I GIVE UP!!!

 

          Kuma has won. I give up. Tuesday night, we were already in bed and I was almost asleep. Kuma began barking, hopped off the bed and ran to the living room to stand on the couch, stare out the window and continue barking his fool head off. I kept saying loudly, “NO BARK!!!” but it did absolutely no good.

          I got myself out of bed and went down the hall, remote in hand and tried the noise button…no response, just more barking…, the vibration button…no response, more barking. So, I hit the shock button and Kuma yelped, hopped off the couch and headed for the bedroom.

          I felt very bad, but he no more got in the bedroom than he turned right around, ran back to the living room and began barking again. I followed and hit the shock button again…he yelped and I felt bad. We played this little game a couple of more times until I closed the bedroom door to keep him there.

          Apparently, the shocks made Kuma very nervous and upset. I was upset, but not nervous. He was up on the bed, off the bed, panting, growling and acting totally crazy. I put the remote away and took off the collar, thinking Kuma would calm down if he didn’t have to worry about being shocked.

          Well, that didn’t work either. He did get up and stay on the bed, but he continued growling and making little barks. I wasn’t going to get to go to sleep; in fact, I was now wide awake…wide awake and pissed. So, I picked Kuma up, walked down the hall to the dining room and pushed him into his crate. He spent the night there and seemed just fine this morning.

          After I put him in his kennel, I looked out all the windows to see if there was something going on that was making Kuma bark. There was nothing and no one that I could see. I could see the young man next door in his kitchen with someone. The window was open so could it have been that Kuma could hear them talking and that was what he found upsetting? Don’t know, just wish he’d save his barks for daytime and not when I’m going to sleep.

          Anyway, I don’t know if Kuma enjoyed his night, but I certainly enjoyed mine. I slept like a log and didn’t wake up until after 8:30 am (Kuma gets me up at 6:30 am). It was later I realized the Covid booster shot I received Tuesday afternoon was most likely responsible for my long sleep.

          Today, Wednesday, I took Kuma to bally-ball hill. I chucked his tennis ball repeatedly and he was a good doggie. There was an older man and woman picking blackberries; and while Kuma went up to them, he didn’t try to jump on them. There was also another couple that came into the area with a dog on a leash. They walked around the perimeter of the field. Kuma was interested but didn’t bark or try to chase after them and their dog. Those were both improvements in his behavior.

          One thing I love about taking him to bally-ball hill is that Kuma lets me know when he’s done chasing after the ball. He goes past me with the ball in his mouth to the car. I open the back door to get his bowl, but when I open the front door, he tries to get inside. When I begin pouring water into his bowl, he gets back out and drinks a lot. Then, it’s back inside where he pants all the way home.

          Today, I didn’t put Kuma’s shock collar on or pick up the remote. I couldn’t stand how he yelped last night and how upset he was as a result. So, Kuma wins. No more shock collar. I’ll just have to wear earplugs when I go to bed, I guess.