Where once we were picking up G.I. Joes, Transformers and Tonka Toys, we now make the rounds gathering dollies, balls and chewies that need to be re-introduced to their respective holding areas. Little hand prints no longer need to be washed off doorways, but paw prints have been seen around doorways and occasionally on rugs. One comparison I can't make is leftovers made by our kids to those made by the dogs...our pack never leaves a morsel even a mouse could appreciate once they're finished eating!

Our living areas that the outside world can see are all normal, graced by pictures and other decorations that one would expect in a home such as ours. But, venturing into our finished basement presents an entirely different vista, one that perhaps only a dog lover would understand.

Here, one can find pictures of dogs (nothing tacky), two three-tiered shelves with small statues of our friends and assorted other memorabelia we've collected over the years that suit our fancy. Entering this realm makes one feels as if they've wandered into the envirorns of individuals who really, truly love dogs. How true that is.

Our mailbox cover says a lot about our interests in life:

Presto Dog Mailbox

As visitors to the Presto Dog web site, we think you may share some of the same sentiments we've expressed in this posting.

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Lily the Sheltie

This dog has very effectively learned how to adapt what she's been taught or learned on her own to get her way. For instance, as a puppy she went to classes and was taught how to "touch" with her nose, a skill needed to get her to re-focus on a task at hand when she's on an agility course. She very quickly learned to use this behavior to get our attention when we're eating. To this day, there's not a meal I sit down to when Lily's not performing her touch routine in the desparate hope of getting a bite or two of my food for herself.

Another trick she's learned to so is to howl like a wolf in the wild when one of her human companions are not in the immediate area to tend to her. She's also taught the other members of the pack (Lyric & Declan, our two Shelties as well as Douglas, our Collie) to join in the howl-a-thon along with her, making anyone within hearing distance think there's a herd of wild dogs baying at the moon or something! This specific behavior can be considered a classic in operant conditioning in that Lily's howling antics are reinforced by us giving her what she wants: our presence by rushing back to where she is to see what the heck is the matter.

If you read/analyze thius real carefully, you might even come to the conclusion that our dog(s) have trained US to respond to THEIR needs. Now, I really wonder if we're the only pet owners who face this dilemma?

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