One Point in Overawe

Forgive the obscure RPG reference (Deadlands, if anyone cares).

Bria has found her voice! I'm not sure if I'm thrilled or leary. Yes, she has barked at the horses before and at me if I go off riding without her, but the other day, she started barking at THINGS.

Now I have been trying to teach the wee doggie to "speak" for a while now without success. But she has been growing and becoming more sure of herself, so she talks a bit more. I managed to harness that with the clicker, and she will offer "speak" now when I ask for it.

I was clearing up after supper the other night, and I heard her barking. Not play bark, actual bark. (Funny how I have learned the difference in just two months.) So I went out to see what she saw. Couldn't see much of anything, but then I noticed a couple people walking on the road. So for actually barking at something she got a lot of praise. Of course, not too much later, I went out to play with her, let her off her line, and what does she do? Run out towards the road....which I figured out was where those walkers were, walking back. *sigh* So she had to go pester them and completely ignored recall. I have learned not to run after her when she runs towards the road (that just excites her more), so I was just walking quickly after her. Well, the walkers and the dog went behind the trees, and I heard the woman shriek. Oh great. At least the guy had enough sense to make himself look big and "scare" Bree back from them. Which I actually really appreciated because I don't want her running out at people like that much less going onto the road. I called her again, and she came to me, and I apologized to the walkers. Silly dog got a good earful as I was taking her back around the house.

Day before yesterday (Monday), I suppose it was, I was inside, and I heard Bria barking again. Not the play bark, but an attention-getting bark. I have made a habit of going out to see what she's barking at whenever I hear even a tiny non-play bark (this is to teach the dog that if she barks at something, someone will come out to see and then her job is done), so I went outside to see. Well, Grandma was down at the front of the property. *sigh* I guess at least the dog is showing me that she is aware. But then a little while later, she starts up with the barking again. Now Grandma was over in the orchard. *another sigh* Okay, well at least she's barking. Now I guess all I need to do is start asking her to "speak" when cars drive in. And continue to work on her not running out to the road.

Then last night, I was watching a movie, and I thought I heard a dog barking. Didn't think anything of it, of course, it's the country, dogs bark. Went back to my movie, but it continued, and I started to think...that sounds like Bria. Of course, it was 9:30 at this point, but I went and turned on the porch light and looked out. Didn't see anything, and I don't think it could have been a person or anything too big because what she was barking at seemed to be down by the horses, but the horses weren't doing anything in particular. I didn't go out to check for myself, of course. The thought this morning is it could have been a 'coon down there. Oh well. At least I got to see a really amazing shimmering gold moon. Something I'm not sure I've really seen before.