At least she knows the rules

When we’re trying to get a message across that there is unwanted behavior happening, we take away the item of interest, stop the activity or otherwise shut down the catalyst that is causing the problem. Whatever it is, access to it is given back to T2 when they’ve stopped the naughty behavior. The catalyst may be a toy that’s prompted a quarrel. It could be access to the couch (which is not a jungle gym, though sometimes it is mistaken for one by T2.) Lately the catalyst list also includes the balcony, which is the site of excessive barking at neighboring dogs, people parking their cars in the lot three floors below, leaves that blow past and, one day, the cats from two doors over who were making their way to our balcony via the exposed structural beams between units.

Pit bulls are smart dogs, bred to please their people. T2 are good girls and we know that they genuinely want to do the right thing, even if they sometimes get sidetracked. So lately, though Téa cannot resist the need to bark at things outside, she has added a new twist to her routine. She will patiently wait and wait for something (hopefully the new dog right next door) that deserves her attention and is worth the repercussion. She will bark, once, twice, maybe three times—a little aggravated ridge of fur standing on end along her neck, tail straight out (at least as straight as it goes) making tiny, agitated helicopter circles. Then she will whirl around and bound back inside, waiting for us to close the door behind her. She’ll stand with her nose pressed against the glass in the door as if she’s been brought in against her will and wait to be let out again. When we open the door after a minute or two, the whole process starts all over again from the beginning.

But at least we’re clear that she knows the rules: no barking on the balcony or you’ll have to come in.