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…I taught both shepherds to play dead. 4laugh

I didn't really think much of it at the time; I've taught them both to do funny stuff like that before, and Patriot knows the difference between his right and left paws, but yesterday, after the dogs' dinner, I came into the living room, and "shot" both the dogs. Sheila is a ham; she plays it up, flopping all the way onto her back, and, while wagging her tail, practically howls. She's always really vocal about everything. My sister, for whom the dogs won't even sit (she never does anything with them, ever) thought this was the most amazing thing ever, and couldn't figure out why the dogs wouldn't do it for her. Yet, when I tell her that, if she wants them to listen to her, she needs to put them on a leash (one at a time, of course) and walk them around the block, making them heel, and sit and all, she gives me this look like I'm stupid and says maybe later. -_-

My mom has the same problem. She goes for runs almost every day, but never takes a dog with her, because she can’t control them on leash. I’ve never had a problem with them (other than the time I was walking both shepherds at the same time, and the neighbor’s c**k-a-poo ran out of it’s yard, across the street, and up onto the sidewalk where we were and attacked my dogs-- no one was hurt, though) when I was walking them, and yet, she says they step in front of her, and pull, and try to lunge. =/ Like my sister, she refuses to correct the dogs at all, or praise them when they’re doing something right, and seems to expect them to magically respect and listen to her.

I can’t understand why they let themselves have so many problems with the dogs, and can’t even walk them, when I can teach them a trick (and have them do it reliably; when my mother or sister says something to the dog, they know what they’re supposed to do, they just choose to ignore it) in an hour.

=P I apologize for the rant.