What I found when I came home...

We live in a one bedroom apartment that is the top floor of a house. To get to our front door, you have to follow the sidewalk around the house to the back and then go up the stairs. There are many reasons why we like this, and many why we don't, but this isn't about that... We don't have a backyard, rather we have a side-yard on the side of the house. Up against the stairs (between the stairs and the lot behind us) is Bridger's kennel.

This is not your standard small kennel... this thing is spacious. It's about 10 ft wide and 15 ft deep. On top we have a sun shade made out of that special mesh stuff (i'm getting really technical here), so in the summer, the temperature in the kennel is fairly nice.

Inside the kennel Bridger has a concrete slab with about 5 inches of dirt on one side, a (what I like to call) trough for water, and a dog house to keep her warm from the north winds in the winter (i.e. now). We have to have this kennel for Bridger because she gets bored and will start to "explore" meaning, she will jump an 8ft fence, or literally figure out how to open the door to the kennel, or better yet eat her way out. This is the only kennel Bridger has not been able to get out of. It's one solid piece, too heavy for her to lift, on mostly concrete so she can't dig, has a roof, and the latch on the door is also reinforced with a chain and carabiner. And that could also be because she is 2 and a half now and just starting to mature.

Anyways...

Bridger is very content in her kennel. She has several times gone over to the door and asked to go in it when she's had the luxury of being in the house for an extended period of time (side note--that was before Santa brought her a bed, now I think she prefers the bed).

Bridger does a lot of things that are very weird for a dog to do. I wish I could video them and show you because she has B and I laughing at least a couple of times a day with something she does. One of the weird things she does is that she has probably only used her dog house for its intended purpose a couple of times. Yes, that includes days that it's pouring down rain and cold. Bridger would prefer to assume this position...

She loves being on top of her dog house. I don't know why, but she does. Sometimes she'll jump up on there the minute she walks into the kennel, before the door is even shut. Usually she can hear my car pull into the driveway (remember it's on the opposite side of the house), or hear the "honk" it makes when it locks and she'll jump down waiting patiently for me at the door to round the corner, but sometimes I think she just doesn't care.

Yesterday was one of those days.

She just sat there a top her dog house with her "manners" for me to let her out. One of my favorite commands that she has is her "manners." When we're at any door or she is in any kennel-type fixture, we can say (if she hasn't already assumed the position) "Where's your manners?" and she will immediately sit down and wait for you to tell her to "go inside" or "come here."

It's nice when you're fumbling with your keys, phone and purse and you don't have to deal with a ridiculously excited dog... until you release her of her manners.. then she goes wild. (only slightly kidding)

So that's what I found when I got home from work yesterday, Bridger trying to look as pitiful as possible right before she went nuts!

Tomorrow is Friday!!