THE WAR

It's hot hot out.  Not normal summer hot, but that blistering mid-July hot designed to make a person long to be up to the ears in a shaded, cool swimming pool holding an ice cream cone in one hand and a cold beer in the other.  So of course today is the day that Charlie and I begin our War.  Charlie is a sweet, loving, definitely a suck up for attention, a typical Border Collie doggy.  He has been very obedient for the most part until just recently.  This is my fault.  I let some behaviors slid and now I have to gain back some of the territory he has pilfered in the pre-War maneuvers. 
Today we fought the Battle of Here.  It started on the way out of the gate to go and get the mail.  It was the day for Trace and Charlie to go with me and I should have known it was not going to end well.  Apparently Trace is Swiss and decided not to side with either army of one.  He was obedient and listened and ignored all the other commotions.  Trace has probably handed off the information gathered to Spice who will no doubt form some type of fact finding committee and head up the peace talks.
Charlie dislikes a leash.  I have a feeling he finds it somewhat degrading, but more likely he just does not want to give up any image that he is in control.  To keep him from racing the dogs in the yard on the way back from the mail box, I asked him to "here" so I could put a leash on him.  His retreat was stunningly expedient and I knew the battle had begun.
The other dogs were put in the house.  I put the leash away.  The I hunted the little bugger down.  He thought he was entrenched and hiding under the LP tank.  His camouflage was spotty and I pulled him out by a hind leg and his tail.  We had the "name, rank, serial number" talk along with, I said HERE.  Dropped him where I had called him the first time and he took off for the gate to the house yard.  After 14 (yes 14!) skirmishes and 20 sweaty minutes he finally caved and did a "HERE" from 20 feet. 
I won the battle, but the war will be hell.
Until next time...