[Dailydrool] more about bad neighbors

[Dale Rutz]

Hi all, it's the clueless momPerson here,

I think last week I posted about my fine nenghbor on the side who only has to 
hear LuLu bark twice to ask me to bring her inside.  I do understand his 
frustration, he has rescued a fairly aggressive rott/shepard mix and when that 
dog hears barking he gets SO riled up and it takes Jim FOREVER to calm him back 
down.  The thing is, someone is always home at our house and if barking goes 
longer than a minute or two someone always quiets the dogs or else brings them 
in.  So, his jumping the gun at the first or second bark really did stink.  It 
didn't give us a chance to try to work with her to correct her and let her be 
successful and stay outside.

The thing is, Jim is a nice guy.  Loves dogs too.  And rescued both of his 
boys.  But he was getting so quick to ask that if we went to the store for 10 
minutes my girls would joke that when we got home there could be THREE notes on 
the door .... all from Jim.

Well, last week he did it (again) and when the second I brought LuLu in his 
neighbor over the BACK fence unleashed 2 kids and a grandma all howling and I 
thought to myself .... serves him right.  And then on Sunday I took the girls to 
see the Avengers movie and when we got home we were chuckling in the driveway at 
Jims expense about how he didn't dare ask them to bring their KIDS inside and 
they howled for a full hour.  And then Julianne said "oh NO mom!  Mr Conley is 
in his garage and he heard every word we said he has a VERY unhappy face."  Oh 
Lord.  This is a quiet block and we've all lived along side each other for 15 
years and now what do I do?  


I think I've mentioned a time or two ... I have good neighbors.  Monday was 
memorial day.  The weather was spot on perfect .... 70 degrees with a slight 
breezed and NO bugs.  Everyone in their right mind was in their yard.  
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  LuLu ..... GOOD Girl LuLu GOOD Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  That's my 
girl LuLu no bark.  All day.  She could hear all these people in all these yards 
and every time she started up (which was 100s) we corrected her.  And didn't 
shut the dog door once.

I heard the (howling) kids come out.  Seconds later I heard something new for 
the first time.  Their FATHER.  Shhhhhhhhhhhh  you guys why are you screaming 
there is no reason for it.  No, no, no why are you screaming?  You scream when 
you are bored?  Not OK.  You must come inside if you are going to behave like 
that I have heard from a neighbor that you are disturbing others.

Later I was gardening in front and I heard LuLu start up and nobody shhhhhh'd 
her.  After about 1/2 hour Jim came out front and said "Dale, I really 
appreciate your efforts to teach LuLu not to bark at the neighbors.  I hear you 
correcting her and praising her and that is wonderful.  However, she has been 
barking now for about 1/2 hour and I wondered if you could bring her inside for 
a little while until she settles down."

Aparently ..... it turns out I was the bad neighbor.  Sigh.  If I had the 
decency to tell Jim that I didn't mind bringing her in but not at the first sign 
of a bark we wouldn't have been making fun of him in front of our kids (blush).  
If any of us had the common sense to tell the neighbor over the back fence that 
his kids sometimes disturb others when they go outdoors then we all wouldn't 
have been making fun of his children inside our homes.

All's well that ends well.  Just kind of embarassing.  I'll get over it.

more later from the clueless momPerson (see why they call me this?)
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