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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Fauna Update: Butterflies and barking

Can you find the chyrsalis of the black swallowtail in this photo? It's the blob that looks like a daub of mud on the side of the box, just about dead center in this photo. There are two more in the box and one of a different unknown butterfly. What we don't know is how long they will pupate. This late in the season they may stay dormant all winter and emerge in the spring. Or if the weather stays warm, they could come out in a couple of weeks.
The back fence neighbor came to call again yesterday -- he who complained about the barking dogs on September 11. Let me be clear, I think he is absolutely right. They are a terrible nuisance. However, when it comes to protecting the boys, I cannot be rational. I did dump the boys' story on him, explaining why I felt I had to keep the dogs. He was truly touched, but unswerving in his position that something had to been done. Again, I'm in total agreement. I told him I had been trying really hard since he first complained and he countered that they barked five straight hours yesterday. I was gone for three hours and they may have barked that entire time, but I know they didn't bark five hours. Anyway three hours is too much. I get it. So, this morning Logan and I headed for PetSmart right after church and bought anti-bark electronic collars. They have been wearing them all day and still bark some, but much less. The collars have a chip in them that is supposed to calibrate the intensity of the "correction" by monitoring the frequency, duration, and intensity of the barking. They can wear the collars up to ten hours a day. If they work, that should be enough to keep us all out of jail and in the good graces of the neighbors. I hate this stuff.

3 comments:

  1. I am sorry that you have an icky neighbor. It takes a little while for the bark collars to really start being effective (the dogs have to learn to expect the consequence, just like kids). Once they know that it isn't a temporary thing and they can expect that barking equals a correction, they will stop. Hopefully everyone can live in harmony til then though. Good luck!

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  2. I don't have an icky neighbor, he's really quite nice and I think we'll end up friends. But I do have an icky situation and icky dogs! Thanks for caring and listening (reading).

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  3. I do hope that you both get to move past this - and that the dogs will let you *crosses fingers*

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