[Dailydrool] Miss Angela and the dog door

[bjenk1 at cox.net]

Bill here press agent/personal trainer to Miss Angela Basset, 
Droop and Drool Diva of Wichita and Sedgwick County

When I bought the new Casa di Diva, I had a contractor install
a brand new storm door for the back door.  The previous one
was plain glass and solid.  I wanted to be able to get some air
through the door and also to provide Miss Angela with an
unassisted access point.  Our contractor (despite other lapses
in workmanship and honesty) put in a new Larson storm door
with a nice sliding panel and a dog door.  The dog door has a 
cover that can be used to lock/seal the opening, but which 
usually leans on the wall beside the door.  

I was eager to see how my brilliant but headstrong and lacking 
in ambition Angela would adapt to this door.  It took her exactly
once, being bribed with a treat.  She stuck her head through to
make sure that I had indeed deposited the treat on the other side,
then pushed right through.  After the 1 1/2 seconds that it took her
to completely consume the treat, she stood outside the door, 
looking in.  I called her and she came right in.  A bit later, I tossed
another treat out and she zipped right through it.  No problem.
Uncle Chris' bipolar dalmation figured it out after being pushed 
through it a couple of times and his alpha doberman showed 
that she could do it, but chose not to.  Angie adapted much more
quickly and easily than either.  

Now, when it is cold, I put the panel in and Angela has to get my
attention to let her out.  The rest of the time I leave the inside door
open and she has complete and easy access to the back patio
and the grassy latrine area.  The only real complications lie in the
objects she chooses to bring back in when I am not watching.  The
big bone I gave her for her birthday is frequently found on the family
room floor.  Baby birds are not out of the question.  Still, it is a small
price to pay for me not having to haul my portly ass out of my big
recliner and open the door.

Now when I go off to teach my college classes or to some other 
social obligation, I lock the two locks on the storm door and leave
it accessible for Angela.  My concern is not so much the small
barbarians that inhabit the neighborhood as the critters.  We see
possums, racoons, rabbits and terrorist squirrels on a fairly regular
basis.  Hopefully Miss Angela's benign presence, robust odor and
formidable snoring will dissuade them.

Recently, Angela has begun  some further training of her loyal 
press agent.  She goes to the doggie door, stares at the bowl
of doggie treats that I have stashed there for her nighty night trip 
out and whines.  She will still go out on her own, but greatly 
prefers wheedling me for a treat to accompany her excursion.  If
I am eating something, I figure it's only fair and toss her out a 
lo-cal treat (since we have such a large supply after her birthday
party).  While out, she usually waddles over to the grassy latrine
area and squats, just to let me know that she really did need to
do some business, but the squatting time is so short that I know
that she just worked me for another treat and had no real need 
to go out.  

The joys of being employed by Miss Angela just keep on coming.

Bill ( ah, springtime on the plains.  Just a tornado or two away from
being paradise.)
Angela (don't forget to give props to Kansas Jayhawks for their 
tournament run and Wichita State's NIT championship)