It is so good to be back in Montana and getting back to our every day lives.  After some very much needed and appreciated "R & R" we came home to six happy healthy pets and we were all very glad to see each other.     
   
   Gordon and Stella did just fine at the kennels and, in fact, I believe some good things came out of their stay there.  First, Stella grew into a dog! We left a puppy and came back to a lovely young lady dog.  I noticed several changes in her and Gordon. They are much closer now. Gordo has grown very tolerant of her and they seem very happy in each other's company.  They probably drew comfort from each other while their human pack members weren't around.  Secondly, Stella has come home without several previous "habits".  She has stopped eating everything in site and chewing on certain favorite items that were off limits.  She has also lost her taste for cat droppings. I think that by being away from these things for two weeks she has just forgotten about them.  
   
   She lost her last baby tooth the day after we got home. I was throwing a ball for her and as she was bringing it back to me she suddenly stopped, gagged up the tooth and promptly ate it!!  I checked her mouth and it was the last to go.  I wonder how many of them she ate!  Both dogs seem to be calmer now with less fussing when we leave them and come home.  I imagine hours in a kennel with little or no human contact started to seem like the norm. I know the kennel staff play with them several times a day there but it is nothing compared to the time I was spending  each day with them.  They got out of the routine of expecting play times.  It  made me realize that even though I am not fussing over them too much, I was feeling the need to play with them all the time.  They really do just fine hanging out in the yard or sleeping in their beds.  We seem to think our dogs need to be on the go constantly to be happy.  Does it come from our own guilt about having a life without them?  Anyway, I am not getting into the old routines and I think that is a good thing. I was very worried about how their time at the kennel would affect them and I am happy to say I think it was a good thing. 
   
   Stella will be five months old in two more days. Wow!  Where does the time go?  She is developing a very sweet disposition and is a true joy to be around. The one problem we are having with her is jumping up on us. 
Kent and I are both being very consistent about saying "Off" when she does it and walking away.  She must learn that to get our attention she can't demand it.  So when she is getting it right she gets lots of positive praise and attention.  
   
   I am back to leash training again.  She is not ready for a walk out into the real world.  But I have noticed she is also more mature now and pays attention very well.  I feel we will make good progress now that she is older. 
   
   I posted a photo I took before we left on our trip of Stella and our cat Tinker sleeping together in Gordo's bed.  I know you might wonder why the bed says "THE BOY" on it when it has two females in it!  I have since bought another one of those cave beds so they each have one. They really like to get under covers and cocoon.  Stella and Tinker are great friends and wrestle with each other quite a bit.  They are fun to watch.