Dear DRC, From Boca

[Adina P]

Dear DRC,

I'm really happy you rescued me. These people you gave me are not bad. But, if possible, I'd like a re-write of the contract. At first I thought it was great that I got one of those 'Inside Families' with a cozy house and all. But I'm suffocating in here! They have this awesome backyard...full of sticks, and twigs, and toys, and bones, and smelly things! And SQUIRRELS...oh heavens, the SQUIRRELS! But my people are such sticks in the mud!

They are all proper and are following that part in the contract where it says that the doodle must be housed indoors. Which is fine...at night...in the winter when it's cold. But really? All the time? Hellll-OOOO...I'm a DOG! Houses are boring!

And they are SOOOOO hard to train. Right now, I'm ringing the bell to go outside (because they've held me captive indoors for the past 10 whole minutes) and NOBODY has opened the door for me. It's been about 5 rings! For some reason they keep calling me inside as though they're about to do something exciting...and then they just go back to their computers, or watch tv...or play with that little person that can't talk and crawls everywhere. So...I do what any normal doodle would do, I ring to go out. And they are not responding. What a bait and switch!

They keep saying that I've already gone out 96 times today. AS IF that's enough. Moms! Just because she's mad there's white powder all over the ground. Sheesh.

So, DRC, is there any chance we can re-write the contract so it says that *I* am a special doodle that MUST be an outside dog (except at bedtime)? Like for example...when they go to Wal Mart or Mom goes to work and Dad is busy...that would be the PERFECT time to practice my outdoor adventures. If they aren't home anyway...why do I have to be? Pretties please do this for me, please DRC? Houses are sooooo boring!

Uh oh...gotta go! Hopefully Mom doesn't delete this!

Bored in the Abode, Boca

[Obsidian]

Dear Boca,

I totally get what your sayin! Maybe you & your mom can come to an agreement like me an my handler have. I say handler because my 'mom' is my charge and she can't let me out. (I am a service dog).

I work real hard all day and all night, I rarely have any 'time off', so when I ring my bell 96 times a day it got really annoying to the family, except my charge 'Harli', she thought it was wicked kewl fun.

Now if I ring my bell they dont bring me back in til I bark. *unless of course its those dangerous windchills we get up here sometimes, then I dont even wanna go out let alone stay out for more than a few seconds!! these times they wait for me by the door an I do my business without even sniffing first!*

I so love this bark arrangement because it lets me have some serious play time out in the snow, the warm sun etc. If I dont feel like playing I just bark right after I am done using the potty. I have toys in the yard for my enjoyment too, so I never get bored and annoy the neighbors.

I would ask your mom about a rule that :)

good luck dood

Obi

[Carol and Banjo]

Hey Boca....I don't have a bell by the door....I just go over by the door and make my little moooaning sound and it's ALWAYS worked like a charm up until about a week ago. After dinner one night I moaned to be brought out and Mom was right there to take me out. I did "my business" and we went back inside. I waited for just a few minutes and went to the door and moaned again and Dad took me out and I just sniffed around and had a bit of fun playing in the leaves and after a bit we went back inside. Dad told Mom I didn't do anything (I did though!!! I played in the leaves!!! Didn't he see me!). "Hmmmm....Mom said maybe he's go something going on with his stomach or something." Again, after a while I did my moan thing and they IGNORED me!! That has NEVER happened before! So I really started moaning and they STILL ignored me til finally Dad got nervous that I would do something "bad in the house". (Me do something bad????) Huh??
Anyways, I got to go outside AGAIN WOO HOO!!!! Only this time I could tell Dad was annoyed that all I wanted to do was sniff around and play hockey with the acorns. Back in the house and no matter how much noise I made my parents just pretended I wasn't even there....well...Mom did try to distract me with a game of ball and that was fun....but I really wanted to just be outside playing!
I've tried to get them to take me outside when they know I don't NEED to go outside but I'm beginning to get bored with this....I really hate it when they ignore me!!! Maybe when your bored Boca you and I can "chat online"......OH....that's if I can get Mom to get off this computer long enough!

