This morning I had to stick two letters in the mailbox. We have a long driveway and the electric fence edge is about 2/3 of the way down towards the street. I decided to test Columbus to see if he’d respect the boundary. We’ve been letting him out more and he seems to be doing well. It also helps that the edges of the fence are in the woods and there is a lot of tall plant growth around the yard. He would have to be busting through plants, too, in most places, to bust through the fence. Except for the part that crosses the driveway.
So, I took him towards the fence, and about 5 feet back from it I told him to sit and stay. Then I crossed the electric field (thank goodness I don’t have one of those collars). I looked back and he hadn’t tried to follow me. He was sitting all nice and pretty right where I left him. So I cooed at him.
“Good dog, Columbus. Good stay.” I repeated this as I walked to the end of the driveway. Now was the big test, I was going to have to round the corner and be out of sight for a minute while I put the letters in.
“Good dog, Columbus. Good stay.”
Oh shoot, there were letters in the mailbox, jammed in, I forgot to get the mail from yesterday and there was a lot of it. Just when I wanted to be quick about this.
“Good dog, Columbus. Good stay.” I yanked out the final piece of junk advertising that I’ve asked to not have delivered but I guess that’s against the law according to the post office, so waste some more trees, why don’t you. But I digress….
I put the two letters-to-go in the box, flipped up the red flag and re-entered Columbus’ line of sight.
He was sitting there!!! In the SAME EXACT PLACE. And he saw me again and he still wasn’t moving!
I cooed to him all the way back to where he was sitting at which point he rose to greet me. I sat him back down, praised him, and gave him his release word (“okay”) and we walked to the house together.
Please, somebody pinch me. What a good boy!!!