Who is teaching Whom?

I thought I was educating Ellie...turns out, I'm the one learning from her utter free spiritedness.

Here's a dog, supposedly 3 years of age, who acts as if she is still a puppy, bringing with that all those behaviors that we train out of our puppies so they are socially responsible citizens.

No jumping, no mouthing, no chasing cats, no getting on the furniture, be careful with that wagging tail. mind me when that interesting other dog goes past. She manages now to maintain some control for minutes at a time around the cats and she tries hard not to jump (mostly). She only gets on the furniture when I'm not looking, and she does like to show off her good behaviors when at home. But, dare I say, she accomplishes her self-management with a bit of a wry grin and look towards the pool - can we go swimming now?

There's a part of me that envies her complete abandonment in the joy of being a puppy who is an adult dog. That part of me is growing. I wonder how she got to this age with this joyful spirit intact but I sure am glad she did.

Who is the teacher here?