How to Train Your Dragon

The wee one is coming along fine these days. She has been with us about three months now. She came to us at two years old, having already had a litter of pups, and unspayed. And untrained. She was a kennel dog, but had been well socialized with other dogs, people, and, thankfully, small children. This last was very important to me because of having my grand-children around. She is a natural with them and lets them hold her, squeeze her gently, and sit with them if they watch cartoons. She did not know how to climb stairs (up or down). She did not know what toys were, how to sit in a lap, or how to jump on a couch. All this, and she was not house-broken.

She's come along famously. Now she is the beloved dog of two people with nothing better to do (at least in her mind) than to play with her and love her. She has learned everything, including some regular doggie stuff like "sit" and "stay." Her goofy, troll-dolly face makes everyone smile and even my husband is not immune. Her name is Cricket, which I like, and I think it suits her. My husband calls her "Pickles" which is his special pet name for her.

If you have not seen this movie, "How to Train Your Dragon" I highly recommend it. I am categorically not an animated movie lover, so for me to recommend an animated film is really a stretch. But now that we have Cricket (aka Pickles) she really does look like the dragon in this film, albeit a much smaller version. Especially when she is playing like in this photo.

She never bites hard, so this is just play. With wild eyes.

How to Train my Dragon? The same as in the movie. With love, respect, occasional treats, repetition, and fun. She is one smart little cookie and she seems to like learning new skills.

I think it was Will Rogers who said, "If dogs don't go to heaven when they die, then when I die, I want to go where the dogs go."

Me, too.