Willow vs tether

Willow had a pretty good day yesterday. He's housebroke. His intelligence amazes me. After twice, he sat down for me to put on the halter and now he even tries to put his feet in it, though sometimes its about as effective as a 2 year old trying to help you put his pants on. Two different times he has tried to put it on himself!  I wouldn't be surprised if he succeeds some day.  He likes the halter because it means we will be free to go whereever. . . . . . . . . The first time I tethered him he pouted as soon as he got to the end of the rope. Yesterday, he decided that being out where I was working and having some freedom was worth having a rope tied to a gazebo. Amanda led him out of his first real tie up, and since then he has been pretty astute at backtracking his rope tangles.  Once however, Hobbes, who was sitting on a high stump where he watches my garden adventures, jumped over his head and took off down the hill.  He was internally obliged to chase, but a interesting pattern of previous meanderings caused him to come to a very quick jerk that boomeranged into a hard thud on the ground. I came out of the garden and he looked up at me from the ground as if to say "What happened here?" So I led him back around the apple tree, and through the swing supports until he had a little more rope again. . . . . . . . .He and Hobbes aren't buds yet, but they are fascinated by each other. Someday, I may share some of the life lessons I'm learning from this amazing pup.