Monday, May 24, 2010

Problem Solving

Well, now that we all know Fudge's complaints, it's time to address some of them. Fudge is a little bit prone to exaggeration as he showed in his complaint. He also has a very healthy ego. Yes, he did very well in obedience school and he did earn his title before several judges, but he failed to mention the time he showed off in front of the judge, doing tricks instead of "commandments" and earned himself a disqualification.


It's true that Fudge wears almost anything I ask him to, but he is well rewarded with treats and lots of attention. I don't know which that boy likes better.

He has a valid point about his school bags and last night I bought Noah his very own school bag and special treat bag.


I got Noah a bag with a big super star on the front. Noah is a strange little character. He's very quiet and timid. He hangs back when the others start playing and needs lots of encouragement. I'm hoping that his obedience lessons give him a boost to his fragile little ego. He's doing very well in his lessons and doesn't feel the need to show off, unlike a certain brown and white dog.

I've also decided that Fudge can have a refresher class immediately after Noah is finished with his class. Now everybody is relatively happy.

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We've had a number of squirrels invade the yard this year. They cruise around the deck looking for food and empty the bird feeders almost as fast as we fill them. Lately one has begun standing on the living room windowsill with his front feet on the glass looking in at the dogs, safe in the knowledge that there's a pane of glass between them and him. As you can imagine it drives the dogs crazy and we've had a lot of barking.


More recently the squirrels have started sitting in the oak trees in the back yard and yelling insults at the dogs below them. Sometimes they throw acorns at them. The dogs are not pleased about this behavior. Last week a couple brave or foolish squirrels began coming part way down the tree trunk to yell at the dogs. They stay safely out of reach of the dogs.

Today one squirrel made a serious miscalculation. He came down the tree trunk to yell and he came a little too far. Bailey jumped up and grabbed him. I didn't see her catch him, but I knew something was going on so I called her. Bailey never obeys, but this time she came toward me and I thought she had brought one of her toys outside till I remembered that she doesn't have a squirrel toy.

I told her to drop it and for the first time ever, she did as she was told. The squirrel was still alive, it was blinking. There were no marks on him and no blood. I scooped him up in the poop scoop, much to his dismay and tossed him over the fence. By that time I had all ten dogs jumping around wanting to see the squirrel.

I don't know if he died, but something very strange happened. No squirrels came on the deck today. Not a single squirrel invaded the bird feeders. When we went in the yard no squirrels were in sight yelling insults at us. We did not see a single squirrel all day.

Were they all attending the funeral of their friend or.....

...were they busy plotting their revenge? Will we be getting a visit from Mr Boss Squirrel?


Is Fidel Squirrel on his way to invade?


Are we going to soon be under attack by the Army of Avenger Squirrels? Morgan will sit in the window and alert us if she sees anything approaching. Let's hope the little guy survived and he and his family are now in the next county looking for a new home.

15 comments:

kathy b said...

Sue

You are way too funny. I can see that squirrel tormenting the dogs. Even funnier that the disobedient one obeyed with a squirrel in her mouth! I don't think Jimney cricket would give it up! Keep up the fun posts.

Lola and also Franklin, too said...

Those squirrels sure don't know when to quit, do they? My backyard doesn't have nearly as many as when I first got here. On the other paw, there are lots in the front yard, where I'm not allowed off leash because it's not fenced. Well, we do what we can. Better get yourselve a bunker, just in case.

wags, Lola

gMarie said...

That was so funny - I actually read it to the family.

I'm not sure what's funnier - that she caught the squirrel or that you flung it over the fence.

Glad you worked out a reasonable situation for Fudge and Noah. g

Scrabblequeen said...

If I was a squirrel, I would stay WAY clear of your yard!

LizzieJane said...

Oh dear I bet that was a bit of a surprise for you! Sometimes those squirrels can be quite daring. In our last house they would constantly antagonize our kitty through the window too. I can just imagine what would happen if she had gotten out there after one.
x

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Glad Noah has his own school bag and we hope his self confidence get a boost.

We don't have squirrels. They look very dangerous......and bold. We liked the synchronized birdseed eating photo best.

XXXOOO Daisy, Kendra & Bella

PS A very enjoyable post

Rocky Creek Scotties and Rocky Creek Ramblings said...

Hilarious!!

On another note - there is a PWD that is waiting to go in when we come out of Puppy Kindergarten. He is totally chocolate and very nice.

SissySees said...

I love Noah's bags! He will be a star... as I reminded Fudge yesterday, it's in his genes.

LOVE those squirrel photos. Gretchen has very nearly caught one under similar circumstances.

the many Bs said...

we're glad to see that Noah got a very beautiful dog school bag and treat bag. we give them a 16 paws up!

now for the squirrel episode. OMD! we would have been right there with you, barking our brains out, chasing the squirrels, and climbing those trees. that is kind of interesting that no squirrels came to torment the dogs the day after their friend departed. maybe they moved on to a safer yard where the dogs are slower.

woofs.

Marjie said...

Morgan! You are the hero of PWD County! Way to go!

Molly the Airedale said...

Way to go, Bailey! Good for you for letting that stoopid squirrel know who's the boss of your yard!

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

Sam said...

Wow.. I think Marge would have gone nuts for the chance to do what Bailey did. What a good girl for dropping it, though, when you told her to!

I am excited to hear about Noah's up-and-coming career. Will you train him in formal obedience or rally? I am toying with the idea of trying to get a CD title on Marge.. but that will be for a post at a later date.

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Good to see that you came up with some good resolutions to that problem and that all is well with the brown and white pup.

Whoa- that is one cheeky squirrel tapping on the window. Guess the PWDs put those squirrels on notice to beware of the enemy. We don't have any squirrels in our yard and only see an occasional one on our walks, guess they all must have moved east to your place.

Woos - Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Dianne said...

Sue, you crack me up! I can't stop laughing! Tell Baily not to feel bad if she sent the squirrel to squirrely heaven. She was only helping in Darwin's theory of evolution--survival of the fittest, right? Any squirrel that even comes into your yard, let alone taunts your dogs, deserves to be sent to that great acorn tree in the sky.

parlance said...

Maybe the squirrel recovered. Let's hope it hopped away with a tale to tell its grandkids. (Do squirrels hop?)

We have lovely little ring-tailed possums here, the sweetest-looking creatures, but if a dog grabs them they will most likely die, because they have some sort of terribly vulnerable ribcages.