Notifications
by carolynholm
Dear Mom,
The guy on the scooter went by again!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
I know. You notified us. But I wish you wouldn’t bark every time he goes by.
Love, Carolyn
Dear Mom,
But it’s so exciting!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
And then late last night everything was quiet and suddenly you were barking like a crazy dog. It startled us awake.
Love, Carolyn
Dear Mom,
I thought you should know. Here it was in the middle of the night and out in the dark our neighbor and his son were zooming down the middle of the street on their skateboards. It was so weird. I had to notify everyone.
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
I’ll give you that one. It was a compelling situation. But you bark at everyone.
Love, Carolyn
Dear Mom,
Not everyone. Just the interesting people!!!!! Like the guy who goes by on his bicycle with the trailer full of groceries.
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
Yes, you bark at him every time. And anyone with a dog. The skinny guy with the Chihuahua just went by and you exploded with barking. I nearly spilled my coffee.
Love, Carolyn
Dear Mom,
They took me by surprise. I was napping when suddenly there they were, walking by. Of course I exploded. It was a startled notification.
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
Startled is right. You startled all of us. Puffin took off like a shot. He’s probably under the bed now.
Love, Carolyn
Dear Mom,
It’s not my fault. It’s because we live in a busy city neighborhood. People walk by all the time. And most of them with a dog or two. That’s a lot of notifying.
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
Maybe we could let some of them pass without a notification? How about if we limit the barking to dogs who we know personally?
Love, Carolyn
Dear Mom,
I know all of them. When I can smell them, I know them.
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
I forgot to take your dog nose point of view into consideration. So, how about if we limit the notifications to dogs we know so well that we know their names? And only bark at Kody, Spencer, Kimi, Rosie and Baxter when they go by?
Love, Carolyn
Dear Mom,
I’ll try. But I can’t guarantee it. I’m not sure I can keep from notifying when barks are bursting to get out of me.
XOXO Poppy
Dear Poppy,
Let’s give it a try. There may be treats involved.
Love, Carolyn
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Or you could try NOT barking at dogs & people you know. That worked out pretty well for my dogs – including several Elkhounds, who are known to bark at rocks.
How did you train them? Poppy knows what “quiet” means, but she’s too excited to obey, unless there are treats involved – when she knows I have treats, and I say QUIET, she runs over to me expecting a treat. But no treats, and she’s back to the crazy barking.