To train a puppy or to love a puppy

Now the experts would say that the two things, training and loving, are not mutually exclusive. Conventional wisdom says that uncivilized creatures are far from happy, and those that cohabit with the uncivilized quickly become UNHAPPY! Trust me when I say that communing with nature is not my forte and bringing a mongrel into my home is dangerously close to resembling Jane Goodall's research with Gorilla's. Unfortunately I lack Jane's patience and serenity the key elements to having a successful relationship with animals. My new puppy, Annie, who vaguely resembles a little monkey, has decided that she prefers cuddles to commands. Who can blame her. I would much rather curl up in the arms of a loved one, lazing away the hours as opposed to sitting auspiciously waiting for some overgrown beast to allow me to "Come." Who among us would choose to take care of our bodily functions on command, and in public no less. Add to that the humiliation of someone forcing you to wait as they package your waste. The reality of this frustration was never more apparent as when my daughter spent an entire dinnertime asking me to "WAIT - FOR THE MEAL - WAIT," or "NO - NO EXTRAS," with a side order of "STOP - STOP EATING - OK YOU CAN EAT." I left the table anxious and neurotic. Point Taken
The delimma is "how much training is love - and how much is masochism? It is the quandary of all parents (ok maybe not ALL - there are parents who enjoy becoming acquainted with their inner Stalin) but for those of us who aren't - finding balance is the key to successful parenting. My hope for both Annie and myself (not to mention my other 3 children) is that I am able to walk the tightrope called discipline without falling.