a well-trained dog...

...is a lot of work! but we are finding that the training is already paying off (yay!). lexi now knows how to sit, lay, stay, "take it" and she is getting very good at playing fetch. we are still working on "drop it" and "leave it" and a few other more tricky commands. however, we are happy to report that she now only has to be in her crate while no one is at the house with her, which means that housetraining is pretty much "done." now the big challenge is making sure that she is chewing on the proper chew toys and not anything else. she knows what she's not allowed to chew on, until she finds something else new and has to be reminded to "drop it" or "leave it." no real complaints, though, since she will now sit and stay with a verbal command only and knows that she cannot go outside, come inside or eat her dinner until she is given the command from one of us. we still have 3 more training lessons left, and then it's just up to us to make sure it sticks through repetition. hopefully, she will be a very well-trained, well-behaved dog when those of you who haven't met her are introduced to her!