New dog, Week 3: joy and calamity

The toll:

• One "Bark" magazine, chewed to shreds in the backyard..
• One sock, destroyed during a backyard game of tug-of-war with Cowboy, Dog #1.
• One semi-ruined, out-of-print hardcover book that I was horrified to find because it was loaned to me by a friend; apparently snatched from the bedside table, cover badly chewed. Frantic, wide-ranging search for local bookbinder and/or replacement copy ensued.
• An up-ended water pan resulting in muddy paw tracks all over the recently scrubbed kitchen floor.

On the other hand....:

Who can resist the fun, the long walks, the snuggling, the adventure of getting to know a newly adopted dog in need of a home? At 18 months, Tess the border collie is, I'm sure, a gem. I spent part of my stay-at-home vacation last week trying to get to know her a bit better, observing her behavior, learning her problem areas (see list above), trying to teach her some boundaries. Eventually we'll enroll in a basic obedience course, although she arleady sits and waits (for a while, anyway) on command.

Last night, I'd already gone to bed when I heard her burst through the doggie door, paws thundering louder and louder as she headed for the bedroom. Then, silence, as she went airborne -- landing smack on my head. Ah, tommorrow's another day, I thought as she finally jumped down and into her crate while I drifted off to sleep.