nyssa – Aug 2, 2005 12:00 AM

Written by Lee Williams: It was our Nanny team's turn to escourt the pups into the "Pups 101" program, and after several attempts to entice her, I had to carry a grumpy Nyssa into the building. As usual, she snarled and did her best to look menacing, but once I picked her up, she went as limp as a wet noodle in my arms. We had recently prepared treats for the lecture, which consisted of bones that had been drilled, filled with meat, and attached to lines of rope for easy retrieval from determined pup jaws. We tethered the rope ends to the little fence surrounding the enclosure, and watched as each pup ran to claim their bone. There were only two bones in thepen, and after assessing the situation, Nyssa decided rather than her usual "pounce and claim", she'd try something new. I watched as her eyes followed each rope to where it was tied to the fence. Then, with calculated precision, she went straight for the knots and started to untie them. She actually got one free and yanked it away from her surprised brother. She was such a clever girl. Her beauty, her fierce will and her intelligence will stay with me always.