Opposable Thumbs

My little grandpuppy, be thankful that he does't have them

Gil is getting to be a big boy...and smart in a way that is new to me. I am used to border collie smart, where once you get the dog's attention it is all about working together. Gil is different. Some of his intelligence seems to be aimed at getting into trouble and getting away with it. Thus we must put the dish towels in ever changing places because he will get them...every time....and damn the consequences. 


He can leap straight in the air, reach out without touching anything, snatch one off the middle of the kitchen table and be gone before you can grab the squirt gun. Hell hath no fury like grandma when one of Aunt Lisa's home woven towels is his victim. He does not care. The fun is worth it to him. I have had to teach him the word, "trade" so he will give me the things he steals without a chase. I am too old to chase...and I know it is encouraging him and enabling him to be a bad boy to give him a treat under the circumstances, but I cannot run as fast as he can, especially under the chairs and tables. Even I am too tall for that.

Anyhow, I babysit for the grandpuppy when Beck is at work and he has learned to be quite a little leash hauler. He has darned near dragged me off my feet a couple of times. Old Arthur Itis was visiting yesterday so I put the pronged training collar on the little monster, for the first time ever, and purely in self defense.


He raced to the end of the leash to pop me off the porch, hit it, stopped and looked at me, as if to say, Well, dang! and NEVER tugged again the whole walk, even after I took it off.
Wow, can you imagine if that little dog had opposable thumbs? 


No dish towel in the world would be safe, ever again.