This time it happened to me...

[kyletxria1911a1]

He has a peeper bawhaa i thought that was him on the news
Standing in the front window, with fishnets on
And now he wonders why! How is going my man?
Any new probs?

 

[ROGER4314]

You had a confrontation that could have turned lethal. You read it right, the situation was defused, no one was injured and everybody went home safe. I'd say that was a 100% successful conclusion!

As a kid, I watched Broderick Crawford who closed a segment of his "Highway Patrol" program with a statement that I never forgot: "Remember, it's not who's right that's important.................. It's who's left."

Flash

 

[ROGER4314]

As a watchdog, my Toy Fox Terrier, Jake is about as good as it gets. First, he hardly ever barks at all, never barks for fun and he only sounds off when there is a problem. He remembers people he meets and takes his security job very seriously.

When he hears things out at the end of the driveway, Jake alerts.....sits up, scans the Radar ears and sniffs the door.

If he's not satisfied by what he hears, he gives several muffled "woof" sounds. They are very quiet "Woofs" and it means "I don't like what's going on outside."

If he's really concerned, he will give a full bark and at that point, I'm armed. When he's REALLY upset, he adds a little hound dog sound to his bark. He tells me exactly how much threat is present.

The little guy can usually tell if it is a friend/neighbor or a stranger outside. Occasionally, he goofs but not often. His mistakes err on barking when it's a friend, but never silence. After going to town, I've tried many times to get him to bark by parking on the street, sneaking up to the door quietly then ringing the bell or pounding on the door. Heck, he ID's me every time and doesn't make a sound! He knows it's me at the door. He knows Bill, our regular UPS driver but barks at the rest of them. All this is through a closed metal door and I keep my window curtains closed. I don't know how that works but I trust Jake completely.

Had your intruder been around my place, Jake would be barking and jumping 3 feet in the air. There's no way the visitor would sneak up on that little guy. It's just a thought but Jake is almost better than being armed and he makes crucial decisions very accurately. The combination of having Jake AND a loaded pistol or shotgun gives me a feeling of peace.

Flash

 

[TheDan]

It's interesting how some dogs are like that... My current dog is exactly like Jake is, but all the ones I've before her have been useless
They either barked at every damn little thing or didn't ever make a peep

 

[ROGER4314]

The little guy is the smartest dog I've ever known and I can get him to fetch a particular toy by asking him to bring it.

He will also "trade." I can tell him it's "nighty night" time and ask if he'd go outside one more time, I'll share some ham with him. He picks up, heads to the door, does his doggy thing then thumps on the door when he wants to come back in. Then we share a piece of ham together as a reward.

He rings a little bell with his nose when he needs to go outside and is totally reliable in not "going" in the house. If I'm in bed asleep, he puts his paws on the edge of the bed and gives a polite little "woof" to tell me he needs to go out.

If he comes to me and looks like he wants something, I'll ask him questions. When I get the right subject, he jumps in answer to my question. Similarly, I offer him a selection of treats. When I name the right one, he jumps. It's just like he can talk!

His chew bones get nasty and slimy so I ask him if he will trade it in on a new one. He'll bring it over, drop it in my hand and I'll replace it with a new one.

He gets a bowl of food and eats like a cat.....just a couple of pieces then he'll leave the rest alone. He eats only when he's hungry. I've seen dogs gobble a bowl of food in seconds and they would die from overeating if you left food out for them.

I mention this not to hijack the thread but to illustrate that a pistol is not the only tool you can use to protect your home. If Jake is cool, I know that all is well. If there is anything I should know about our security, he uses his superior senses then tells me about it. I seldom ask him to do dog tricks. Instead, we work on communication together. His job is home security and he takes it seriously. If I fail to understand, it's because I'm not paying attention.

Jake is also a terrific companion!

Flash