New Tricks Learned in My Absence

OK, I get home late Monday and discover the "babies" have been busy in my absence.One new trick I saw Monday night.
Mother likes sitting in my Great-Great Grandmother's Rocking Chair. It's from another era. Women were a lot shorter then and so the rocker's seat is very low to the floor. This suits my 5'2" Mother quite nicely. And it suited Tipper Sharpton quite well, too.
While we're here, we usually just pile stuff in the rocker. I find it a convenient place to drop my purse. Dearly Beloved often drapes his outer shirt on the back of it. At any rate, the seat is almost never empty when we're in residence. But while Mother was here Dog-sitting, she'd either sit on the couch or in the rocker, which is at the end of the couch.
Now that the rocker was cleared of stuff, Tipper found that he could climb onto it's seat. Mother said he was a bit taken aback the first time it moved with him after he climbed aboard, but then when he realized HE was the one who controlled the motion, he grooved on it!

The other new trick Tipper learned while we were away is a bit more gory. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to click over to one of the blogs on my Link list now.
Ok, Strong Hearts, let's continue.
A month or so ago, Ben discovered if he jumped into the air, he could catch low flying birds. Now, Y'all have seen Ben's pic, he's a BIG DAWG. I'm 5'9" and his shoulders come a little above my knees. When he rears up, he has no problem putting his paws on my shoulders. PLUS, he's a BIRD DAWG. "Fetch Bird" is wired into his brain. This feat is really no big surprise. However, Tipper is only 1/2 English Pointer. And he's only 5 months old. But, since April he's been followin' Ben around the yard. Everything Ben does, Tipper does. So when Mother reported that Tip is now jumping into the air to ALSO catch low flying birds, I WAS surprised. But Whiskey Tango Hotel? It's extra protein for a growin' pup.

Oh, he's also learned that if we leave the door open to the guest room...he can jump on the guest bed, which is closer to the floor than our bed, and take a quick nap, with his head on the pillow.