As a couple we know arrives she is bouncing up on them. They are animal people so I just explained we are training her currently NOT to do that and they followed instructions as to how to tell her no. Well, we have mastered that telling her “no” antagonizes a tantrum and sassing back from her so we now tell her “Get down” or “Stop” and she will listen. When she is jumping up however, we will put a knee up or put our hands on her to correct her to all four paws on the ground. We have not mastered keeping her from jumping all together though. See, once we tell her not to jump on US, she continues to jump in the air next to you. Now imagine a not so graceful, 50 something pound Rough Coated Collie jumping straight in the air similar to a Border Collie waiting for you to throw a ball. Comical isn’t it?
As Stella is bouncing straight up alongside the couple on their way to the house she somehow managed to fall flat on her face. It was like slow motion watching it happen. She bounded up with a big “smile” on her face that was quickly wiped off of her face when she realized she wasn’t going to land correctly and as she hit the ground with all four legs, her front two not being positioned correctly causing her chest to come forward, but to go up in the air and as her front legs folded underneath her she hit the walkway with her chest and the side of her face. She quickly recovered from this fall and looked at us. Immediately concerned the couple asked if she was okay. I responded with the fact she does it ALL of the time because she is a klutz like me and in that instant Stella sat down and lifted her front leg straight out giving us this pitiful look. The wife panicked and thought Stella was hurt and I looked at Stella and simply said, “Stella?!” In a tone that let her know she was not funny. She looked at me, put her entire leg down and then just pranced away like nothing had happened.