Not just a pretty face

We have a flea problem. A serious flea problem. Despite dipping, flea collars, and spot treatment, our dogs have fleas in their hundreds. Last night I took about 50 fleas off each. The night before that was the same. I've been combing the dogs every 2nd night or so, to help kill as many as I can manually. As a result, the dogs have learnt what to expect when I pick up the flea comb.

Last night, Alyssa was either fast asleep or out of ear shot when I called them for their combing. Baggins rushed to me and we started the combing routine. A few minutes later Alyssa became aware of the fact that Baggins was getting a combing. Normally, Alyssa goes first, then Baggins, and then Alyssa again (because she always has more fleas than him). Needless to say, she was frantic to get in on the action.

Initially, she tried to lie on top of Baggins. When I pushed her off, she then ran outside and started barking at the gate, in the vain hopes that Baggins would come out to see what all the fuss was about. I had a good chuckle over that. Then she went and found his hoof and brought that inside. She put it down just outside of his reach, so that he would have to get up to retrieve it. Again, all this to no avail, but I was amazed at her ingenuity. In desperation, she finally resorted to going to Graeme in the hopes that he might intervene and re-establish the natural order of things. Of course, that didn't work either, so she went off to sulk on her bed.

Whatever else you may say about our beautiful, small dog, she is not just a pretty face, I've discovered. Underneath her fear of humans, there lurks a very intelligent problem-solving brain. Now, the question is just: how do we tap into that brain and train her properly? (It would be great if she could pick up her own poop, for example!)