The enforcer

Wow, two days without my camera and I was feeling a little lost. Of course I get a photo request when my camera is in getting cleaned. So with camera back in hand I'm good for the day.

What I want to discuss this morning is enforcing. Enforcing; meaning to follow through with a request to your dog and not letting it slide. Lastnight we had tri-tip, almost everyone was home and we were having a wonderful dinner in the backyard with the sun setting and the sky lit up in beautiful pinks and blues.

Tri-tip is always an issue in the house, it is a huge hit with the human boys and an even bigger hit with Luke, the canine boy. The problem starts when I pull it out of the fridge. Luke can be in a dead sleep and he knows the second it is on the counter. He runs into the kitchen with an outstretched nose I give him a stare and he remembers himself.

Once on the bbq he is hovering, mostly standing on the stairs out in front of me which puts him at a height advantage. When the tri-tip was cooked to perfection, steaming; the aroma feeling the air, I spread the food out in the kitchen as a sort of self serve deal. Everyone sat down and Luke starts his rounds, staring at whomever he thinks might cough up some tri-tip for him.

I've had just about enough when he approached my daughters boyfriend for a begging session. The dogs use to sit incely; all on a bed while we ate at our last house but rules have not been established yet in this new yard. So I pull out the bed and ask them all to lay down there and stay. The girls comply immediately without a peep.

Luke has in his eyes that he is not in the mood. So I get my enforcer suit on. With his eyes darting back and forth I know he is waiting for the moment I turn my eyes away. And he takes the chance moving in once again. I give him the look, he has a desperate look on his face as I push my chair out with purposeful force.

He then runs to the other side of his beggy in attempts of avoiding the enforcer. Quickly I round him up with my body in the "I mean business" posture. He's down again but not for long. As I watch him I can see he is forming his mouth for a definant bark but is hesitating for good reason. Should he bark at me, he knows he's going to be in for it.

So after several round ups, he gets a poke; serving as a "period" end of topic, end of discussion!!!! He gets it. After about 5 min. and everyone is done eating I release him. What a guy!