The Dilemma

Okay, I have had some assertive pups before, but I have not yet had one to Emma's level!! She is a piece of work! She is fearless, everywhere, and intense! When you pick her up she doesn't even feel like a puppy- she tightens all her muscles, and never takes her eyes off where you're carrying her to. And heaven forbid you have to carry her for more than a minute, or she knows where you're going, you can't hardly even hang on to the little pistol!! She is a trip!! So far during the night Logan has yet to make one peep- not a sound. His sister on the other hand is trying my puppy patience!! She gives me about 1 hour naps during the night, then starts carrying on. In the very early morning she gives me even less time between fits. And there's no correcting her with just my voice. Oh she'll stop while I'm at the top of the stairs looking at her, but as soon as I turn away she's back to it. Shit head. (although once the irritation passes, I love her persistence!) I have to mama scruff her and last night also had to grab her little nose. It doesn't really bother her in the least. The second I let go, she pops right back up on her feet and looks at me like "so, you're gonna let me out now, right?". (again with the shithead, until later then I love it). I let them both out at about 1am and they both went pee right away- good babies. Then again around 5am because Ben gets up. Pretty hard for them to sleep/be quiet through that. Emma gave me until about 6am and then started in. Since she was making me be stronger with her then I wish I had to be I thought I'd wait her out. I waited 40 minutes. She never missed a bark. So I marched downstairs and got on her yet another notch harder. This time I actually got one little "okay, I'm sorry" sound out of her- first one ever. I saw Ben before he left and said "I sure hope Emma is a good dog, because it's gonna take one hell of a correction to change her mind about things!" (this was before the 40 minute "stand off") I don't really know where all this came from in her. I've been told Deal's (her maternal grandam) was a very strong dog. Deal is probably my hardest dog, but she is still not what I would call hard, and she's harder when she's while working sheep than she is in real life. The pups in her 2 litters are very biddable. Kit's not a hard dog at all, nor is her sire Toss. Emma's sire is not hard either. But I guess it's back there somewhere. Logan is just like his sire in so many ways! He's going to be such a nice pup, just that nice, middle of the road, perfect kind of dog. He already has that on and off switch, which is so perfect. (he can cuddle and be quiet, but if you dangle a toy in front of him, *bam* the switch flicks to ON!) He's about caught up to Emma in the confidence department. He still follows me and the other dogs all over while I'm doing chores etc. He's started to notice the geese and sheep. He watches them for a little bit, then does this little low bark before heading off to do something else. He's so cute when I have to get after his sissy. She's in the bottom crate so while I have my head stuck in her crate all I hear is the thud, thud, thud of sweet Logan's tail on the crate above! LOL! I always have to give him a little finger scratch through the crate and whisper to him that his sister is shithead! ;-)

Well, it GORGEOUS outside today!! It's sunny, breezy and probably not even 70 degrees!! Makes me think I'm back home in Wisconsin!! I miss Wisconsin! I'm about southern steamed out. Over it really. I'm ready to go back to hard core winters in exchange for these long miserable summers! Yeah, it gets hot and humid in WI too, but not from April-October! But anyway, that's a subject for another day. I'm gonna work dogs, and work dogs, and work dogs, and take some pictures of Dilemma and Logan. I'll try to get them on here tonight. Dylan has a baseball game at 5:30.