<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>Hi all, it's the clueless momPerson here,</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>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? </DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>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."</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>All's well that ends well. Just kind of embarassing. I'll get over it.</DIV>
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<DIV>more later from the clueless momPerson (see why they call me this?)</DIV></div></body></html>