Always learning something new!

     These last several days Churry has been going through a phase of refusing to mind me when we are outside.  I don't know if she's just really enjoying the weather or what, but I've had to limit some of her freedom out there.  For instance, she had to go back on her leash whenever we were out there because she thought it was funny to run away from me.  :(  NOT FUNNY!  And all of the games that she had learned inside this winter...well, it's a whole new learning experience outside!  She seems to have forgotten all of the rules of the games.  So, it feels in some ways like I'm starting over with her.  But, she's a quick learner and has already earned some of her freedom back.

    Tonight was an especially good night.  We worked on a new command that I haven't been able to get her to do anywhere.  I'm hoping that learning to "jump on" raised objects will help her with loading into the vehicle.  We practiced in two places tonight.  We started off on the back patio.  We have an old table that's broken and we never use anymore so I pulled a chair up next to it to teach her.  It worries me how uncoordinated she is, but Pat says Bailey was just like her and now Bailey is very graceful at this command so hopefully Churry will find her gracefulness as well.  After she figured out how to jump on the table using the chair for help, we went to Pat's truck bed.  It's a little truck, so it's not as high of a jump as the Expedition.  It took her a long time...she's VERY hesitant.  But, after tons and tons of praise and encouragement, along with a couple of misses,  she jumped in a few times for me.  Then the rest of the family got home and we showed off her new skill to them.  She actually seemed excited to show them!  It was pretty cute!

     After that, she had her nightly play time, and since she was minding her manners she got to play off-leash.  I was especially proud of her because while she and Bailey were laying out in the middle of the yard two little kids decided to have races down the golf course.  She and Bailey both perked up and watched them intently and I was worried that she was going to chase them, but with only one warning, they both stayed where they were.  Good job, Churry and Bailey!

Churry's favorite outdoor toy is the football.  

And she's especially fond of this newly laid tile in our house!  There's a vent right behind her head blowing cool air on her so I'm sure this will
be a popular spot for her this summer.