Get in that BED (9 Days...)

Rugby looks really scruffy today - it is time to take another bath. Rugby and Pete had a really good time training today. It seemed like they reversed roles today.

I always do Pete first since I can work Rugby whenever I want, but can only do Pete until his humans come to pick him up for the day.

Pete is a goofy boy, and it takes a lot of effort to stay focused and we both enjoy rough housing a bit in between exercises. Rugby *thinks* it sounds like fun and always tries to leave where I put him to come join us. Rugby is a little less goofy and more serious about working. He would much rather me give him a good scratch behind ears between exercises than to try to play with him like I do with Pete.

TODAY however, was a different story. Pete and I spent a good amount of time on some work that required serious thinking and I was sure he was more than tired by the time I made the switch to Rugby. After the first exercise Rugby and I did I released him with 'ok' and instead of just skipping along beside me, he leapt in the air and bounced out in front of me. I laughed at him and told him to 'bring it' and I slid him across the floor and he raced towards me and started searching for the appropriate finger to gnaw on. I played with him like this for only 15 seconds or so then we moved on. What was more amazing than Rugby wanting to play today was that the steady, reliable Pete got up from the bed I left him in to come join us. It was such a Rugby thing to do and so NOT a Pete thing to do I was shocked!

I sent him back and we continued working with Rugby. Rugby kept up on the Pete-like playfulness between exercises. For a second time Pete got up to join us and again I sent him back.

The third time Pete got up today I was in the middle of the floor and I pointed in the direction of the corner the bed was in and just in a frustrated tone said "BED." The problem with this was not only was I not specific about which dog to send to the bed but also which bed I was sending them too.

Rugby thought I was talking to him and he left me to go get in the bed like a good boy. When I had to repeat the command for Pete, Rugby just started switching beds assuming that I was still talking to him. So he was jumping from the dog bed to the chair, to the smaller bed that Pete had decided I really wanted him to retrieve for me. Pete picked up the bed in a way that separated the cushion from the base so I sent him back for the second half. By this time, Rugby was sitting on this part staring at me like "THIS bed?? Make up your mind!" For Pete to bring it to me he had to slide Rugby off of it, and Rugby was left bed-less.

To prevent any more confusion I held onto the small bed and walked closer to the one in the corner and said one last time "BED," this time addressing Pete first. They both hopped into the bed and just stared up at me, "that was so much fun."

The picture says it all (thank GOD for camera phones :p). Pete - with the smug, accomplished look on his face and Rugby waiting for me to tell him what to do next. <3

Pete's message was clear. He obviously had not had enough to do today and was NOT going to be sitting on the sidelines when there was more work to be done. Rugby was just enjoying the mischief Pete was stirring up. I think Rugby enjoys the chaos of me trying to work them both at the same time.