November 13, 2012

  • Progress, of Sorts

    I actually did it. I bought a citrus no-bark collar. Loaded it. Mounted it on the collar. And then chased the dog outside and shook my tin can at her to make her stop barking.

    This morning while I was grabbing clothes and throwing them on my body, all the while suspiciously eyeing the white stuff strewn all over the lawn, Annie raced outside and barked 75 times at the wind. So we loaded Nancy in the car, took her to work, went to the store to buy cat food, came home, I put the collar around her neck, she ran outside, turned around and came right back inside. Sat on the floor between my knees, gazing at me intently ( I had secured for myself a small quantity of 'drops', my latest addiction.)

    Nancy is weaning herself of her pain meds because they cover her brain with fuzz and she can't think. So far she's doing fine. This morning I took her to work and will go later to pick her up, tomorrow her son is picking her up, and Thursday she hopes to drive herself.

    And yes, I give my dog chocolate. Very, very small amounts. One of them. The other gently closes his eyes and just, ever so slightly, turns his head as if to say, No, Cheryl--I won't eat that, even to please you. 

    Surprisingly enough, the pudgier dog is the one with taste.

    Anyway: all of the above explains why I now have an expensive no-bark collar lying on the desk in front of me while my barking dog is out making a noise nuisance of herself in the back yard again.

    Yesterday she (Annie, not Nancy) spent most of the day with her friend Lisa.  She went to the dog park, played with a boxer, fixed a roof, watched TV, met Riley and me at the dog park, played some more... She had to sleep almost an hour and half after we came home to catch up with herself.

    So, I went outside, caught the dog, put on the collar, let her back outside. Marauding herds of foreign dogs incited all of the natives, a bark fest broke out.

    Collar doesn't work.

    Doesn't spray.

    I even barked at it myself: no spray.

    Reminds me a lot of obedience class.

    So I just tried refilling the citrus collar, barked at it, and sent my own dog into paroxysms of barking.

    The collar did not spray me. Or her.

    On the other hand, the dog doesn't trust me any more because I barked at her.

    Riley went outside and told me not to call him again until Nancy comes home.