Sometimes I Think Isaac Is Just Brilliant

I know I complain sometimes about being frustrated when he doesn't do what I want him to do and I know sometimes I am embarrassed by his behavior (not often, but it's happened), but other times he is just so good and I am so impressed with him.  And then sometimes he is just so smart.

This evening I was sitting on the couch and he was standing beside me, wagging his big strong tail and getting petted, and his tail knocked my hairbrush off the coffee table.  I told him to get it for me, but it landed right next to one of his toys, so he started to pick up the brush, then started to pick up the toy instead, then thought about it for a second and decided the brush must be what I wanted and picked that up and gave it to me.  How smart is that?

Earlier this evening I ran to the grocery store for some yogurt because that's practically all I've been eating the last few days because of my tooth.  I got Isaac out of the car and was getting my groceries out when I saw the cat that has been hanging around here for the last few weeks.  Isaac is determined to catch that cat.  I spotted the cat an instant before Isaac did and I told him to sit and to stay - and he did!  He looked longingly at the cat and I could see he really, really wanted to run after it, but he didn't.  I was so happy and so proud of  him.

A few days ago I met a friend for lunch at Chipotle and took Isaac.  It was the first time I'd had Isaac in a restaurant in a while, probably over a month, which is really not a good thing.  I don't go to restaurants very often anymore and I don't always take Isaac when I do because I usually go with someone else and don't always need to have Isaac with me.  However, I think it would be better to take him more often just so he could keep in practice. 

Well, it was a Saturday at lunch time and Chipotle was really crowded and there was a very long line.  I wasn't sure how Isaac was going to do but he did brilliantly.  Waited very nicely in line and did not once try to sniff the butt of the guy in line in front of us.  At one point he got tired of standing in line (I don't blame him) and decided to lie down, and he has not yet learned that it's not wise to sprawl out in places like that, so I had to ask him to get up and move over.  He does that in line at the grocery store sometimes, too.  But he was very good. 

He was interested in sniffing the garbage can when we walked past but ignored it when I told him "leave it."  He did not try to sniff any of the other customers while I was filling my drink, and it was pretty crowded in that area, too.  He went right under the table when I told him to, lay down when I told him to, and stayed lying down quietly throughout the meal.  He was pretty near perfect.  I couldn't have asked for more.