The Old Dogs

Learning New Tricks.

Since I don't really want to be the second most hated person in the neighborhood, I've been working with the dogs trying to get them to learn that it is not necessary to bark at each and every soul that passes our fence. It was going so great, I would go outside with them, and every time they started to bark, I would say, "NO Barking!" and they would miraculously understand this and come running, and more importantly, stop barking.

I was just bragging to my friend on the phone tonight about the great strides we were making with our training, and low and behold those varmints made the biggest liar out of me. They started barking and doing their thing while I sat out there with them. "Hold on a sec" I told my friend, "Let me get this." I called them. They ignored me. I did it again, they ignored me. "Oooh, just you wait, I'm going in to get my shoes!" I had to go get my shoes because the weeds are so horrible--thistle, I couldn't go out there in the yard without them, and since they were ignoring me I had to go out there and chase them up to the patio where I could scold them.

All the while my neighbors across the way were watching my futile attempts to shut them up, and my friend is hearing all of it from the phone, AND the dang dogs were barking like maniacs. It was so humiliating. Finally, I got them to move away from the fence and stop their yapping, but it was too late. We are back to square one here. I just have to get them under control. I'll tell you this, I'm no Cesar Milan that's for sure.

Now, I have to admit, they were doing good at first. They did great for the first temptation, two girls walking by. They barely so much as moved. They started to, but I said, "No, come here." and they did fine with that test. Then two boys on bikes rode by, they did fine. Then two more, and the dogs did great. But then it was as if every kid in the neighborhood gathered up the street and had a meeting to discuss why those dogs didn't bark at them, and so to test their theory, all of them, the two girls, the 4 boys on bikes passed by again all at once and it was all over for us. The dogs went and did their thing running back and forth along the fence, and barking, barking, barking, and I just got embarrassed.

And I wouldn't be surprised if miss Perfect over there wasn't video taping the whole thing to show the authorities.

It is discouraging, but I will keep trying. I don't have much choice really, I'm too attached to them, to give them away, there is no way some snotty retiree is going to come between me and my dogs. I feel safer having them around when hubby isn't home. So, either I solve this barking problem, or continue to be the second most hated person in the neighborhood. Hmm. I'm starting to think I can live with that latter option. Nooo, I'm just kidding. I know we can train them to behave better, it just might take longer than an episode of the Dog Whisperer.