Perquisite prerequisite :)

"Full marks" Unbelievably the very nice veterinary nurse praised our instinctive training regimes, which must mean there's method in our madness after all as I've felt totally 'barking' most of the week.  One regime being, the crack of dawn class, I attempt to teach the pups our recall & walking feats. Lessons commencing & finishing with copious amounts of tiny treats & abundant enthusiastic praise. The tasty pleasures held firmly in my cold fingers - just enough treat free for pups to have a fleeting taste -  the flavour persuading my little pups they need to follow me - follow unwaveringly, the scent of this dried tasty deliciousness which is yet to be devoured.  The promise of such fulfilment leads to such obedience (maybe there's something further to learn here Ladies' to apply in life :) Oh & as I'm ludicrously trying to walk doubled over,  may I also mention, during this session, should any of my neighbours be 'observing' this most ungainly pantomime "Yes I am the rear member of the horse! Yes I do apologise"  it is rather early in the day for such unsightliness  but needs must & our pups must be trained to walk by our side. Up til now they've had, they think they have, free range of the garden, lane & neighbours gardens.  The latter of their choices is obviously not, under any circumstance, a viable option. Respecting our neighbours friendship, I think the pups are just a little too much for anyone to tolerate digging up their beautiful blooms & promptly dumping in them too just as an added perk. So they need to know their boundaries, the pups not the neighbours, hence the walking with me & coming back to me when I call their names. Sounds easy doesn't it.  Well it isn't, let me just confirm double is trouble!!  But, optimistically, contemplating with pleasant anticipation I pray for twice the pleasure.  Thankfully, great stamina & endurance have always been very present & steadfast companions within all of us.  We're very lucky too, the pups respond so well to any form of training - ahem - especially with the endless treats method, only problem is I seem to be filling their little tummies with tiny little treats which prove just enough to put them off their dinners.  Somehow the shift in control seems to be hanging in some precarious balance, as I cling onto my encouraging tasty nibbles from two little black mouths with razor sharp little teeth I realise this is a challenge we have to surpass & host supremacy. Start as we mean to go on, funnily enough, as I said to the veterinary nurse, "I treat & look after the pups, in many ways, the same way I looked after our baby!!" (except the food treats training & walking on a lead!!)  Someone once said "you have to think like a dog" Hmmm, I think I need to think for the dog before it thinks for itself :) Conditioning!! Bless, they will do anything for a treat. It's great fun, as I run around the garden, the pups as if on some fabulous agility course move fast & gracefully, in step with my unfit clumsy strides, without losing any pace regardless of what direction I hurtle towards. I laugh as my mind wanders to the male species, er men, wondering comparatively if we ladies had such similar treats as rewards how simple life could be. We all like rewards for our hard work, we all enjoy treats & bonuses - enthusiastic praise - how simple the trade off to fill their bellies with dried packet food for those ooh so many chores needing to be done etc.  Anyway - amazingly - we're, it seems, doing all attempts at training very well & pups are learning fast. The puppy trainer was delighted with all we've done & achieved, delighted  with the pups progress & responses. How brilliant is that! They have such very different characters, already the difference between the pups is adorably noticeable.  The nurse thinks we're very observant & amazed at how much we've achieved in such a short amount of time. "You should write a book" she says, "Its so good you're so instinctive with them" she says "it would take me 7 weeks to teach my class all you've achieved in 2 weeks"  


I wonder if she realises the phenomenal power of love, its healing & persuasion.  As its not just the commands & praise, treats & walkies but the Unconditional Love, patience & kindness  - which resonate within any recipients Soul - always seem a great mix - all serve well.  Desired consequences - captive responsive audience - permanent prerequisite perquisite !!! :)

Okay, I know your gums are sore
 but just play for a while then she'll give us soo much food!

" look, if I just pop over the fence, 
she'll give us even more tasty bits 
 You run one way & yelp & I'll leap the boundary fence. 
See you back here in a few mins
 - you'll see - loadsa treats for us - 
maybe she'll get us some sausage too
 like the stuff that nice lady at the vets gave us !!"