no barking

my mom always tells about how when i was a baby she had the hardest time learning to let me cry myself to sleep. she says the pediatrician told her that it would be hard at first and she would feel terrible, but ultimately it was the best way to get me to start sleeping through the night and discipline me. she says for those first two nights she just sat outside my nursery door, crying just has hard as i was, and feeling like the worst mom ever letting her baby scream bloody murder for up to an hour after she put me down. but finally, after a few nights, my tiny human self realized it was time for sleep and wouldn't cry when she left.

today, i feel my moms pain.

our dogs are our children. we love them more than anything. we would do anything for them. including disciplining them :( they are terrible barkers. they bark when they see someone in the cul-de-sac, they bark when they hear a neighbor rolling their trash can down to the street, they bark when the doorbell rings, they bark when matt is on important business calls, etc. So the other day, when Whitney talked about her boy, Nimbus, having a bark collar. I thought, maybe we should try it?? So I texted Whit about it and she said that it was great! They got it for when Baby L was sleeping and Nim was barking and that it has worked! So today I ventured out and bought these..


















oh my gosh. i swear, me and matt were breaking out into a nervous sweat as we opened the packaging and read the instructions. i've always been totally against them, thinking they weer "inhumane" but after researching them all day yesterday i realized, it really isnt. it's not a "shock" like a lot of people think, it's just an intense vibration. still, we were sad to put them on our dogs bc they were sitting there so sweetly looking at us.. not even barking. then two seconds after we had that thought, they were darted out the doggie door barking at the neighbor's kids. so we called them back inside and put them on. Cooper was ok, he went back out in the yard, barked a few times, and then suddenly stopped. Annie got hers on, barked once, and turned around real quick and looked at us like we'd just spanked her or something... then she barked again. and let out a squeal (she's a bit over dramatic) but the poor little thing broke my heart!!! she looked so confused and sad!! Like, "how could you let someone hurt me like that, mommy??" i felt SO BAD, but i can tell it's working!!! there's a dog barking outside right this second and my babies would normally be at the door barking but my house is as quiet as can be. It was sad a few minutes ago, when Annie woke up, she heard something and barked, then immediately yelped again! Poooooooor angel!!! I went up and loved on her and said "It's ok my sheeee, you are being SO GOOD! You're gonna learn not to bark!! Good girl!!" She doesnt seem sad or upset so I hope she's ok. pooooooor sheeee!! :(



















Cooper hasn't had another encounter, yet. But at least if he barks, he doesnt cry after the jolt, he just stops. Annie shrieks like a tiny human "Brittney" in her crib..and I act like my mother, crying along with her and hoping she learns. Thanks for doing that Mom, it sure is hard!

here's to hoping the house stays quiet. the collars of course, will be taken off at night, and we will not make them wear them all the time, every day... they will learn after just a few weeks of wearing the collar not to bark and hopefully won't have to wear it as much. but i do think it's important to let them be dogs and go outside and bark sometimes!