Dog training, Mishka is the easiest and smartest dog we have ever trained.

We do so love our giant puppy, she has just turned four months old and is just a little bit smaller than our Lab/golden retriever cross. She is very lovable and always forgives, eventually, I have never heard her growl.  She settles disputes with the great Sadie Sue, our doxie, by putting her paw on her and holding her down until she is ready to play again.  She was dropped into the middle of my front room with a wonderful yellow bow.  She laid there like she was in a very frightful place, having never been in a house, and looked like a lost soul.  She wasn't sure what to make of all the petting and attention, having been one of five with nothing that the Herbalist found remarkable about her so she was kind of left to her own and didn't even have a nick name like some of her siblings.  I loved her from the first time I saw her, when Poppie gifted me with her I was so happy to have her.  I named her right away and she knew her name in less than an hour.  I thought that that was very bright of her.  I am still amazed by her quick intelligence and ability to learn.  She can lead, but likes it better when a child is doing the leading and will happily lead well for a child, did from the moment we put a leash on her.  If I lead her I have some success if Poppie leads her she is obstinate, I don't think she always wants to do things Poppies way.  She learned to sit with in minutes of Poppie and Yogie working with her.  She learn to shake her paw with you yesterday afternoon after a few minutes of working with her, she will shake if you say shake or if you click your fingers at her.  She is a bit of a wanderer but we are working on that.  She isn't wandering to be naughty I think just curious.  Poppie put her leash on her and then put her on the porch you would have thought he had beat her, she lay there liked she was tied up and she pouted.  Poppie, after awhile, felt sorry for her so she came in the house.  I think she must have been paying attention to child discipline at the this house.  If one of the kids are naught they have to stand in the corner.  So when Poppie let her in the house, from being on the leash and naughty, she immediately went to the corner and sat with her nose in the corner, she would look around every little bit like the kids do.  We thought it was funny and a fluke but the next time she was naughty she went to the corner again and sat like she was a crying child peaking out every once in awhile to see if she was still in trouble.  I told Poppie I couldn't believe how smart she is to have made that connection with the kids.  It is totally funny and cute when she does it.  Sadie Sue is, as I have said before a bit of a cripple, her pelvis was stepped on as a tiny puppy and never healed correctly, the vet said she is fine but will always have problems.  The cold is very hard on her, as it makes her so she can't move, if she jumps off the couch wrong it can make it so she can't walk until her hip resets itself.  The worst part is she doesn't have a good control of her peeing, she is usually good about going out side to poop but not always to pee.  Mishka is having a little problem learning to always go out side as well, I have come to the conclusion it has nothing to do with knowing go outside but more for attention, or thinking that if Sadie Sue can do it she should be able to .  I spent the afternoon, cleaning the carpets in all of the house but the girls rooms, doing those later in the week, and shortly after I got them done Mishka peed on my carpet.  She doesn't hid it she just does it right in front of us,  Poppie rubbed her nose in it and put her outside on her leash.  She sat on the porch and cried, when he eventually let her back in, after he used my carpet cleaner, that was still out, to clean up the puddle, she immediately went to the corner she had decided is hers and sat there peaking at us.  I am think she was judging wether we were still upset with her.  She came over for loves once Poppie called her, he asked her for a shake and all was well with her.  Mokie and I are thinking we are going to teach her and Rootbeer to pull that new goat cart.  She should be big enough to do it soon and she is bright about learning so it should be a piece of cake to teach her, probably a lot easier than teaching Rootbeer.

I will have Mokie's kids and extras today.  Bubbie has shots today and tomorrow, she has to have a sonogram on her hips, they are going to make sure they are alright.  Her hip doesn't work just right and they may have to brace it.  It is hereditary on Son's side, Yogie actually had problems when she was little as well, they wanted to break her hips when she was two to fix them.  I asked them at the time if it would make a difference in her having a baby, they said no, so as she can and does walk well I declined to let them break them to fix them.  She walks a little funny but she runs well and has never had a problem so I think she is just fine the way God made her. Have a great day, two days of babies and kids, but the rest of the week is mine.  I have lots of carving and inking to do.  Been taking a bit of a hiatus but it is time to get back to it.  Coffee to drink and life to get on with..... tomorrow.