Going Potty

It can be rough around here when you’re an active, inquisitive dog who needs to go potty. I would imagine that MOST dogs go to the door, scratch to be let out, their owners open the door, they run out, go potty and come back in.... right? OR the dog signals they need to go out, the owner clips on a lease, grabs a coat, opens the door, and they go out. Simple right?

Not here. 

Here, I have to check the windows.... Is anything out there? Then, I open the door, making noise, sometimes saying ‘Ooogly Boogly!!! We’re coming out!’ This must happen before I can even think about opening the door and letting the dogs out. With Skye, I like to have her training collar on, just in case I miss something outside, and she takes off. I like to be sure I have a way to get her to stop chasing and come back.

You see, here, there is, more often than not, SOMETHING outside.... a grouse! turkeys! Deer or elk! Sometimes it’s a coyote. Twice in the past 12 years it was a bear.... SOMETHING. Sometimes there are more than one!  Something I don’t want the dogs to chase away, or run after. I always have to check.

If the animal is taking it’s time moseying off into the distance, I’ll try the FRONT door.... and sometimes that works... but, sometimes there’s something ELSE out front! It’s often VERY difficult to wait... but wait we must. 

 

(Look closely at this photo- see the deer outside?)

Eventually, we get it sorted out, and the dogs get their time outside. It takes a bit of effort to live in harmony in rural Montana- but for me, it’s so worth it.