Our Horrible Little Dog!

[Updated today, 2023/06/2.]

Presently we have two dogs: a 90-pound 'boxador', a boxer crossed with a Chocolate Lab; and a 30-pound sort of terrier mutt.  The larger dog is a perfect gentleman: he doesn't go through any doors until he has been given an explicit invitation.  The smaller dog does what he pretty well pleases.  This report is about the smaller dog, a sort of canine hooligan.

They both unfortunately beg at the dining table.  We're not sure who introduced them to the concept, but at every meal, there they are, looking as though they haven't eaten for months.  Once we've taken our empty plates to the sink, the larger dog may look sadly at whatever is still in the dishes on the table.  The smaller dog gets up on his hindlegs, and strains towards the dishes.  If one of them is within his reach, I would guess that he would drag it off the table and have his way with it.

The older dog, now about 12 years old, is prone to urinary accidents, so we urge him to go out and do his business every few hours.  The little rascal is happy to fly out with his bigger comrade, but he goes to the back gates and barks.  He barks at everything: people walking by, a dog in a yard a quarter mile away, passing cars, the dog next door, and even stationary, inanimate objects, like cars, or the house across the street.  The older boy rarely ever barks.  But if junior barks in a particularly urgent way, he is tricked into joining him in a bark.

I get the impression that their eyesight is not very good.  But nor is their hearing fantastic.  My stepson has a pickup to whose engine sound they are particularly attuned.  Even before he's turned into our alley on his way back from some errand, they're seated at the back door, tails wagging.  At least, they used to; nowadays, they get excited even if another pickup goes along the street.  Conclusion: their discrimination of sounds is getting worse.

We used to take them, at one time, to this nice local park, located in a little island, where they could run around off their leashes, chasing imaginary rabbits and squirrels.  But as their barking hobby has grown in importance, we're not inclined to make the effort to take them out; all it will do is make a public nuisance for everyone who lives in the vicinity of that park.  The senior (larger) dog is not a huge problem, but the little one most definitely is.  Mind you, he is really, really cute, and we often can't resist letting him do what he wants.  But our civic responsibility comes first, and we find ourselves depriving both dogs from having much fun.

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