He ain't no dummy!

We have always kept Hogan's food and water just a few steps across the yard under a small patio. This has never been a problem for him and his food has always been kept dry, except for when the girls are playing in the water out there!


It's been raining the last couple of days and the weather is colder, so I have had his water bowl moved closer to the house. The food would not stay dry this close to the house. Plus, if you've ever seen a Boxer eat or drink you know that they leave a puddle or a pile of slobbery crumbs all around their bowl due to the shape of their snout. It's not fun to keep those kinds of things in the house, especially with small and curious children and tile that's slippery when wet!


So, his water is now kept just outside the back door. At 3:00 in the morning, he woke me to let him outside. I thought he just had to go to the bathroom, but he must have mostly been thirsty. I opened the back door for him and he proceded to bend his neck around the doorway and drink a large amount of water without actually stepping outside.


He's certainly not stupid!


When he was done with his drinking, he did manage to step those few feet away to pee in the closest possible patch of grass to the door. He gave me a look that told me there was no way in hell I should close him outside. Boxers are great in the way you can read their facial expressions.


He did the same thing this morning and I managed to get a picture. It is wet and muddy outside and you can see, just to the left of him, where he has chewed the doorway trying to get back in while we were gone. He started that behavior long before the weather was bad. He just hates to be locked out.


It's becoming more and more difficult to leave the house. He panicks when locked outside and will tear through whatever he can to try to get back in. Those wrought iron chairs are protecting our back door from further damage, since he has already ripped the screens and bent their frames up. I can't leave him in the house, as he needs to have access to the outside to relieve himself at any given time. He is okay for awhile, safe behind the chain link fence. I guess I will have to put another blanket in the outside shed for him lie on while we are gone. During the day, it doesn't get below the 50's...but that's still pretty chilly for my poor old man! When the sun is out and the kids are playing in the yard, you can find Hogan stretched out in the grass, soaking up the sun's warmth.


Like I said, he ain't no dummy!