Marley, Marley, Marley!
Farmer
H let Marley out to run on Tuesday afternoon, while he was mowing the
front yard/field. I'd say it was about three or four hours. When done
mowing, Farmer H didn't see Marley, so he got on the Gator and started
up to HOS's (Farmer H's Oldest Son's) former homestead to fetch him.
"I
guess Marley had explored enough, and was satisfied that nobody was
there. He was running down the hill towards me before I even got there."
"He probably heard the Gator."
"Yeah.
I picked him up and put him in the Gator, but I didn't have my rope.
Marley jumped right out, but he ran along with me. The other dogs was
down there following me. I found a BLAH BLAH BLAH (piece of a tractor)
that fell off the Barn Guy's tractor, so I stopped to give it to him."
[Barn
Guy lives at the top of Farmer H and Buddy's Badly Blacktopped Hill.
His boys were the same age as our boys, and they bowled in a league
together. He just lost his wife this winter, to pancreatic cancer.]
"When I got out of the Gator, Marley ran up to Barn Guy and BIT HIM ON THE BACK OF THE LEG!"
"Did he break the skin?"
"No. Barn Guy was wearing jeans. I don't know what got into Marley."
"Were Barn Guy's dogs around?"
"No. The husky was in the house. Just our dogs was there."
"Did you spank Marley?"
"I lifted him up in the air by the collar!"
"That's not really the way to go about it."
"I didn't have a leash or a rope. I yanked him back the best way I could. He knew he done wrong."
"Did you yell NO, and act all harsh with him?"
"Yeah. Jack came running over there to get after Marley, snarling at him!"
"Jack's really protective. He did that with me when I yelled at
Copper Jack for sniffing around my chicken when I was carrying
groceries."
"Yeah. The dogs were fine with Marley,
until he bit Barn Guy. I guess maybe Marley's learning where he lives.
But now we've gotta watch the biting. Come to think of it, Marley bit
Buddy a couple summers ago, when he was down here with HOS."
"Marley
might not like men. I imagine HOS was pretty harsh with him. Like he
was with his big Marmaduke-looking dog, letting him know who was boss."
"Maybe. Me and Jack let Marley know this time!"
Marley is a work in progress. We're not giving up on him.
A work in progress and making progress. Marley is going to be just another family member soon enough. You'll have to start carrying out extra treats.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteI do feel guilty when doling out daily treats to the other dogs, with poor Marley banished to his pen across the yard. When he's out, I give him treats, too. As you might imagine, Marley is very excited. I don't dare feed him out of my hand!
Marley doesn't get treats every time? Awww :(
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteNo. I give out treats after I set down my magical elixir on the kitchen counter. Toss them out the kitchen door for Jack, hand them inside Juno's dog house, and fling one over her dog house for Copper Jack. I'm not hiking across the yard to Marley's pen, with the other three on my heels, trying to steal a spare treat destined for Marley.
I do break out the special treats, like cut-up hot dogs, to share with all, when Marley is leashed and on the porch. He can't have too much bread, because he's a little dog, and it may clog him up.