I just have to say it to get it off my chest, as perhaps I'll start to feel better. Or generate some empathy from someone. Neither is particularly likely, but I'm going for it anyway. Are you ready? Ok, here goes. Our dog has been particularly naughty lately.
Shocking, I know. Surely ZeketheFreakRatTerrier is just the most well-behaved dog ever, right? Ha. I look at people in confused disbelief whenever I hear what an obedient dog we have. I suppose it must be similar to my friends who leave their kids in our care, only to be slightly suspicious of our honesty when we inform them that they were perfect angels. I'm guessing that dogs, like children, know when to put on the halos. ZeketheFreakRatTerrier knows when to take it off, as well.
Don't believe me? Let me give you some examples, and you can judge for yourself.
Last week at my mom and dad's house, Zeke acted like he wanted to climb onto "Grandpa's" lap, which my dad positively loves. However, it was all a guise. He was using him to get to his spritz Christmas cookies, sitting on a plate next to my dad, looking positively scrumptious. ZeketheFreakRatTerrier knows perfectly well that this is not acceptable behavior. He actually glanced in my direction to see if I was watching him, and then started inching closer and closer to those cookies, keeping an eye on me the whole time. Lovely.
Then we have the little issue of our yard. Our yard does not live up to ZeketheFreakRatTerrier's standards. He prefers the neighbors yard. Or really, any yard that is not ours. We thought we had fixed that little problem with an electric fence, and it did work for quite some time, but this past week we kept finding him beyond the range of the fence. Last night was pretty much the last straw, as I went outside to find him not only outside the range of his fence, but actually inside our neighbor's fenced yard. Again, lovely.
As it turns out, ZeketheFreakRatTerrier was getting shocked, he just didn't care. I took it upon myself to tighten up his shock collar and also crank up the degree of "shock" that he was receiving. I'm happy to report that he is back on his very best behavior.
I think ZeketheFreakRatTerrier understands when he's gone a little too far, because he'll take it upon himself to do something to get himself back into my good graces. A few nights ago I was sitting at the computer in our library. Zeke's dog bed is just through the door in the dining room, perhaps 6 feet from where the computer is, and within sight.
Now, Zeke really prefers to be in the same room. He's a pack dog, and we're his pack. He didn't appreciate being in the dining room when I was in the library. Don't get me wrong, he is not confined there - he could have walked over any time he wanted and plopped down at my feet. However, he prefers to sleep on his dog bed. This presented a dilema for poor ZeketheFreakRatTerrier. He wished to be with me, yet he also wanted his creature comforts. So he took it upon himself to solve this little problem on his own.
He decided that his little 10 lb dog body should be able to move the bed into the room, and he gave it his best shot:

However when it became stuck in the door frame, he must have realized his limitations and gave up. Or, he decided that he was now officially in the same room as myself and called it good. Either way he momentarily made me forget how irritated I was with him. I may have even laughed.
So yes, while ZeketheFreakRatTerrier is very naughty, he is on occasion, pretty nice as well. I suppose he can stay for awhile longer.
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