Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

I have been working with Miss Scout, trying to teach her to come on command. She does pretty good... if I have a treat in my hand. The problem is that she is smart. The little bitch knows when my hand is empty and when that happens I have to rely on her good sense.

One thing that has worried me during the kitchen remodel is the dogs. I am scared to death that one of the workmen will leave a door open, a gate, or both. I try to keep the dogs locked up in the living room with the French doors and the dog gate between them and the workmen. Unfortunately on Sunday, one of those things was not closed. In fact both the back door and the backyard gate were not closed. Scout is like Superdog. She has super hearing, super sight, super senses, and somehow she knew that there was an open path to the front yard via the open gate and door. She slipped past me and out of the living room at the speed of light. Before I could say "no", she was gone. Down the gangway and speeding towards the street. I took off after her and in a firm voice told her to "Come". Scout stopped, turned around, and for a split second thought about coming to me. It was at that moment Mark looked out the front window and started screaming like a white woman on fire. Scout took that as a signal to turn and run, which she did. For thirty terrifying seconds she ran at top speed around the front yard, around and around, all the while with Mark screaming out the front window, and me telling her to come. In that moment of horror a thought came to me. Lay down. Not Scout, I didn't tell Scout to lay down. I laid down. Sure enough, she stopped running away and ran towards me, jumping on me. Scout cannot resist jumping on dogs or people who are laying down. I grabbed her, and it was all over, except for the changing of my pants. Those were a little soiled.