Carolyn Holm

Dear Poppy,
I wish we could do something about your barking.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Do something?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Maybe do a little less.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Now I’m confused.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’m sorry. But your barking has become a problem. I have to ask you to stop barking at everything.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I don’t bark at everything! There are tons of things I don’t bark at. I don’t bark at the birds at the feeder. Or the cars that go by. Or the crows. Or when the heater comes on.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
True. But you bark at pretty much everything else.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Just the important things!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You bark when the cats are playing.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s important!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It isn’t! It doesn’t require your comment. And you bark when one of the cats walks into the kitchen while you are eating.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s so they won’t steal my food!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You bark hysterically when I say that we are going outside.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s important – it’s celebration barking!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You bark whenever Dad walks into the room. You bark whenever he leaves the room. We don’t understand the point of that.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s so that you’ll know he’s coming in and going out. Which is very important information.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No, it’s not important information. I don’t need you to bark to tell me that.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Seems important to me.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You bark whenever he gets a snack. A dog trainer told me that is “demand barking”. Sweetie, it needs to stop.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
How else will he know that I want part of his snack? Especially when it is cheese!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
He should never have shared his snacks with you. But no more. So please stop.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I still say snacks are important.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You also bark when someone walks past our house with a dog you know. And you bark when someone goes by with a dog you don’t know.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Both sound important to me.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You bark whenever someone goes by on a bicycle, or jogging, or when our neighbor Richard goes by on his skateboard. You bark when children go by laughing and talking loudly. And the squirrels. You bark like crazy at the squirrels. It’s all too much. And when you bark at all these things, how are we to know when you are barking at something really important, like someone at our door?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I always bark when someone is at our door. Especially the mailman. And the delivery people. You can count on me!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’m not sure we have made any progress here.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Don’t worry. I’ve got everything under control.
XOXO Poppy

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