Laddie

Since my life is currently completely boring and unblogworthy, I decided to give Laddie some web time. With summer finally presenting itself, Laddie has began his yearly ritual of just sitting outside basking in the warmth of the sun and baking himself on the cement of our patio. He'll sit out there for HOURS and just sleep. And since he seems to enjoy it, we try to let him do it whenever possible.

But with the glorious sun, which now lasts well into the evening, we also have the arrival of bikes, scooters, skateboards, and all manner of various wheeled contraptions that speed in front of our house at obscene speeds with their loud drivers accompanying them. In any other living situation, this wouldn't bother me (I don't think!?!). After all, it was our decision to live directly next to the park in the hopes that it would be a great selling feature when we're ready to move on.

Unfortunately, Laddie has some beef with all wheeled apparatuses that causes him to bark viciously at unsuspecting neighbor kids. (Some aren't all that unsuspecting and go by repeatedly just to be brats, but that's another story.) As a result, he has to come inside since we don't allow incessant barking. The thing is, Laddie hasn't quite caught on that if he behaves himself when they go by, he can stay outside. I'm sure he knows he has to come in as soon as he starts barking because as soon as the door opens, he comes running. If he hasn't done anything wrong, he just looks at you like, I'm not ready to come in, so what do you want? But instead of changing his behavior, he continues to bark, cutting short his basking time, only to want back out less than five minutes later.

That was the case today. Erik put him out and hadn't even closed the door before he started barking. So he came right back in. Since there were several kids out with bikes and scooters, I decided he could stay inside until bedtime because I had other things to do besides let him in and out all night. But he was sure determined. He sat on the door mat the ENTIRE night with his sad puppy dog eyes, just willing me to let him out.


I almost caved a couple times, but I held my own. If anyone has any tips for how to get a stubborn Jack Russell to stop barking at every person who goes by, please share. I know he's smart enough; if only he'd apply himself...