Tree tail tracker, quadrupled

Jackpot! Four ornaments sent flying with one frantically joyous swipe of the tail.

Note to self: Don't let Nettie greet me anywhere in the vicinity of the tree when I return home from work.

Christmas merriment, etc.

Nettie went with me to the mall on Tuesday, since I had a day off, for some practice. She is really on a roll lately -- I think she is so ready to go IFT and start learning more than what I can teach her.

She got to meet Santa, too. We were walking by and he had no kids waiting. He saw her and waved, and then motioned us in. Nettie greeted him very nicely, even though she usually doesn't see guys who look like him. Santa was impressed with Nettie; he told her, with a twinkle, that she had been very good and she wagged furiously. (I assured Santa that he's already gotten her a nice toy.)

The Tree Tail Tracker: One ornament on the living room floor BUT one of the cats was the culprit, as the incident occurred while we were out and Nettie was safely crated. A reminder why all the bottom ornaments have been non-breakable ones for a number of pre-pup years now.

Maine winters, and the Tree Tail Tracker

As you can see, this is one mistreated dog.

Also, new for the holidays: The Tree Tail Tracker!

Tonight's count: One ornament askew, four wildly waving, but none on the floor. Yet.

Labrador brains

"Maybe," Bob suggested the other day, "you can tell Guiding Eyes that she needs to work in Florida or somewhere like that."

We got our first 9 inches of the season, and it's a whole new ballgame. Nettie likes snow. Really likes snow. Wants to roll in it, burrow in it, chase toys in it and pronk around in it. Likes it so much that she has to be reminded sometimes that she must also work and mind her manners in it. (Lest anyone think she's mistreated, I would point out she gets to do all of the above in it at specified times.)

None of this is a revelation -- she came here in February, so I've had ample experience with her in snow -- but it's still funny to see how that Labrador brain can get so fixated on one thing.

At least she has her coat, so we can work inside places. And, aside from the snow, she's working pretty nicely. I took her to Target on a busy Saturday and she was doing great, sticking right with me as we dodged other shoppers. She stayed very focused even though the place was jammed with people.