Do You Know What Consistent Means?

I know what consistent means. It means dependable, always doing something the same way. My mommy is not very consistent about making my sisters and me follow the rules. Actually I am happy about that. Yesterday, Mommy and I were out walking. At first, she didn't give any commands so I was happy just roaming around, sniffing the ground and watching people. I saw a stick in the street and without thinking, I tried to run in the street to get it.

Mommy was angry. “Ethel Frances, No! You are not allowed to run in the street! You could have been hit by a car. That is very dangerous. I can’t trust you to walk without a command. Ethel Frances, Heel!” I have to be honest. Mommy was right. Running out in the street is dangerous and I know I am not supposed to do it.

So I had to Heel. I learned how to Heel in school. When Mommy gives that command, I have to walk by her left leg and stay right next to her. I Heeled for a few minutes and then decided to see if Mommy remembered that she gave me the command. I wandered away from her side, into the grass. “Ethel Frances,” said Mommy, “Heel.” Phooey! She remembered.

We turned the corner and saw some strangers. I stood up straight and made the fur stand up down the middle of my back. I did that to look scary and to protect Mommy. One lady said, “Your dog is beautiful. Can I pet her? She is so sweet. What is her name? How old is she?” Once everyone started talking, I realized Mommy didn't need me to protect her. They were friendly neighbors.

I was happy to hear the lady say all of those nice things about me. Mommy was busy answering questions, so I wandered off into the grass. When I finished sniffing the grass on one side of the sidewalk, I went around Mommy to the other side. I went back to the other side and my leash went around Mommy’s ankles. Mommy started to walk, but she couldn’t. I turned my head away so Mommy wouldn’t see me laughing.

Uh oh, I thought to myself. I am going to be in trouble because I stopped heeling and I wrapped my leash around Mommy’s ankles. I looked down at the ground, waiting to be scolded. “Ethel Frances! Look what you did. You are so funny!” I looked up at Mommy and smiled. I was thinking, “Mommy, I am glad you are not consistent. You laughed instead of scolding me for breaking the Heel command.

Mommy isn’t consistent in the house either. Sometimes before she gives my sisters and me a treat, she will tell us to Sit and Stay. Izzy sits for half a second, LuLu almost sits but doesn’t quite get her bottom on the floor, and I just stand there drooling. Mommy laughs and gives us the treats even though we didn’t obey the commands.

In a way, I like that Mommy isn’t consistent. I can do what I want, without getting in trouble for not doing what she says. In another way, I don’t like that Mommy isn’t consistent because I don’t know what to expect and I don’t know what is she expects of me.

Oh well. Mommy isn’t perfect. Maybe she just needs to go back to school to learn how to be consistent.