Discipline SUXS! (So sayeth Merida)

So the other night I called Merida because I wanted to play with her. She did not come to me, so after a few calls I went looking, because this isn't like her at all. I found her up on my bed, sleeping on my pillow.

That's a "Nope" right there.

So I pulled her down the the floor and gave her a good "NO!" And in return, she gave me a dirty look and climbed right back up on the bed. Really?

A few seconds later saw her back on the floor with another negative admonition, at which point she went over to her blanket on the floor at the foot end of the bed, lay down and stuck her head under the bed. I went over and tried to coax her out, because I still wanted to play with her, but everything I did caused her to burrow further under the bed. Then it hit me--she was sulking! Poor thing's probably never been corrected before, and definitely not by me yet, and she wasn't liking it. So I left her alone and went on about my business for an hour or so and when I went back in the room she was still on the floor but she got up and came over to me, this time in a little better mood. I gave her some petting and scratching, and then she turned and went back up on the bed again, as if to see if it was ok now. She was removed a third time and hasn't tried it again since. And she seems to have gotten over her little fit of pique and now follows me around everywhere again. I guess someone was trying for the role of Alpha in the house and now that she realized that she didn't get the part she's ok again.

So this morning, since it finally wasn't a million degrees and the dogs all let me sleep in for a bit, we went down to the French Quarter.

It was the first time I took all three of them out together, and Merida preferred to walk with the big dogs rather than ride in her wagon. I let her at first and she did ok for a few blocks but she fatigued pretty quickly and I decided to put her back in it. Again I got challenges, as she really wanted to be with her pack and kept jumping out of the wagon. It was admirable, and the girl's got grit, but she just doesn't have that stamina yet and it was obvious that she was struggling so I repeatedly put her back in the wagon until she finally learned to stay in it. It's looking like she's going to be a bit of a hard-head just like her pal Murphy.

Hell, they drove me to drink this morning and it wasn't even 10AM yet.