That damn dog
It all started this summer.
I thought she just loved Tom the neighbor who typically sat outside listening to baseball games. She went outside, started barking and he would walk over and give her positive reinforcement, er attention. But then he moved away and she still asked to go outside and then sat on her butt on the sidewalk and barked. I only realized last week that she was accompanied by all the dogs in the neighborhood.
I haven't figured out if she decided to start a choir or a gang. So far there are no shady dogs hanging out nor do I see evidence of bribes. But she totally went after a German Shepard when we were on a walk Monday. Not like her and pretty stupid I think. Does she now own the neighborhood dogs? Do they fear the shih tzu?
I'm going to pretends it's a chorus - a super annoying dog barking chorus with really crappy compositions. These are the things I've tried in order:
1. Chasing her around the yard in circles until I feel like vomiting and have amused my neighbors long enough. Also Lily thinks this is the best game ever!
2. Yelling "Quiet!" from the backyard - she stares at me for a moment and then returns to the annoying barking.
3. Letting her out in the backyard with a leash on so I can catch the leash and drag her back inside. This is harder in the winter when I can't just walk outside, but must put on shoes and a coat first.
4. Asking her where her biscuit ball is and when she comes inside to look for it yell "sucker!" I'm certain she will not fall for it much longer. And she will bring me the biscuit ball over and over and starts barking inside.
5. Right now I'm making her wait outside in the cold after she has wound up the neighborhood dogs and would like to come inside. I ignore her for 5 minutes while she barks at the back door - something about the boy who cried wolf. Since she can't read I'm not sure this is helping much. Also my neighbors probably hate me.
I've tried discussing this all with her and she repeatedly brings me her biscuit ball which is a reminder to me that she only works for food and all this talking will accomplish nothing.
I thought she just loved Tom the neighbor who typically sat outside listening to baseball games. She went outside, started barking and he would walk over and give her positive reinforcement, er attention. But then he moved away and she still asked to go outside and then sat on her butt on the sidewalk and barked. I only realized last week that she was accompanied by all the dogs in the neighborhood.
I haven't figured out if she decided to start a choir or a gang. So far there are no shady dogs hanging out nor do I see evidence of bribes. But she totally went after a German Shepard when we were on a walk Monday. Not like her and pretty stupid I think. Does she now own the neighborhood dogs? Do they fear the shih tzu?
I'm going to pretends it's a chorus - a super annoying dog barking chorus with really crappy compositions. These are the things I've tried in order:
1. Chasing her around the yard in circles until I feel like vomiting and have amused my neighbors long enough. Also Lily thinks this is the best game ever!
2. Yelling "Quiet!" from the backyard - she stares at me for a moment and then returns to the annoying barking.
3. Letting her out in the backyard with a leash on so I can catch the leash and drag her back inside. This is harder in the winter when I can't just walk outside, but must put on shoes and a coat first.
4. Asking her where her biscuit ball is and when she comes inside to look for it yell "sucker!" I'm certain she will not fall for it much longer. And she will bring me the biscuit ball over and over and starts barking inside.
5. Right now I'm making her wait outside in the cold after she has wound up the neighborhood dogs and would like to come inside. I ignore her for 5 minutes while she barks at the back door - something about the boy who cried wolf. Since she can't read I'm not sure this is helping much. Also my neighbors probably hate me.
I've tried discussing this all with her and she repeatedly brings me her biscuit ball which is a reminder to me that she only works for food and all this talking will accomplish nothing.
1 Comments:
Thank you sooooo much for the giggle today. I can easily relate. And let me add for you, should Lily decide 1 day not to bark in her usual form...you'll think she's ill and may even run her to the vet for nothing because she's just 'not herself'. How silly are we? :-)
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