Any day now I'm going to be able to say "By George, I think she's got it!"
Valerie, who has the patience of Job, is making definite progress with Polly. After only three weeks, Polly will cautiously let her touch her, briefly. She has figured out that when Valerie holds a treat in her hand and raises it above her (Polly's) head, she won't get the treat until her body resembles something of a sit position. What she hasn't figured out is that the word "sit" goes along with that.
I watched Valerie work on "sit" for half an hour today. "Sit," she says, waits, then raises treat and Polly gives a slight squat. "Sit," she says again, waits, then raises treat. Over and over again for about 10 minutes. Then things change. "Sit," she says, and she turns her head away from Polly. There is no treat offered. Polly cocks her head, looks at Valerie, looks at the treat bag, look at Valerie's hand then whines. Valerie continues not to look at her. Polly whines again. Then Polly steps back and growls. Then she moves forward and whines again. Valerie eventually gives her the treat after she has assumed the quasi-sit position. It's such a funny thing. You can tell there is some thinking going on in that little head, but she hasn't quite made the connection that "sit" is that thing you do when treats are lifted over your head.
It's the doggie version of Eliza Doolittle endlessly repeating "the rine in Spine stize minely in the pline" while Higgins patiently orders "again."
Any day now, something is going to click. Polly is going to figure it all out and then we may dance around the family room at the triumph so many weeks in coming!
As for the other little guys, they are just so much fun to watch. Roly poly bodies lumbering down the hall chasing after the big guys, or wrestling with each other on the dog bed, or settling on my lap with Polly and Emmy. Emmy has become such a great dog mom, watching out for them and licking them and snuggling up with them when they sleep. I love this picture of Bitsy's ear flopping over Emmy's nose while they sleep.
This morning I thought they were going to explode. I hadn't left food out for them overnight, though they had eaten dinner. When I put out food in the morning they ate all of their food and all of Polly's. Not surprisingly, they took good naps after breakfast!
I've found lots of ways to communicate with our granddaughter from 400 miles away. JibJab Sendables are great fun and Bri loves dancing, so I've made a couple of those which show Walt and me dancing (very silly). And I simply couldn't wait to make the home movie that is the Video of the Day, which many, who have followed the "spider debate" over the years will understand. I am posting it publically against my better judgement, briefly (the link will be gone tomorrow because though I am a fool, there is a limit to my folly!)
I have several other ideas that I want to try, but will probably put all on hold until we get back from our vacation to Russia next month.
I was supposed to review (I thought) a show tonight, but it turns out this was preview night and opening night isn't for a week, so with the evening free, we finally watched the end of 24. How many holes can Jack get in his body without it slowing him down? But I was pleased with the end. And I was happy with how Lost ended. And the right dancer won Dancing with the Stars (and I have given away no spoilers to people who haven't seen any of those shows yet!)
Now I just have about half a dozen other season finales to watch before I'm finally caught up.
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