Oh, that dog!!

Ok, so the night before last. . . I was ready for bed. I was REALLY hoping not to have to fight with the dog for 10 minutes telling him to go to bed.

Our usual nightly ritual: I stand in the middle of the bedroom and tell Bently to come. He stands outside the door and stares at me. (The kennel is on the opposite side of the room from the door.)

I tell him to come. He steps inside the room and stares at me.

I sternly tell him to COME and point to the ground in front of me. He comes halfway between the doorway and me and stares at me.

I say (loudly) "BENTLY CUPID! COME! HERE!" and put my finger on the ground. He comes here and refuses to look at me. So I pet him for a second and say, "Good boy. Now go to bed." He stands there and refuses to look at me.

"Go on, go to bed!" I coax. He inches closer to the kennel and refuses to look at me. (I'm laughing as I type.)

"Bently! Get to bed!!!" in a slightly harsh voice. Finally, he's halfway between me and the kennel. Still won't spare a glance my way.

"Dang it, Bently!! Get in that bed RIGHT NOW!!!" He steps up to the door of the kennel, turns around and looks at me (with those sad puppy dog eyes, of course), and then turns around and heads back towards the door. (Oh, no he di'n't!!) And then I move from my spot.

As I stomp over to him, he throws himself onto the ground (all of six inches away when he's standing up tall) and rolls over. I (sucker that I am) pick him up. I love on him for half a sec. (grudgingly, mind you!) and set him back on his feet with his nose at the doorway of the kennel. "Go on, get in there!" He steps in, turns around, huffs at me, and pouts. I lock the door and feel bad (but I would never show him that!).

On Monday night I'm ready for bed and get myself geared up for the fight. He WILL obey me, tonight!! I walk to the middle of the room, and say, "Bently, come!" He's off somewhere in another part of the house pretending not to hear me as usual. . . or so I thought. Into the bedroom he trots, walks right past me and straight into his bed without a second thought! ALLELUIA!!!!! I knew I would win one day!

And then I noticed he had the rest of his rawhide bone. Oh well. Pick your battles.