December 12, 2013

Mirth Watch Thursday: Trash-Talk the Gardener Or Eat Treats?

A few weeks ago, I posted some photos of Rita doing her acrobatic jumping when the gardeners show up. Remember these? (Apologies in advance for the quality of these pics and videos... we always hide out in the dark when the gardener comes. I don't know why, but I have it in my head that she'll be calmer in the dark. Which doesn't seem to be the case...and yet I persist.)

At the time, Tales & Tails suggested I should try to get it on video, and I was able to last week when the gardener was here:

(Hope her barking doesn't make your dogs nuts. Also... upon playback, I realized it sounds like I called her "stupid." I actually called her "Doofus." It was said lovingly.)

Lest you think I let this go on for the full 30-45 minutes that the gardener is there, I have a follow-up video. I let her get a bit of leaping, snarling and trash-talking out of her system, and then... lured her away from the action with some Lamb Airy Bites from Clear Conscience Pet, which I reviewed on Tuesday.

It's hard to cuss at the gardener when your mouth is full of Lamb Airy Bites!
Nom, nom, nom!
Go forth and be mirthful! 

27 comments:

  1. It is hard to accept strangers among you.

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    1. Rita hates strangers - especially men! Especially men with sticks!

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  2. We don't like people close to our house either. Momma said you can decide on the signatures.
    Stella rose

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    1. But Stella - I still need your address! Or shall I address it to "The 3 Little Pugs, House by the new barky dogs."?? Will that work?

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    2. Oh, never mind, Stella Rose - I just found your momma's email in my junk folder! Silly hotmail people thought you were a spammer. I know you'd probably like to EAT spam, but you aren't spam!

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  3. OMD Rita sure doesn't like the gardener. I always do intruder alerts.
    Have a tremendous Thursday.
    Best wishes Molly

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    1. Intruder alerts are important! At least Rita thinks so...

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  4. What would Rita do if she got outside while the gardener was there? She certainly is a silly girl with those high jumps. My guys get that riled up over the UPS guy but their hind feet stay on the ground.

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    1. Isn't she nutty?? She did get out once while he was there - she ran at him and barked ferociously, and but thank heaven she didn't bite him!

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  5. I have the same question as Taryn. Have you tried working with her outside? Perhaps have the gardener toss her some treats. Of course, that won't end the arousal. It will just get her hungry when he stops by. :)

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    1. I worked with her with a trainer to get her to be better with folks coming in to the house. It's a long slow process, as she's not super treat-motivated when on high alert. We've had visitors in the house give her treats, but she still barked at some of the men every time they'd move around. Plus it's not always the same guy - there are at least 3 different guys that come, so I'd have to take time working with all of them. And not all of them speak great English, so it would be pretty complicated! Easier to just hide in the bedroom once every 2 weeks.

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  6. That's about how Coco reacts to squirrels. Rita is such a cutie, even when ferocious!

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  7. Replies
    1. She earns her keep around here keeping the "bad guys" at bay!

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  8. So ferocious! My dogs are convinced that the garbage man is stealing our stuff.
    But they never bark at the gardener.

    That would be me.

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    1. Rita's the opposite. The garbage man doesn't bother her - but then, she can't really see him. We don't have any windows at the front of the house low enough for her to see out of... unlike the back of our house with is nothing but glass.

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  9. Thanks for the video, it got my sisters and I barking which Mom loved ;) I still think she has kangaroo in her genes!

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    1. Wouldn't it be a riot if we got her DNA tested and it came back saying she was part kangaroo? Or Mexican jumping bean??

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  10. What a goof ball, a cute goof ball though!

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    1. She's a total goof ball. In fact, I just realized that was what I called her in the video - "goofus." That's one of her nicknames - "Goofus-Moofus."

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  11. Ha ha ha! She sounds like she's serious about the gardener getting off her lawn! Thanks for catching it on video!

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  12. I came to thank you for all the love you been sending to me to get better.
    love
    tweedles

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  13. Lower your hackles, Rita. He's just pruning your plants :)

    And yes, that video caused Beamer to bark.

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  14. Jeffie and Rudy actually gave up their breakfasts to come try to save Rita while I was playing the video. Rosie? She thinks Rita might be a bit of a drama queen (and Rosie kept right on eating while eyeing the boys' bowls.)

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  15. Cricket doesn't like a lot of men either, and there are a couple who come here every so often and she just will never like them. She will stop barking if they come in and sit down though. One is my brother-in-law and the other a bookkeeping client. I think some dogs are just like that, she has no reason not to like either one of them.
    Rita is a great watch dog....no one is going to try to come in uninvited with that bark, and I think that's a good thing. She didn't scare my dogs....they didn't even react and I had the volume turned way up!

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