Doggone dilemmas

O the dog!

I really like our dog and I have to keep reminding myself that she has already made great strides in the 3 months we've had her.

She sleeps with the boys at night. She is on an eating and sleep schedule that matches ours.

She can stay outside or in a kennel for a long period of time without causing mayhem.

She can sit and stay.

But it's very hard to remember these things as I am chasing her around th neighborhood in my pajamas without shoes shouting and looking like a crazy lady trying to break into peoples yards.

She currently embarrasses me in a similar manner to this at least twice daily. My sons constantly open the door without paying attention and she loves to bolt. She will come to any stranger that calls her but she knows if she comes when I call it means she has to go home so she ignores me. My current method is to bring food or a treat and sit in a strangers yard and wait for her to come get the food from me. This method tends to take at least 10 minutes and as much as 45 minutes. It sucks!

She really is a good dog. I like that she chews up my kids toys, I think it will teach them to put their toys away. I like that she gets excited when they run and yell, I think it will help them stay calm in the house.

All that being said, if this bolting problem isn't fixed by spring break I am not sure she will stay with us.

I can handle a lot of things and I fully accept that I'm a tiny bit on the looney bin side of life. But I am not in a place where I want all my neighbors to know. I like to pretend I have it all together, especially when it comes to strangers judgments.

So either she learns to come when called, I start wearing makeup and running shoes at all times night and day or she goes to somewhere that has more room to run.

We'll see.