Bark Bark Bark

There is a joke at our house about how Joe picked out Nestle at the city shelter. He says he picked Nestle because all the other dogs were barking and she wasn't. It was true. She was just sitting there acting like a good dog. Well, we went out front to do the paperwork and for some reason I went back to see her again and she was barking up a storm with all the other dogs. I should have known then what we were in for. Nestle didn't stop barking that first weekend at our house. I can still remember I was sitting at the dining room table writing a paper and she stood there barking away. I ignored her for as long as I could, after all, I'd been told you should ignore them and eventually they "get it." Not Nestle. Chaco used to go to another room to get away from her. We went through multiple bark collars with her. She just kept barking through them, even the one the dog sitter/trainer used on her. Zapping Nestle only meant she'd bark more. Seven years later it hasn't changed. But with impressionable Gidget around (Daisy and Hattie were never into barking- they always had a look like, "We'll just let her bark it out and waste her energy"), I had to do something. I remember how at our previous house we had a barking dog next door. He was bored, his guardians didn't spend much time with him. But he was annoying! I read once where you could put pebbles in a soda can and shake it when they dog barked. So I did. And either it worked or we moved. I don't remember which now (probably both though). The spray bottle works well with Gidget, but spraying Nestle made her bark more. Last week I had a spray bottle in one hand and the Squirt can filled with pebbles in the other when someone walked by the house and Gidget began to bark, followed up by Nestle. Coordinating that was a little difficult but I hope we're on the right track. I've asked several people for help but everyone just says, "Sounds like you need Cesar Millan. And since I don't think he'll be at my house any time soon, well, we'll just keep shaking the can and squirting the water.

A New Year

I know it's been awhile since I've written. December is always busier than I think it will be. Most notable from the month is that Chaco turned ten on January 1. It's hard to believe he's been with eight years and friends who came over to see us on Sunday (who now live in California) noted that he doesn't look ten. And with the cold we've had, he hasn't been acting like ten either. They've all been running around a little on the nutty side (while I've been thinking hibernation might be nice). Joe said to me that Chaco has been with me almost a fourth of my life which also is hard to believe. Sometimes I try to remember life without dogs and it seems that all I can remember is that we could come and go on trips when we chose without needing a pet sitter. As I write this, Hattie is staring at me. If I only I knew what she was thinking. Well, maybe I don't want to know and I should leave it at that. Happy new year!

Ginger makes the newspaper– again!

See the article below about Michelle's work with Native Americans in her hometown newspaper, The Naperville Sun. Ginger knew exactly what to do when she was called upon to be in the photo. Daisy, however, wasn't interested. She checked out the situation and then went to find something else to do (nap) while Ginger sought pats and rubs from the photographer.

http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/2956243-418/suicide-think-american-indians-hope.html