To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Thursday, March 09, 2006
D*mn Dogs
I love our dogs. Really, I do. They're sweet and lovable and fun to be around. They are also the scourge of the neighborhood.
Today, I got a phone call from the nice lady (no, she really is a sweetheart) who lives across the street. "Beth, I think your dogs are out again." Lovely... rustle the dogs back into the yard, and find something to block the gaping hole in the gate that they used to make their escape. Off I go to run around a bit.
When I get home, there's a notice on the door. Someone from the sheriff's department had been there, and the dogs were out again. (Evidently, my method of emergency hole repair didn't quite work.) We were in violation of Restraint Law, and there was a complaint by a citizen. "You can't let your dogs run loose." (No sh*t, Sherlock!) At least Officer Moeller was kind enough to rig a quick fix for the hole in the gate. Lovely...
So, I need to find a way to keep the Evil Canines in their confines. Tried an electric fence... it worked for a while, but... it kept falling apart. Shock collars won't be very effective unless I shave the dogs (they both have heavy coats).
My current plan is chicken wire. Yeah, it's going to look horrid at first, but I think it will be ok if I plant some ivy in front of it to hide the fact that it's... well... chicken wire. I'm going to go all the way around the fence with it (the big mutt, Mike, has been known to go through other parts of the fence).
I think I know why he puts holes in the fence (the little dog probably couldn't put holes in the fence... but she sure does enjoy going through them). The fence is one of those 6ft privacy fences, and you can't see through it (duh). The dogs hear something on the other side of the fence, and, being the curious animals that they are, they need to find out what that noise was. Easiest way is through the fence. Mike head-butts it a few times, and away they go.
No, I'm not trying to excuse away the Big Mutt's behavior... he's a big lug who would have spent a lot of time in detention if he had gone to doggy school. But I can't help but wonder if he'd put as many holes in the fence as he has over the years if he'd been able to see what was on the other side.
Anyone have any other suggestions? (comments on bbqing will be ignored, of course).
Today, I got a phone call from the nice lady (no, she really is a sweetheart) who lives across the street. "Beth, I think your dogs are out again." Lovely... rustle the dogs back into the yard, and find something to block the gaping hole in the gate that they used to make their escape. Off I go to run around a bit.
When I get home, there's a notice on the door. Someone from the sheriff's department had been there, and the dogs were out again. (Evidently, my method of emergency hole repair didn't quite work.) We were in violation of Restraint Law, and there was a complaint by a citizen. "You can't let your dogs run loose." (No sh*t, Sherlock!) At least Officer Moeller was kind enough to rig a quick fix for the hole in the gate. Lovely...
So, I need to find a way to keep the Evil Canines in their confines. Tried an electric fence... it worked for a while, but... it kept falling apart. Shock collars won't be very effective unless I shave the dogs (they both have heavy coats).
My current plan is chicken wire. Yeah, it's going to look horrid at first, but I think it will be ok if I plant some ivy in front of it to hide the fact that it's... well... chicken wire. I'm going to go all the way around the fence with it (the big mutt, Mike, has been known to go through other parts of the fence).
I think I know why he puts holes in the fence (the little dog probably couldn't put holes in the fence... but she sure does enjoy going through them). The fence is one of those 6ft privacy fences, and you can't see through it (duh). The dogs hear something on the other side of the fence, and, being the curious animals that they are, they need to find out what that noise was. Easiest way is through the fence. Mike head-butts it a few times, and away they go.
No, I'm not trying to excuse away the Big Mutt's behavior... he's a big lug who would have spent a lot of time in detention if he had gone to doggy school. But I can't help but wonder if he'd put as many holes in the fence as he has over the years if he'd been able to see what was on the other side.
Anyone have any other suggestions? (comments on bbqing will be ignored, of course).
