A Wagner fable...

This is the house where Jack lives.




This is the pen, where Jack can go potty, outside the back door of the house where Jack lives.



This is the bell, hanging by the back door, that leads to the pen, where Jack can go potty, outside the back door of the house where Jack lives.



This is the kennel, where Jack hides from the kids, who want to play rough, not far from the back door of the house where Jack lives.



These are the toys, that Jack SHOULD play with when the kids want to play, near the back door of the house where Jack lives.




These are the shoes, that Jack WANTS to play with, that have been moved away from the back door of the house where Jack lives.

This is the certificate that says Jack was trained, so that he COULD play with the kids without being kenneled in the kennel near the back door of the house where Jack lives.



This is Jack - for much of the day. Resting up for the time that he gets to play with the kids outside the back door of the house where Jack lives.




The End.

And by the way:

1. The shoe toll taken by Jack and destroyed currently is two pair of flip flops, part of one croc, one pair of 3-year-old's Sunday shoes, and one 13-year-old's pair of sandals.

2. Yes, he rings a bell to go potty.

3. Yes, we are just that uptight that we make him go in a penned area because the thought of watching where you are walking at all times makes me nuts.

4. I yell, "Leave it!" about three hundred times a day.

5. I yell, "Leave him alone!" about one hundred times a day (to Tessa mostly).

6. Jack thinks he is as big as the german sheperd next door.

7. Jack loves Ted to play with him in the morning.

8. First thing in the morning Jack will go outside to go potty and then come inside to search the house for me - which makes Ted crazy if it happens to be a rare occasion where we got to sleep in, because Jack will be jumping up in our bed to wake me up.

9. When we went on vacation it surprised me that I did miss him.

10. Our kids love Jack, and he is a good dog.

11. I know that impatience is learned: While I was wiping down a counter Jack went to the back door and rang his bell to go out. I said, "Just a second, boy." 1.5 seconds later he rang it again. I only had time to look up before he rang it yet again . I guess he is smarter than I thought - he's learned a few tricks from Tessa!