In The Dog House

Hillary on the left weighed 78lbs when we got her from Hoke County Animal Shelter. She now weighs 95lbs. Hillary's only bad habit is barking at squirrels, chickens, cats, or any animal outside the goat pen. Nothing should be out of a fence in her opinion. She is a great herder. When the pigs got out and I was trying to get them back in their pen she listened to my commands and got them back in all by herself. Tinker and Bella are in the doghouse at the moment. They found a small hole in the fence behind a goat house and got out.... several times before I found where they were getting out. Being that Hillary was set out and on her own for awhile she doesn't even want to leave the goat pen. Bella, bless her heart follows Tinker out though she really doesn't want to. She goes out and then sits at the gate waiting to be let back in. Now Tinker, well she is a very naughty dog. When she gets out she is running like a mad dog. She goes all over the neighborhood visiting all the dogs and getting them all barking. You go after her and she sees you coming she takes off in the opposite direction. William is out of town this week so I have been the one trying to catch her. Good thing she loves one neighbor and their kids. She goes right to them and they put her on the leash and bring her back. Tonight I just went to that neighbors yard and started petting their dogs. Tinker being very jealous of our petting anyone but her ran straight to me so I was able to catch her and put her on the runner in the goat pen. I found and repaired the hole in the fence but left Tinker on the runner for the night as punishment. And though Bella was a good girl and just went around the fence to the gate she is on a runner too. Want them to understand they belong with the goats not outside the fence unless on a leash. I have 2 pouting dogs at the moment. Will let them off the hook in the morning. All 3 dogs have been barking most of the nights for awhile. Kept going out several times a night and couldn't see anything to cause them to bark. Yesterday I took a radio and put it in the milk stall and put it on a station playing all Christmas music. The dogs didn't bark all night and tonight I haven't heard a peep out of them. Surprisingly the goats haven't cried either. They usually start crying at feeding time to let me know incase I might have forgotten (as if), but with the radio on they haven't cried at all. Guess they think someone is out there with them singing and talking just to them. Whatever they think it sure is nice to have peace and quiet in the goat pen again. And the added bonus is having a baby monitor in the milking stall means I get to listen to the music in the house! Lots of blessings to count today... hope your day was overflowing with them too.