Here we go...

We are a family that loves dogs. I don't think we ever planned or expected to find ourselves permanently attached to a little four-legged, hairy, wet-tonged, big eyed girl. But we did. Every last one of us. Molly is our 2 1/2 year old beagle.

Our five children were very young (8,8,6,2,1) when Molly joined the chaos so we went in search of a training method that even our little Benson could help with. We stumbled across clicker training during our "this dang dog just peed on the floor again!" stage and we have been forever thankful. Benson's first three words were "sit, good girl" and it didn't take but a couple of days to have our little puppy sitting all over the house to earn a treat from anyone who would look at her. And yes, Molly is completely, reliably house trained.

We don't claim to be expert trainers in any sense but we continue to make constant steady progress. We love and have been working with the training levels program outlined by Susan Ailsby. It' s a great step-by-step training program that is easy to use and understand.

Molly is a happy dog who doesn't just tolerate the kids but actually seeks them out. She doesn't complain when Jenna (our only girl) dresses her up as a "princess" or when Benson straps all of his star wars guys into her collar so they can "have a ride." She never fails to tuck herself in to the twins beds at night time and she is Austin's favorite pillow in the morning.

So, it is with extreme pleasure that we will welcome our first litter of puppies on or around February 16! Check back for more updates about progress of pregnancy and all the fun preparations we have in store!

All is well

I believe we are finally well around here. Hopefully we can keep it that way for a while! I just read a very interesting article from the New York post. It's written by a journalist who was assigned to study exotic animal training. She took the positive training ideas and applied them to her life. She has now written a book about the whole experience which I can't wait to read. I find myself absolutely fascinated by the intricate way we can change and shape behaviour of everything and every person we interact with. I first stumbled across Karen Pryor's book called "Don't shoot the dog" (which seemed prudent advice at the time--dealing with another dog, not Molly) years ago. I have been slow to really incorporate the principles into all aspects of my life but it has changed the way we parent and interact with each other for sure! Anyway, I hope some of you can be inspired, too.

Puppies are healthy and growing. They are starting to interact with each other a bit (more than just piling on top of each other). Rustin commented last night, "They look like dogs now!" Very cute.


Two of the little girls, "Mo" and "Sparrow" resting on their brother