being a puppy

It is a good thing that my charge, Jasper, is an animal and not a human child. When he has totally made me crazy I can, without much guilt and within the law, lock him in the greenhouse, put him in the garage, drive away...you get the picture. I come back later and I feel 100% better and he is as happy to see me as he ever is. Can't do that with kids, I'm told.

It is also a good thing that he has more sweet moments than irritating moments, or to the pound he would go. I keep telling him that he's one lucky dog, I don't know if it is sinking in or not.

He has a rotten habit of chasing Annabelle, the goat, who by the way is tethered to a skid and therefore can't get very far. She is, thankfully, agile enough to jump onto the roof of her doghouse/goathouse to escape Jasper's nipping teeth. But he will bark and bark and bark in a frenzy until I come out there and spank his puppy rump. And then he is golden, for awhile until he remembers Annabelle again and off he races. It is a rarity that I can finish a task without having to stop numerous times to discipline the goat chasing puppy.

At the end of the day, when I have a moment to sit and relax I can see the humor in the whole escapade. It is true that upon occasion, Annabelle will headbutt Jasper in the side just to get him going. And that is funny. And Jasper mainly wants to get her up on her house so he can eat her alfalfa pellets. That's funny too. But I tell you, it is so not funny when it is this constant and ear splitting battle each day.