Belle

Meet Belle.....or Bella as I call her. Funny story, that name thing. I wanted to name her Bella. The hubs decided that when he filled out her registration papers he wanted to pick her name, so her full name is "Shiloh's Southern Belle". I guess it's OK, given we live in Shiloh. But I wanted Bella, so Bella is what I call her sometimes.

Anyway, I have a Belle shaped dilemma.

You see, for years Belle was our only child. And when I say child, I mean it in the most literal sense. She was my baby girl. I raised her from a pup and she slept at the foot of my bed most nights. Actually every night until hubs and I were married, then she got booted to the floor. She still hates Left Brain for that one.

And when we built our house she moved right in along side of us. Most people thought we were crazy for keeping a dog inside a brand new house but I didn't care, she is my baby.

And when we traveled to Ukraine for our adoption we paid family to stay at our house so that Belle didn't have to be uncomfortable outside in a pen or kenneled at a vet clinic. I know, crazy....right? Did I mention that I love this dog?

So, when we got home from Ukraine with two additions to the family......two wild, crazy, rambunctious additions......Belle went a little nuts. I think they get on her nerves. She's too old for their shenanigans. She has gray chin hair, ya know?!?

And because they got on her nerves, she went nuts and took it out on Mama. Now, I tolerated it for a few months. She was peeing in the floor just to make me mad.....night after night. She wore me down, and I banished her to the dog pen outside. This was at the end of August 2010. She's been outside since................

And let me tell you how CLEAN my house stays! I didn't realize what havoc dog hair was playing on my floors until I didn't have to swiffer three times a day anymore. Geeze Louise!

So life was good, Belle seemed really happy outside. She was away from the rambunctious cotton-headed ninny muggins. She could hear herself think again.

I felt good about her being outside...............until yesterday. She was standing out on the porch looking in the french doors with her head cocked to the side. I was standing inside at the french doors, so I started to talk to her.

I said, "sweet girl, do you want to come back inside?"

and she started barking and wagging her tail. That means "yes" in Belle speak.

So, I opened the door and let her inside. I looked at Left Brain with puppy dog eyes because he was a big supporter of the bog being outside.

He said,

"Hey, I don't care, I don't have to clean up after her. But I am NOT letting her outside in the middle of the night anymore, that's your job."

To which I said,

"I know, is it worth having her inside to have to clean up all of the dog hair in the floor?"

Between the two of us, we couldn't decide.

And he hasn't kicked her out yet. And so far the dog hair is minimal. I've moved her dog pillow to where she is sleeping next to the door instead of in our room. I also keep her out of the boys bedroom.

So, what I am saying is......I think I've moved the dog back inside......am I crazy?

Really, I'm asking your opinion.....am I crazy?

Now, before you go and decide that I should be committed, you should know a few things.

1) This is the MOST protective dog on the planet. One night while I was home alone (Left Brain was away on business) and giving the boys a bath, a strange man started to open the door and come in our house. Belle backed him off the porch and scared him away. Saved my life, fo sho!

2) This is the MOST well behaved dog you will EVER meet. No kidding, some of you know her and can vouch for me. I say jump and she says "how high".

3) This is the SMARTEST dog on the planet. We have conversations. Really, ask Left Brain about that one.....he learned the hard way. The story goes a little something like this.

We lived in the upstairs of his parent's house while our house was being finished. Belle live there too. One night while she was eating (upstairs) she walks downstairs and bellows at me. To which I respond, "NO BELLE, I am not going to do it, just go back upstairs and eat." And she bellows at me again. Left Brain thinks she needs to go outside and opens the door for her, she just looks at him like he's crazy. I tell him, she wants me to walk upstairs and shake her food bowl so that the food around the edges falls to the middle and she doesn't have to bend her neck funny to be able to eat it. He thinks I'm crazy, so I tell him to do it and see what happens. He did it, she quit bellowing.

There are a thousand stories just like this one. We seriously have conversations. In depth ones.

4) She knows TONS of cool tricks and she knows objects. Like, I can say...."Belle, either go lay down on your pillow or go in the laundry room, make a choice" and she totally will. She picks whichever she feels like. Not to mention the whole "gimme five" thing. She's a rockstar.

So, I said all of that to say this.....

If ever there was a dog worth cleaning up after to have in the house, she's the one.



I think I just talked myself into it. Thanks for all the help. Y'all are great!