Let's All Get Training!!!!

This week has been full of suggestions for certain members of the family to get training.
Daughter is getting extra help at school to help her catch up on her French. This is a good thing, teaches her humility and a taste of the real world where not everything comes easily. I'm having fun brushing up on my French by reading her French bedtime stories. Soon we will try some French TV, maybe play the French version of some of her favourite DVDs, too.
Dog needs to go for training, too. At the end of the month. Obedience training. Having had no training in her first year of life, and being such a big dog, it's causing problems. She's a wonderful dog, but she is way too enthusiastic about....everything. She wants to play. Always. All day. Every day. With great energy. She jumps up and chases the cats, thinking they are playing tag. She jumps up to the table and steals food, she has destroyed plant pots, watering cans, a broom, all sorts of things in the backyard because she chews on them. She still doesn't have the hang of housetraining,and specializes in the submissive pee every time she gets in trouble as well. She needs to learn to listen and come when called, so we can let her loose in an off leash dog park and let her fly and burn off some of that energy. She is so eager for praise and attention, but her boundless energy has nowhere to go and she hasn't learned to control it yet. Should be fun for all of us, learning how to do things right.
Son's teacher has recommended that he go for speech therapy...he changes the first letter of each word, among other things, which makes him very hard to understand and frustrates him as much as it does everyone else that he can't get across what it is he wants to say. I agree with her wholeheartedly....to a certain extent, you never want to have to take your child for therapy....but if this will work, and he is able to get his point across more often, I think it will make life a whole lot easier for everyone. We shall see.