Six years!

Since Flip started bossing me around:) Here she is contemplating why on earth I would need the frisbee brought all the way to me, when she's only a few feet away. She has just noticed her dad come out, and is thinking she may have to order him around too, but he goes off to cut grass.

I will just have to do. Flip loves daddy, most men. She thinks they are wonderful. I make NO sense to Flip, fancy me, a mere human, telling her what's what!
Flip is predator. Flip is brilliant. At our first meeting, she hurled herself at my ankles/knees, backwards. She ended up sitting on my feet, facing forward, looking up at me. I was hooked, right there. She put up with my odd insistence on leash work, something she thought was embarassing, if not downright abusive. Direct Flip?? Flip is always a dog with her own direction, unless you give her one, first. Oh, and your directions must be at least as interesting as that squirrel, or you are out of luck.

I've learned (she's taught me) to use an east-indian accent, very musical and placating and enticing. Think Peter Sellers in that ridiculous movie "The Party". Who is Peter Sellers? Funniest movie actor, ever..
Oh, and if the attention is already gone elsewhere? I must come after her, always happy to see/find her, or she's sure to assume that an acid-bath is next. Flip is allergic to water. A bath is a death sentence, a hate crime against her very soul.

I've started using her collar every time she goes out, right now, to shame her for disappearing TWICE, before coming back for her breakfast. Turns out she had a secret stash of green gloobers down by the pond. Flip is into secrets.
Flip is also into drama. She LOVES a good argument about the relative merits of squirrels vs. chipmunks vs. geese vs. bad cats. As I say these magic words, Flip speaks her mind about how each can be got. In her mouth. SOMEday. Her breed standard says they bark, a lot.  Flip lives up to her standards, which is pretty funny, considering how cowery she was for our first few months together. Flip didn't bark a word for three months. I never should have taught her what speak meant. I thought she couldn't. Oh, yes, she can. Flip has several ArrrOOOgah words, for when I come home from work. MrrrrArrrrOOOOO, WAH. I LOVE YOU!!

(I'm leaving them home right now, so homecoming is heartwarming.)

Flip Considering her Options

And Sister Blaze is great for bossing, too!

To Our Wonderful Dogs, and the love and laughter they live to give.
And to Spot. I will truly miss those toot reports.