My boys

I have decided to start taking the first Friday of each month off (instead of Thursday that week) since I have a missionary prayer group that meets at my house that evening. I think my boys enjoyed having me home yesterday. The photo of Buddy is him watching me make chocolate chip pumpkin bread for the people coming over. His patience was rewarded. He got to lick a beater. And then there is my funny Brutus. I wish I had seen how he got the pillows like that. I don't know if he planned it or it just happened while he was schooching around in the pillows on the couch. But it appears that he is quite 'comfortable' with the result however it came to be!

Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks!

I started taking my dogs to 'school' 3 weeks ago. Buddy is doing very well. Brutus can do well when he stays focused. He has a heard time staying focused (on what he is supposed to do) when he is focused on getting a treat or going for a walk (which he stays very focused on). But I think he is actually getting better. He seems to believe that maybe I am the 'alpha dog' after all! He gets life rewards when we are working on walks and getting out the door to walk. For example, if we are trying to get out the door for a walk and he is going bonkers with excitement (which he always is), I make him sit until he calms down. Then he makes it 3 steps closer to the door and I usually need to have him sit again. Getting to take a few steps is a 'life reward' for being calm (sort of calm for him!). On a walk we are working on loose leash walking. He can play and have fun as long as he is not pulling on the leash. He is beginning to understand that when he pulls we stop. If he doesn't pull we get to keep going. What a great reward! Buddy is great at loose leash walking so he thinks we're crazy for all the stop and go :-) We're having fun amyway.