Power Trip

Amber will be 10 months old tomorrow. She is still basically a ‘bull-in-a-china-shop,’ lumbering around, knocking things over, running over Molly, messing with the cats, and knocking US down if we’re not paying proper attention. We’re told by people in the know that she will continue ‘puppy-hood’ for another 14 months, until she’s two. Oh, joy.

We ARE making distinct progress in several areas, though, and she is adapting to life in the Lewis household better and better. Molly and Amber now will sleep on the same dog bed in the living room in the evenings – unless Amber sits on top of Molly. The cats no longer freak out and disappear if Amber is in the house, although there is hissing and spitting from time to time if Amber tries to pick up a cat with her nose.

I told you recently that we’re trying to get Amber to bark at the door when she’s ready to come in from being outside. We actually had to start with getting her to bark at ALL. Now we may have created a monster.

This morning she came and responded to my, ‘do you want to go “OUT?” We went to the door, she smacked her mouth soundlessly a few times and then finally barked. She actually barked to come in, though it was a pretty pathetic bark. I opened the door, told her “GOOD GIRL!” and gave her a cookie. A few minutes later, she came and sat beside me, looking at me expectantly. I said, “SAY IT!” and she smacked her mouth again soundlessly, finally barking and getting to go out. A couple of minutes later (it seemed) we heard a bark, let her in, praised her, and gave her a cookie.

A couple of minutes ago I was concentrating on the computer. Suddenly a huge “WOOOF!!!!” errupted from the dog, who was sitting beside me.

I jumped straight up about two feet out of my chair, tried to say “Good Dog!” on the way down. I let her out, and sat down again, only to hear a loud “WOOOOFFFFF!” from outside the door. I let her in, gave her a cookie and sat down again.

When she said, “WOOOOOFFFF!” 30 seconds later, I finally began to see that she was definitely enjoying a power trip, working the system in order to get another treat. I got her a chew toy, told her it was too soon to go out again, and told her to get into her “PLACE!”

So far, this is working. What does a person DO when her dog is smarter than SHE?