The Pony may be all grown up, but he does not command respect. Animals walk all over him. Figuratively, though he'd better watch his back...
Copper Jack ignores him when we try to shut him up for house-calling servicemen for heating and cooling, telephone lines, and DISH paraphernalia. That's unless The Pony pretends to offer him food. But as far as at least looking guilty when commanded NO... that only works when I do it.
Same with little Jack. When he tears out of the yard to bark at road-walkers, The Pony's voice goes unheard.
Stockings the peeing pooping cat also ignores The Pony. "Come on, Snuggles. MOVE! Get out of the way! Mom has to come up the steps. GIT!" That cat acts like he's deaf, dumb, and glued to the porch.
Monday evening, when the storm passed through, I saw Juno slink under the front window. She NEVER does that when there's a storm! She stays in her house. But here she was.
"I see you, Juno. Who's a good dog? Juno's a good dog! It's okay. Just a storm. You're fine."
She looked in, wagging her shaggy tail. I waved my arms around so she could see me on the short couch.
"Pony. Go to the door and tell Juno she's okay. She's nervous."
The Pony stepped out. I saw Juno walk over to him. Then she was out of sight, due to the wall, and the long couch blocking the bottom half of the door that The Pony had left ajar.
All at once, HERE WAS JUNO! INSIDE THE HOUSE! She NEVER does that! In fact, over the past nine years, we've TRIED to lure her inside, when under a tornado warning. All the other dogs have come in. Grizzly the chocolate lab/beagle combo, Poor Dumb Ann the black german shepherd, and Tank the obstinate beagle (who even got in on his own through the basement door while we were at school, and was found sleeping on the basement couch). Juno wasn't having it. She always refused. Would take a tentative step, then whimper and back out. No amount of coaxing could bring her in. She'd slither away like a greased pig if you tried to pick her up.
Anyhoo... here she was! Walking towards me from behind the couch.
"Get her out of here!" said grouchy Farmer H the never-petter.
The Pony called to Juno, who turned around. She's a very good girl. Always respectful to HUMANS, unless food is involved.
"I can't believe she came in like that..."
"MOM! There she is again! She heard you!"
Indeed. Every time The Pony would lure Juno back out to the porch, she'd hear me or Farmer H, and walk back in. Despite The Pony telling her NO.
"I can't keep her out! You two need to be quiet!"
"Just close the door, Pony!"
"I can't get her all the way out! She HEARS you!"
He finally lured her out farther, and got between Juno and the door, then backed in while closing it. There might have been some shoving involved.
Seriously. How hard can it be to dominate Sweet, Sweet Juno? I guess the animals still think of The Pony as a childhood playmate.
They still think of him as a young colt, galloping through the pasture.
ReplyDeletePoor Juno. It was like she had been dropped into a game of Frogger. She kept moving towards the door, and then back (at the sound of your or Farmer H's voice). Then she'd move forward again, then back...
(And maybe Farmer H summoned the storm by showing it the moon.)
ReplyDeleteSioux,
ReplyDeleteYes, with his flowing mane blowing in the wind. After being untangled over the shower drain, of course.
Yes, poor sweet Juno. She came to our voice, knowing we would keep that storm away from her! She even adores the never-petter, Farmer H. Even walked down the steps of Poolio to be near him, then was too afraid to come back up.
***
Sioux 2,
That sight would curdle the milk of human kindness! So it was a revenge storm.
Sioux Extra,
ReplyDeleteSweet, Sweet Juno's head can be seen in the picture of the ladder, coming around the bend to see what's going on. Or maybe just trying to regain the safety of her dog house after getting a drink.
The Pony will always be a playmate to the dogs, unless he develops a firm, no nonsense tone to his voice. I am pleased Juno came inside though, now she might be more comfortable about coming in when you need her to, like in a hurricane or something.
ReplyDeleteI've found a couple of sharp handclaps along with "out" get my Lola moving when she doesn't want to. I don't do that too often though, she is easily scared by rough treatment.
River,
ReplyDeleteA hand clap would break Juno's heart. She is not used to being scolded. I will gladly try it on the peeing pooping cat, if I have both hands free when it is in my way again. Last time I was holding the porch rail, with my precious magical elixir in the other hand. I tried to scoop him out of the way with my foot. He just went limp, so it was like I was lifting weights (extremely LIGHT weights) with a bean bag on my ankle!