Lessons From a Midnight Mouse

I jolted awake to the sound of scratching and scampering, followed by an excited "Woof!" from our terrier, Tess. I turned on the bedside lamp, revealing our pup's intense focus on something beneath our dresser. That's when I spotted it—a tiny grey mouse darting across our bedroom floor.

Talk about a rude awakening! Living in rural Wales, backed up against sheep pastures and woodlands, I suppose we should have expected such visitors sooner. But after two years without any uninvited guests, we'd grown complacent. Now, here we were, at midnight, watching our typically sweet-natured terrier transform into a determined hunter.

Needless to say, sleep proved elusive that night. Between Tess's vigilant guard duty and my heightened awareness of every little sound, morning couldn't come soon enough.

Dana Rongione 26/10/2022 Dana Rongione 26/10/2022

Why Is Waiting So Hard?

After having Tess for a couple of weeks and giving her time to get acclimated to her new environment, we began some basic training with her. The first step was to teach her to sit. It took a few days, but now, she has that one down pat to the point she does it before we ask her to.

The second step hasn’t been quite as successful. She’s getting there, but like me, the girl has a hard time waiting. We’re teaching her to sit and wait until we give her the okay before rushing after her food, kong, or toys. She’ll sit, but the waiting is still a work in progress.