There are Times

There are times, like right now, when Shoot The Dog is high on my priority list. It's probably a good thing I don't have a gun. Shoot the Cat is up there too - the fucking cats have discovered that they can chew through the screens in this house with no trouble at all, thus opening little cat doors for themselves whereever and whenever they choose. I went to Lowes yesterday and bought a roll of aluminum screening and carefully patched one of these holes in the kitchen window. I got up this morning to find another identically cat sized hole right next to it.

Meanwhile, Jackson has decided that there's an intruder in a tree behind the shed, just on the other side of the fence. He bayed at it for about 45 minutes until I could stand it no longer and went out to fetch him. Keep in mind that you can hear a Walker hound bay for some 2 miles. He's designed that way. I know for a fact that you can hear him here in my semi-suburban neighborhood for at least 2 1/2 blocks, since I've heard him from that far away. He was in the house. When he's close to you, like in the car, it's literally ear splitting: you're surprised that there doesn't seem to be actual blood coming out of your ears. Last time he did that in the car I hit him hard on the nose in fury and shock. Didn't faze him one iota.

So I went out and found Jackson half way over the fence, which is worrisome, and got him to come back home with me through cajoling and promises of treats. He has gotten a lot better about coming, I will say that. Now I have the door closed and he can't go out, so he's walking from door to door to window to A's closed bedroom, whimpering and scratching and occasionally howling to get back out and up that damn tree. He's driving me berserk, and I know I can't let him out until his memory of whatever was up that tree (probably a squirrel) has faded and the scent has faded too. He does the same thing whenever one of the neighbors tries to go out in their yard. When he can hear people and can't get to them, he carries on like a complete lunatic and he never, never gives up. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Why can't I have a normal dog?