"duplicitous and self-serving" no more: or, whither Cromwell?

Gillian once described Shackleton as "ingratiating" and Cromwell as "duplicitous and self-serving."

Cromwell will always be Cromwell, but now he's a little bit better. The trainer whose television special featured Shackleton in January (video to follow) came back this week to train Cromwell to stop "marking" in the house. When Edmond, the trainer, came into the house, Cromwell was barking and urinating all over the place. Edmond went through a series of exercises (fellow dog owners, email me for more specific information) and by the end Cromwell was sitting quietly, performing tricks on command, and too submissive to so much as look at a dog treat without my permission.

Of course, as soon as this happened, my heart broke. I spent the whole afternoon feeling miserable. What had I done? Had I crushed Cromwell's irrepressible spirit? Is a good Cromwell really Cromwell at all? If Cromwell were a perfect dog, would I secretly be disappointed in him? (Yes, probably.)

It's been a week now and while there has been some backsliding and the occasional challenge to our authority, things are getting much better. Today, Wednesday, was the first day Cromwell didn't mark a single thing all day. Still, I was happy to see him try to fight two schnauzers on his walk and then steal all of Shack's toys and hide them under the sofa. That's my Cromwell.

P.S. - Yes, Shackleton is very ingratiating when the trainer is present.