DogDayJournal.com

Scout is now really more adolescent than puppy, which has its ups and its downs and is evident in just about every aspect of her life.

The more structured confines of puppy kindergarten and the excitement of having so many other people and dogs around proved to be a challenge for Scout.

While I yearned to have my puppy London around, I also believed that it would be only in my interest to have her in the city.

Scout has made two trips into Manhattan, and both forays presented difficult challenges.

I'm a fan of parenting columns and dog blogs, but since it does often take a village to raise children and puppies, it is sometimes frustrating that they are usually written from only one person's point of view. In Scout's case, my husband, Henry, has been on the frontlines during the summer of Scout's basic training. He has been the one working with her at puppy class each week. It has been interesting for me to see his views on training evolve so I asked him to share them. JILL ABRAMSON

JOHN HUGHES may be gone, but in our town, a canine version of ''The Breakfast Club'' is going strong. Every morning at 7, dogs and their owners gather on a farm near our house for a big dog party.