My dogs have a history of surprising me. Sometimes it is by doing something to prove they are not perfect. The couch in my den has examples of that. My youngest, Bangle, has had more access to that piece of furniture without supervision than she should have. The chewed cushions are proof of that. It’s my fault. I know she is too immature to be trusted alone in the house.

They also surprise me in  good ways as well. More than once lately, Bangle took her turn on the grooming table for a nail clip. She gets very excited to get up there as she knows she will get treats. She puts her front paws up and I help get the rear end up. That’s pretty typical of one of my dogs. But the surprise has come after she is “in place”, she raises her right rear leg toward me for the nail clip. I always start with that foot. The first time she did it, I was stunned. The next time, I was still happily surprised.

Dogs really are amazing. Picking her foot up for me to clip the nails was not something I intended to teach Bangle. But, through repetition and treats, she figured it out. Next, we must address ignoring the couch.