Study Break

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program (Julia's wonderful posts) to bring you an important announcement: Manzi has a leash and a collar. Now we can bring her to the park without getting covered in dog hair or risking her life en route by letting her walk on her own. You'd think her puppy smile would stretch from floppy ear-to-floppy ear with this new development, but unfortunately, that is not the case. It's quite the opposite, in fact. However cute and stylish her green collar and urban-camouflage-leopard print leash may be, she hates them with a passion so burning that it makes Glen Beck distaste for "fake" America and those who inhabit it's blasphemous borders look like it's flickering in the wind. Well, maybe she doesn't cry on a daily basis (just barks, still unsure which is more annoying), but she surely protests with much gusto. For her collar, she will do her best to shimmy it over her head, after which she'll drive her head into the ground and roll over. Her reaction to the collar may very well be our fault; after all, we took five-months to get her one, conditioning her to be accustomed to operating without a bothersome necklace. As for her leash, she delivers her version of "Don't tread on me!" by refusing to tread on anything - she puts her front paws on the leash and proceeds to stand in place, demonstrating her impeccable balance while making a strong statement. Eventually, she gives in, but it's almost instinctual for her to go right for the leash. And even though it may be annoying when walking down the sidewalk, it's adorable in the house and makes for some great pictures: