SHUT THE FRONT DOOR !!!

  My alarm doesn't wake me up at the preset time of 4:00 am. I am awake ten minutes before it goes off and I get up. I am working early today. Because I am up a little earlier than I need to be I decide to do a few chores around the house before getting ready for work. Our house does not have an inside doorway into the garage, so to do laundry I have to go out the front door and then into garage thru its door. I am folding a load of towels when suddenly there is a big bang on the garage door (the big roll up door). It has been slammed by something on the outside. I freeze. Do I go outside?  Do I ignore it ? I listen and hear nothing or no one out there. My imagination. Of course not. No choice but to open the door and see whats up. So I slowly open the door, step out side and suddenly out of the shadows is WILLIS. Our black collie. He is happily dancing around as if to say ,"Look at me Mom, I am outside, yippee"! Shoo, that was scary, I give him a big hug and march him back into the house. As we are making our way to the door I ask him if he let Ben our other collie out as well, just as he turns to look down the driveway hear comes Ben prancing towards the house, all happy happy happy.

So, Willis loves Doors. Not The Doors as in Jim Morrison, but, wooden doors, glass doors, metal doors, plastic doors any kinda door that opens. Willis has figured out how to open and close doors. He recently began shutting himself into the bathroom. As a precaution so he wont have to spend the day trapped in one of the two bathrooms I have taught Ben how to open the doors when Willis is whining to get out. We made a game of me and Willis in the bathroom and Ben on the outside. We call to Ben and he has to push the door open and everyone gets rewarded. Problem solved.

This was working great. Now I wouldn't have to worry about Willis being stuck while I am away at work. One day I am reading in the living room and I hear Ben do his "inside" Bark. He does it again and again. I go to investigate only to find both my boys now shut in the bathroom. :(     So much for my rescue plan.

Funny dog. He can now open the patio door, front door , and bathroom doors. Only a couple months ago when we first got him we had to bribe him to use his doggy door. My how they grow.