[Leigh & Allie]

Boca, Allie here. I have a bell as well and my daddy does not let me out every time I ring it, but Mommy does. Boy, do I have her trained. But here's the thing.......I like being inside much better. Sometimes I don't even want to go outside to do my business. I even make mommy come outside with me. I like being with her much better then the outside thing. I have discovered the flower beds though. I don't think mommy likes me in there much. She goes inside and leaves me outside as soon as I get in there. I am beginning to get the picture that this does not make her very happy. Before I can come inside again, mommy makes me sit. Then she wipes off my feet and gets all of the leaves off of me. Then she leaves me outside and tells me to stay. Then she goes inside and leaves the door open. I have to sit there until she says "OK" then I come running and jumping inside. I love it inside!! Maybe you will change your mind when you get a little bigger? Anyway, happy thanksgiving. I think you have a lot to be thankful for!!

[Pat and Traveler]

Hi, Boca--Traveler here. I don't know what a 'contract' or a 'bell' is, but I think you should go outside whenever you want. If 'bell' helps with that, I like 'bell.' I keep trying to teach my Mom that she should just leave the door open all the time, then I could go in and out without all that drama about 'Not again! You were just outside five minutes ago!' Sheeeesh! Just LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN! Gotta love your humans, but they sure have some training issues.
Your pal,
Traveler

[Adina P]

Boca here: Ned and Clancy...I want to be growed up! Do you think college is like the CGC? Or what if I got an obedience title? Does that count as college? If so, I'm gonna work REALLY hard at being obedient.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Dear Boca,
We think your mom has to honor the contract until you are Growed up (whatever that is). I hear my parents say our brother is Growed up now that he is in college. Growed up kids get to do lots of things like stay outside as long as they want - my brother gets to stay out all the time. He is gone for days and days because he is in college. Maybe you should go to college when you get Growed up so you could stay out for days and days too. Ned and Clancy

[Donna M Lowry]

Dear Boca, All I can say is I am so Thankful that my doodle does not know how to use the computer!!! You just listen to you mom!

[Adina P]

Thanks for indulging Miss Bored Boca's plight. I don't know what it is with the female dogs we've had...they are just such outdoor girls! Rosco...nope. Maybe once a day he likes hanging outside for a bit longer, but for the most part he'd MUCH rather lay around indoors. Boca? Nope. Don't worry she's not being kicked, out but she really LOVES spending as much time as possible in the yard. I don't like spending time out there and thus I will only leave her out so long unsupervised. It's just NEVER enough. Until between 8 and 9pm when she crashes for the night. Silly dog!

[Teri Fann, Goldens-n-Doodles]

Dearest Boca:
I would like to see the contract - I'll see if I can find it. Being an "inside" dog to me means that you do not LIVE fulltime outside - i.e., never come inside, sleep outside, stay outside, etc. Not to get your hopes up, but I would think that being an inside dog doesn't necessarily mean that you only get to go outside on a leash or for potty time. Our dogs are inside dogs but play outside in the hazard-free, fenced backyard when it is nice or when the snow is perfect for making doodle angels. We don't like them out when it's raining even though they would love it - muddy doods ar so much work! And of course, when it's too cold and/or windy, and never overnight. Boca, have you asked DRC what "inside" means? I can't imagine it would mean you are a prisoner. But I must say that as a breeder and a foster of rescues, I'm impressed that your Mom is so diligent in keeping to the letter of the contract - that's a sign of a great Mom and your blessed to have her. But I do agree that doodles need outside time without a leash or just because it's a potty break. And if you can do that, will you promise not to ring the bell 96 times a day?????

Teri

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Yeah my mom sometimes ignores my bell ringing too. I think she has caught on that I will ring the bells so I can have a barkfest with Abby & Ace who live on the other side of our fence.