I am getting very tired of being trained. Was it my fault that I nipped my mistress’s leg when she ran to see the postman at the end of the drive? I forgot myself and just for a moment, she was a wayward sheep that needed bringing into line. Choosing to do that to her when she was half way down stairs has led to her deciding it was about time I knew my place. Apparently, I am not allowed to go up and down stairs at the same time as her anymore. Apparently, I am not allowed to go first either. It is degrading to be made to sit and wait until she has completed the last step and then to go and join her. Unfortunately, I am a shallow dog and it is not so degrading that I am not prepared to oblige for the price of a dog treat. I have even given in for an extra pat or two, which is really scraping the barrel. I do understand that it makes it less likely that either of us will now fall downstairs. However, in my experience both the occasions that my mistress has fallen downstairs since I have known her have had nothing to do with me or any other living being. She really doesn’t need any help in these matters at all. Perhaps she would be better to start by training herself to be more careful. I suppose I am now going to get reprimanded for being cheeky.
On a more encouraging note, the weather was no nice yesterday that we were able to spend most of the day outdoors. I ran all along the garden fence, saying hello, sometimes quite loudly, to everyone that past the house, whilst my mistress kept me company by reading a book. It is so good to know that summer is on the way and having the mud wiped off my paws before I go inside will soon be behind me. Sadly, my mistress didn’t actually catch me going in yesterday so it was the settee rather than my paws that needed wiping.