Waking Up the Neighborhood

Arlie has gone back to getting up to go out every two hours, instead of sleeping through the night, which she finally had accomplished for a whole week. I am still trying to figure out what has changed in her daily routine that has her needing to poop/pee so much.

Meanwhile, we were out last night at 3:19am, and she, after waking me and INSISTING I take her out (I tried to ignore her, just to see...) was annoyingly uninterested in peeing, preferring instead to yawn, laze about on the patio, stretch, scratch an itch or two... or three...

I had just snagged her by the collar to lead her out into the grass (and stand there with her) when

WHUMP!

Something large and furry dropped to the lawn from the tree and waddled off toward the fence.

I think it was a possum, but it could also have been a racoon. Either way, it was unexpected and unnerving.

Airlie startled enough to start barking. Not just any kind of barking, the "OHMYGODSOMEONE/THINGISOUTTHERE!" kind. You haven't heard bad until you have heard this. The rescue contact who brought her to us laughed when he told us about her back. He said "You've got to hear this. Maybe she'll bark while she's here." When she did, he laughed. "I know, it's like "...that's it...? that's all you got?" As a little thing, it really was unimpressive, this tiny, high-pitched, gravelly bark.

Oh, lord, if he could hear her now. She is the MEANEST sounding dog I have ever heard. Forget Leo's loud, deep barks or Kansas' typical dog-sounding barks. This dog is like machine gun fire. It's not tiny, puppy and feminine anymore. It's ugly. It's "RAR! RARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARAR!" and good luck getting her to stop. She's still luxuriating in the fact that she's "found" her voice, and is still barking to boss the other dogs around, keep Leo away from the toys, demand he move out of her way (she doesn't pull any of this crap with Kansas). Those are all small, high-pitched yaps, but this other thing- Christ, she probably woke up half the planet!

It's not a bad thing, generally. I WANT my dogs to do this when something of concern is out and about. Each has their own "SOMEBODY'S OUT THERE!" bark, and it's the one you DON'T ignore (unless you happen to be DH, who isn't here enough to learn the difference between one bark and another, and haplessly orders all noismakers to hush without bothering to see if they have a legitimate reason for alerting their humans or not). You will only hear this particular bark if they happen to spot somebody on a neighboring roof, a neighbor moving through their own backyard (particularly if they are close to the fence) or if the meter reader is attempting to enter the confines of the property. 

And there I am, barefoot in my pjs, standing there, hissing at her to be quiet and come. I wasn't able to ascertain whether or not the critter made it safely over the fence or was still in the yard, and she was preparing to give chase, though so far she had only  managed to circle the tree a few times.

I finally got hold of her, and took her back to bed.

She never did get a chance to pee.