On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:34:28 -0500 in 5vd2d1F1m1jvtU1@mid.individual.net,
"Robibnikoff" <witchypoo@broomstick.com> wrote:

"Mark K. Bilbo" <gmail@com.mkbilbo> wrote in message
news:072765-u15.ln1@75-104-214-80.cust.wildblue.net...

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:05:41 -0500, Robibnikoff wrote:

snip

Ginger is EXTREMELY protective. Whenever she hears the slightest
sounds, she sets off barking.

You can easily imagine back when we humans lived subsistence and didn't
have alarms and guns and dead bolts and there were all kinds of things
creeping through the woods that might like to bite, how helpful that
could be.

These two don't go off so much. Ginger'll probably settle down as she
gets used to the sounds around the house.

Maybe. She was really bugging out today. Kept hearing something. I even
walked her around the house to check it out ;)

Oh she'll settle down. She's still very young and hasn't been with you
all that long really. Lots of things are still new to her.

That happened with us both moves. Come to think, all three moves. As in,
when, say, Blaze came along and wasn't used to the place. He went bonkers
over the silliest things.

Crazy dog scared the crap outta me one night not long after Bob brought
him home. The dog door was in the kitchen door on the side of the house.
So the dogs had to go round to the back to get to the yard. But there was
also a sliding glass door to the back patio which I, of course, used.

He and I both leave the living room about the same time, he comes around
the house and goes into "stranger in the yard!" barking on seeing me.

Pea brain couldn't "get" that both doors lead to the same yard and it
couldn't be me because I hadn't gone out the dog door right?

But he was actually seriously upset and I retreated. Barked at Bob a
little myself as it rattled me.

He figured it out before long of course.

Okay, Bob's Cocker, the insane one, never figured it out. I'd go outside
on the back patio to smoke--Bob hated the smell--and CA being the place
it is, I'd leave the patio door open and still be carrying on a
conversation with Bob. Thor, the crazy one, would spend the *entire time*
going out the dog door, around the house, and in the open sliding glass
door. Over and over and over and over.

I finally, one day, asked what the hell that dog was doing. Bob shrugged
and said he was still trying to figure out how both doors could lead to
the same yard. <g>

I remember one day commenting we needed to attach a magnet to the dog and
wind some wire around so he could generate electricity for the house.

(Oh man that was a weird dog. <g>)

Anyway. I saw this kind of thing more than once. Okay, not the crazy
Cocker but dogs barking at everything because they're new to an area and
aren't familiar with the sounds and such.

day and that dog like to drove me crazy at first barking at EVERYTHING
(and my bedroom faced their backyard). But he calmed down.

Oh and he was a puppy at first too. *Everything* got him excited and that
means barking. Ginger'll get over it. It'll get to a point where if she
does bark, it'll be worth checking out. Right now, it's "Something is
new! Bark!"

Which reminds me of another Bob story.

He told me once of a puppy somebody had who, for what apparently was the
first time, farted. Never having heard such a sound, the puppy started
barking.

At his own butt.

(Oh if only somebody had a video camera at the time <g>)

And while it can be annoying, look at it another way. It really is true
that a majority of burgler types will move on when they hear barking.
Most just don't wanna risk the teeth. <g>

True! And she sounds a heck of a lot bigger than she really is.

Has this cool streak on her back that stands up on end. People think
she's part Rhodesian Ridgeback ;)

Heh, Lucky has that. I commented once it was "Pit Punk". 'bout an inch
wide strip all along his back, hair stands right on end.

Exactly! :)

Heh, yeah, short hairs, it looks kinda wild. The hair's short enough to
stand straight up. And Lucky has real bristly fur anyway. Kinda funny if
you catch it happening, the hair going "sproing!" <G>

<snip>

I've gotten after them twice about it. I don't want the puppy hurt. But
Lucky means business. Pits were bred to fight other dogs. Lucky isn't
at all a "mean dog". But a strange dog in his yard? He ain't gonna put
up with that.

They must be idiots if they haven't gotten the hint by now.

Really. I don't want the puppy hurt. But dogs is dogs. Strange dog in
their yard? They don't care for that.

I think Lucky's lecture must have worked. I haven't seen the puppy in the
yard lately. Though he's followed me to the mail box when I've walked out
that way. Just bouncing along, ears flopping.

Lucky didn't even try to bite. That dog never has tried biting anything
or anybody except when that stupid Chow would start a fight. But did the
funniest thing. Followed the dog, bumping against him like those idiot
pro-wrestlers might, bumping chest and all. Like, "Wanna piece of me?
Huh? Do ya?" <g>

Shoot, Erin was better behaved!

Or you're just remembering it that way? <G>

Not at all - And I've got plenty of relatives that can back me up ;)

(Come on, every mom says their kid is the best. <G>)

See above! <sniff>

Uh huh. Relatives eh? Objective folk huh? <G>

Well, don't project too much. Sometimes, behind those "sad eyes" ain't
much more than dial tone.

SNORT! I'm beginning to think that myself ;)

And more times than not, you'll be right! <g>

Bob's old Cocker, the male ("Thor" no less), used to walk into a room
and just *stare* at you. And for long periods of time. It was really
creepy. Like he was thinking, "I know where you sleep."

LOL! I hope I don't see that look from Ginger!

Only if she were oxygen deprived for a considerable amount of time.

Bob rescued those Cockers off the streets. They were strays. Near as he
could figure, they'd been pets who were lost or dumped. And living on the
streets apparently left the male totally loony toons. Like street people
crazy. <g>

I came to understand the look was a long "DUUUUUUUUUUH" more than
anything...