Y’all, one of our dogs had a breakthrough yesterday and I think you should know about it.

You may remember that Colbert is afraid of heights. https://twitter.com/blairbraverman/status/1026280891176443905?s=21

Well, the ground has been muddy lately so I’ve been putting some of the dogs’ food bowls on top of their houses. Most of them jump right up, but Colbert is big enough that he can reach his food from the ground.

Yesterday was too hot for vigorous activities, so I spent some time just chilling with the dogs, enjoying some quiet together.

Weegee is too handsome for words.

Forrest is an absolute pleasure who sits patiently and loves being brushed and is friends with every other dog and then gets excited and starts trying to eat my hands.

I practiced “sit” with Biggie some more and he is incredibly good at it and proud of himself.

Talese got some scritches.

Boudica asked me to send y’all some gentle kisses.

Most of the dogs, like Slim here, jump right up on their houses for attention. They know that they’ll get love and pets up there. (It’s something we teach them so they have something to do with their energy besides jumping *on* people.)

So when I got to Colbert and he jumped on his house—and then right back off again—it took me a moment to notice what was going on.

AND THEN HE DID IT AGAIN

Here is Colbert trying to decide how he feels about being on his house.

Then he jumped right off again, showing off his flowing and luxurious tail.

For a moment he stayed on the ground.

And then he jumped back up again! And off again! And up again!

He was high on his new ability.

I think that after a couple days of reaching for food on the house, he must have gotten curious—after all, if there’s food up there, it must be a good place, right?

And then he started testing the boundary himself. Privately. Tentatively. Taking the time he needed.

...so that by the time I got there, he was ready to share his fledgling skill.

I pet him and scritched him and told him how brave he was and I think he was happy and proud that I noticed.

And that’s the story of how, with patience and snacks, Colbert conquered his lifelong fear of heights.

The end.