Saint here again, for an update. 
Today after the old dame got home from work we played out back for a while and then she put the training collar on me and we did a little work on the cul-de-sac. In spite of what she said yesterday I didn't really think she'd go for it today--it's 100 degrees outside and with the humidity the heat index is 110. I guess she was "highly motivated".
Heh, I was perfect. I wasn't just perfect, I was better than ever. I like to mess with her mind like that now and again. I didn't pull once, didn't sniff the ground, stayed right by her left knee and did all the turns. I sat and layed down and I even stayed down and quiet while Macy, the bit of fluff that lives across the street, came up the cul-de-sac and lunged at me. Like you could tell--nobody cares if you pull on the leash when you're a toy poodle. Thanh, her owner, was talking on his cell phone, smiling, waving--he didn't even break his stride.
The old dame thought I'd forgotten everything, hah. Nah--I just didn't think she cared about that stuff anymore. I haven't forgotten, in fact it was fun. And I got cookies. Life is good.
Show-off. Hope mymom doesn't see this post or she'll start expecting me to do what *she* wants me to, instead of being a good monkeygirl and throwing the ball for me. I don't get cookies for that, but I don't care. I think some of my buds get too excited over cookies. Sometimes cookies are all about good things, but sometimes they're about getting my toes cut off. Mymom thinks I'm a baby and tells me she's just cutting off my *nails* but I know one of these days she'll slip and my toes will be history.
I let her know it makes me happy to go get the ball or fly for the frisbee. Sometimes I think my tail is going to just wag right off. I prefer games *I* chose.
Hey, I hear ya. No dog in his right mind wants to have his nails cut. The old dame clips my nails, but she has to reeeeeally want to do it because I don't make it easy for her.
As far as me doing what she wants me to do goes, my family has always been working class. As I see it, the better you learn to read the signals and do what's expected, the more important a job you get, and a good job has it's rewards.
--Saint
Hey Saint of the West, I don't know if you've been following the thread over on the old dames' lj, but she's thinking about going up to Flagstaff to meet Connery. What do you think of that?
--Saint