Dog Days

I tried to take some pictures of Maggie tonight.  That's always a difficult task, since Maggie moves constantly.  Most shots look something like this.

So I talked Katherine into distracting her.  Over the past month or so, Maggie has finally grown into her nose and gigantic ears and impossibly long legs. 

She really LOOKS like a collie now, instead of some sort of fox.

I have come to realize that I am not a puppy person.  I have no patience for jumping and chewing, endless barking and potty-training.  Maggie mostly drives me nuts.  But she is beautiful.  And, at 6 months, is leaving the puppy stage and moving into her teen years.  So I have hope.  I'm looking forward to the days when she'll just lay around napping and begging to have her ears scratched.  But right now Maggie would rather jump on people or pester the girls or eat inappropriate objects.  Like this grasshopper we were admiring.

(I managed to rescue him from her mouth after about 5 minutes, slobbery and a bit shaken but otherwise unharmed.)

But, to her credit, Maggie is learning.  She is always happy to see the girls (or anyone else).  She doesn't jump quite as much.  She is slightly calmer.  She can walk on a leash.  She comes when you call, at least some of the time.  And she plays a mean game of fetch.

Katherine is always happy when Maggie is near.  She hasn't learned to be assertive enough, so Maggie bullies her around, but she loves her.  And since my girl loves the dog, I will learn to love her also.

Tonight was a big night for Miss Maggie.  She started doggie school!  Steve and Katherine took her for "orientation" at her first session of obedience training.  So Maggie gets to make some doggie friends and maybe learn to be a good dog.  I can hope, can't I?