libbys owner a male or female i read it over and over again and i can't tell