.....and patience has gone right out the proverbial puppy window. This is the second time tonight that Savannah has barked, and from what I could see, there was nothing, absolutely nothing/zilch/nada on the back porch or in the yard. My guess is that she needed to go out because when I walked her up and down by the driveway at ten o'clock, all she did was try and catch the June-bugs and moths by the outside lights. When I put my head down on that pillow at 10:30, I knew I'd be walking under the moon and the stars before too long.
Savannah barked the first time at midnight, so I came downstairs and brought her outside, right in the grass near the back steps, thinking (silly me) that this would be a quick trip because the last time she peed was at 7:30. (Isn't this ridiculous? Having to keep track of the last pee so I can determine how many hours I get to sleep before a certain puppy starts to bark?)
When I took Savannah outside at midnight, all she did was pull up bits of grass, chase some moths, and generally look off into the darkness as if Godzilla were lurking at the edge of the woods. Savannah was not wanting to use the grass by the back steps and I was not wanting to walk her up by the road. A puppy stand-off if ever there was one. I just didn't want to give in. I am so tired of being up along that road in the middle of the night that for two cents right now I would give this puppy to the first wagon-load of gypsies that happens to come by. I came back into the house, and I know that Savannah knew I was not pleased with her behavior. I cannot for the life of me understand how this puppy can be ready to play with moths and eat grass in the middle of the blasted night. I took off her leash, took off my coat, didn't say a word to her at all, and went back upstairs, knowing that she'd be barking for me again before too long.
An hour later, one bark came from the bottom of the stairs. Savannah's signal that she has to go out. Down into the kitchen I came, on went the coat and shoes, on went her leash, I took the flash-light and off we went. Again, I was determined to have this dog pee in the grass by the steps and not have to go up to the road. And again... what did she do? Play with the grass.... try to catch a moth or two... and stare off into the darkness. Okay, puppy, you woke me up, now I'm going to wake you up.
Up and down that patch of grass I went, as fast as I possibly could, dragging Savannah with me, not giving her time to catch a blasted moth or get one blade of grass between her teeth. Sixteen times up and down that courtyard path is what I counted, and I was so upset with this dog I could have taken her by the paws and just shaken some puppy sense into her. But what the heck? I was wide awake anyway, and I was sick and tired of being tired and being waken up so she could play in the grass and I could get a look at the stars. The sky is beautiful out here, but I've seen it way too many times now to even appreciate it. I was just determined to tire this dog out so she was as tired as I felt at that moment.
On the 17th time walking down that courtyard patch of grass, I slowed down and so did Savannah. She looked at me then, one long searching look as if she were saying "Have you lost your mind, truly lost your mind?" And then she took two steps, just two puppy steps, and she peed in the grass. And then I walked up the porch steps, back into the house, took off her leash and my coat, and Savannah slowly walked into the breakfast room and plopped her tired puppy self into her bed. And that's where she is as I'm typing this.
I'm hoping that Savannah has gotten the message that if she barks to go out, then she had better do something and do it quickly out there or I will be racing her up and down that courtyard grass until she's dizzy and tired and has to pee just so she will be brought back into the house and be allowed to rest. As I typed that, it sounds so childish. Sort of "Okay, you got me up, so now I'm going to keep you up." My answer to that is if this is what it takes to get a decent night's sleep, then so be it. I don't mind taking Savannah outside if she truly has to go... but damn it all, if I can make the effort to get her out there into the grass, then she'd better make the effort to go.
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