Now that the puppies are mostly on their way in the world, I get toreturn joyfully to what I love most, which is showing and training the dogs. I've put a lot on my own plate, but none of it is unreasonable.

Dutch is going to be my continuing project for the next few months, or years. He finished his confirmation championship in March. I've been letting him run amok over the summer. He became a father again the end of April (don't worry, it was a planned pregnancy). Like most boy dogs, he wasn't too interested in his kids unless they had something yummy smeared on their face or a better toy to play with.

Given Dutch's propensity for being inconsistent, my decision to take him through basic obedience class was not difficult. Male Weimaraners are inherently more clingy and needy than females. Dutch is too attached to me, and his self-esteem wavers like the Colorado weather forecast. He is a "velcro" dog. He sticks to me like glue, almost to the point of being overly possessive, but really seems unaffected when you try and scold him.

He is also so absorbed he doesn't appreciate friendly strangers who want to pet him. He's not aggressive, just good at hand-ducking. When people visit our house, he wants me to pet him, scratch his back and give him love. Half the time, affection from anyone else gets a really snobby "no way." He will walk over and lean against me and glare as if to say, "She's the only one good enough to touch ME." Undoubtedly, this is my fault for spoiling the creature when he was younger, but it's not unfixable.

I signed up foreight weeks worth of classes with the Pikes Peak Obedience Club on Powers Boulevard. Dutch is not the first dog I've trained with professional obedience instructors. He is the first dog I plan on competing with for a CD ("companion dog") title. With a little show career aside, it is the equivalent of saddle breaking a horse that has been free in a pasture its whole life. It wouldn't be any fun if it weren't a challenge.

Dutch is armed with his inherent, lovable, big sweet goofy grin and wagging tail. One of the great pitfalls in training a Weimaraner, or any dog for that matter, is dogs' ability to sense when you are going to give in. He is a particularly persistent and intelligent dog and plays me like a fiddle. Having raised so many puppies, you'd think I would know better - but isn't he cute? I recommend obedience classes for anyone having even minor trouble withhis or herdog and am willing to take my own advice in this case.

My first orientation class in on Aug. 9; the dog starts his class a week later. The first week's lesson includes jumping up, or the "OFF" command, come when called, release word and controlled walking.

We have a lot of work to do.