otoh

No one will ever sneak up on me as long as my pups are around. If they do nothing else well, they always let me know if anyone comes to our door… or in our yard… or close to our yard. Loudly. Persistently. A cacophonous duet of epic proportions. I feel safe. I have a splitting headache, but I feel safe.

When I got the Pooter Dog, she was about a year old and I chose her in part because she did not bark at everyone that walked past her. I didn’t want a dog that barks at every little thing. So much for that plan. And the Peanut Pup is in many ways the most timid creature I have ever met. She will shy away from everyone — even people she knows. But if she doesn’t know you she will bark at you while she shies away. But all that is pretty mundane.

Back in my naive early days with Pooter when I really thought I could have a dog that didn’t bark a lot I bought one of those bells you see on counters to ring for service.

I put it next to the back door [wait, should that be one word 'backdoor'?] and put her paw on it every time we went out. Just as I hoped, she soon associated the bell with going outside and she began to ring it when she wanted to go out. [That really freaks some people out.] And, as I hoped, she never barks or scratches at the door to go outside. I wasn’t as persistent with training Peanut to do that. Besides she’ll go out whenever Pooter does. And if she really needs to go out she will do what I call her song and dance — a low growl, one step up and two steps back.

When I’m lying on the couch and Peanut comes over to lie on the floor next to me, if I don’t reach down to pet her she will poke at me with her nose. She never barks or growls then but her meaning is clear: “I could still be across the room you idiot,” [I get no respect] “reach down here and rub my ears.” And of course I do. And she licks my hand. [I know some people think that's gross. Deal with it.] It amazes me sometimes that she has me trained so well.