Dis Land is My Land

Lots of anipals don't know dis bout me, but I barks a lot.  I has vewy good reasons for doing so.  Like when I wants to play wif a specific toy, or when I twying to get mommy or daddy's attention, or when sumone comes to da door but most of da time, I barks because der is anudder animal in my yard.  I knows dey is der because I spend most da day looking out da window.  I can even be sleeping but sumhow I wakes up and sees sumtin moving and I start barking.  A few times it was only a leaf moving, but most da time it be anudder animal.

Mommy tells me to stop barking but I always splain to her dat it is MY yard and udder animals can't just come running through it wheneva dey feels like it.  Mommy says I spose to share da yard and dat it is not really mine.  She said dis specially impawtant when da udder animals not has a home of dey own likes two kittehs dat sleep near our house all da time.   She says "Otis!, stop barking - dose kittehs not botherin yoo."  Mommy usually has to come get me and pick me up and takes me in anudder room to stop me from barking.  While mommy holds me she keeps splaining "da rules" - I has to be nice, I has to share, I has to be a good doggy.  I love when mommy holds me, even if she is scolding me.  I knows she is twying to teach me a lesson and I twy, I really do twy to understand.

And den....I quite down.  I get all cozy in her arms.  I feel her heart beating and it makes me feel safe.  She is cuddling me and rubbing my ears.  Oh, how I loves dat.  She kisses me.  She tells me what a good boy I am. Sumtimes she even gives me a treat.  Oh dis is heaven.  I feeling much better now.

And den....I see anudder animal in da yard! Woof!  Woof!  Woof!  I goin cwazy now!  I hear mommy, "Otis! Otis! stop barking!"......

I guess I is a work in progress.