Scout has been getting us up (or, at least, me -- Shelby is usually lucky enough to be able to sleep through it all) mighty early in the mornings. A few weeks ago, we were complaining that Scout started barking around 7; today, the barking-fest started at 5:15.
It starts tentatively: bark ... bark ...... bark ...... bark. Then, once nobody comes to immediately give in to her demands, it gets constant: barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark -- she can keep going at that pace for what seems like forever. Eventually, it's enough to get Digory to join in: woooooooo-rark-rark-rark-rark-wooooooooooo. (This is bad news for Scout; if Digory is wound up enough to start barking, it means that he's ready to playplayplayplayplay, and that she'll get the chasing of her life once they're both set free.)
She doesn't seem to be barking for anything: once I finally let her out, she's not in a big hurry to go outside, or to curl up on the couch or some other comfortable space.
Unfortunately, like her earlier brat dog episodes while we were living at Shelby's parents' house, I think that the only thing we can really do is wait until she decides that it's not working. My punishment-for-the-moment has been to get up and let Digory out as soon as Scout starts barking -- while leaving Scout to stew in her crate for another hour or so. I sit in the next room, delivering admonishments at the slightest hint of barking or whining.
For a while, it seemed to be working -- the noise was pushed back to a decent hour. But now, we're back to attention-seeking at 5 AM. I just hope that we can get rid of this before the weather warms up, and everybody in the neighborhood starts sleeping with their windows open ...
Posted by Kevin at March 29, 2005 06:50 AM