A funny thing happened here yesterday when we were out for a walk. We were playing a game with Tanner as we walked along, and I will admit it got a little out of hand. Basically I was getting the girls running and stopping short - it's a game designed to train them to stop immediately when I call out STOP, because otherwise they do tend to take those potentially fatal extra steps before finally stopping and looking to see what I want. It's a good exercise. But this time, Cara had Tanner on his leash and running with her. Which he was quite enjoying, until they started to drift away from me across the grass. I didn't mind, but he did. He is, after all, of a herding breed. And we have had great fun with him several times, letting him herd the girls back to me as they run in circles. Anyway he started his usual barking and jumping, telling them to get back where they belong. But they didn't take it too seriously and neither did I. Until, that is, the giggles were interrupted by tears and Anika suddenly favoring one leg. At first I thought she had stepped in a hole but then I realized that Tanner had actually nipped her. Not hard enough to break skin (I checked asap) but enough to leave a red mark and a little bruise, and enough to make his point.

The lady we got him from had said that he bit her daughter once, on the bum, when she had run out into the street. Which we agreed wasn't a bad time for a nip, and which decidedly did teach the girl a lesson. Well, it seems he hasn't lost that need to herd and protect.

I didn't really punish him... on the one hand I don't want him to think it's okay to bite, but at the same time I do recognize what motivated it and I think he really believed he was acting in her best interests. Because he is sooooooo not an aggressive dog. LOL But I did make him heel the whole way home on our walk, and we have learned from this that perhaps it's not a good idea to let him run with them unless I'm right there and the one holding the leash.  I've been doing a little bit of damage control with Anika over it because I don't want her to acquire a fear because of it.

Now, out of the middle of this, there came a moment of "Wow!" I've been teaching Anika left and right in the same way I did Cara, just by constantly labeling feet, shoes, hands, etc. Well, I knew she could label her feet as right and left but I didn't know for sure whether she had taken that and generalized to apply to the rest of her body. Until yesterday, that is. She looked at me and said "Moo-oom, Tanner bited me, right there on my left leg!"

Momentarily speechless, then something along the lines of, "Yes, yes he did. And very good knowing that's your left leg!"

Smart cookies, these two.