Regressing

Frijolita refused to go on the leash this morning. Not even the enticement of liver dangling from my fingers could get her to come anywhere close to me. And we were doing so well, or so I thought.

I walked down the street without her, but she followed well behind me. I crossed the busy street, and had to leave her to fend for herself. She followed me for several blocks, then she met up with a couple of dogs and a park with smelly trash. I didn't see her again until I made the downtown loop and back up to my house (over a mile). Shortly after I sat down on "our" couch on my patio, she came trotting up the driveway. She still wouldn't come near me, although she was happy to see me.

At this point, she is providing more aggravation than pleasure. The night before last, she woke me up at 1am, 3am and 5am with her barking. She doesn't bark at people to protect the property; she barks at other dogs that enter the empty lots across from my house. Her barking wakes up not only me, but also the two doctors who live next door (one is a surgeon who has to operate in the morning).

Frijolita continues to dig deep holes in the yard. Yesterday I bought some industrial-strength onion and garlic powder, added water, and sprayed most of the yard. It's supposed to be a deterrent to dogs, bugs and rodents. But it didn't deter Frijolita. I have also put moth ball flakes in the dirt, but that doesn't repel her either.