Dog Training Update

Today...Took forty five minutes to get the kids and the dog ready to go for our ride. With Warren recovering for the flu...we dressed and undressed three times but we finally made it out the door. Lexis has broken or chewed her way out of every collar, harness and leash she has so she was not going to go on this outing...but she had other thoughts on that and dashed out the door between Melissa's legs. Now up till not Mac would take off following her...i yelled at him to "Whoa" and he actually did!!! I was so proud of him. Lexis too came to a stop...she looked back at Mac turned and ran...I could tell he wanted to join her...but he stayed put...and got a cookie for it too...he loves cookies. Once he was hooked to the sled...kids aboard for their ride...a soft "giddup" and he was off...off the sled and free...realizing he was not pulling anything...he stopped...looked back and sat down...giving me a real weird look... Once the sled was reattached we were off....Lexis made one last dashing effort to get Mac to come play with her...but he ignored her....My good dog...she was off again. Recovering from the flu makes running a sled tough...today with Eric out shoveling I lead them to the end of the cul-de-sac and let go of Macs lead. Using voice commands only he took the babies home...slowing when I hollered "whoa down" and moving on from Lex and her distraction when i commanded him to "move on". He now has half of the verbal commands on the list i found on the internet... as soon as I can figure a way to remember gee and haw...we will work on them ...but for now we are running on a straight road and have no need to turn right or left....