Night of the Terrible Terriers

in which Harvey was a Hero

Last night....I was up very late working on a design project.

I didn't realize that Harvey was outside.

He had gone out and I didn't know he'd gone out. 

He'd probably been out at least a couple of hours

when I heard him making the most awful noises.

He's not suppose to be out at night because he likes to bark at the neighbor's windows.

And I'm paranoid about them being out without me...so I had no idea he'd accidently gotten left 

out the last time all went out for a potty break.

About 3:30 am I hear the worst sounds coming from the backyard and realize he is out.

I race through the house and open the door and the others fly out.

Harvey is at the gate just barking and wailing and screaming. 

On the other side of the gate is the cutest white Westie terrier.

I reach over and pet its head. I dare not open the gate or all mine will be running willy nilly.

She looked like this.

So I grab Newman who is now biting at the gate trying to get at the intruder. 

Newman always makes an ass of himself with any new dog.

Only to give up and be nice right away.

But he was making horrid noises too...so I grab him and put him in the house. By then,

my phone is ringing in the house. I know its the neighbor calling to complain or perhaps they 

thought something was wrong because this was an unusual amount of noise.

But I can't answer the phone because I'm gathering all the dogs up and putting them in the house. 

I then go out the front to look for the Westie. 

It is gone. I hated that. It was sweet and was obviously someone's out when it was not suppose to be.

I called for it and then decided to water my front flower beds hoping it would show up.

Sure enough about ten minutes later...here she comes....running down the street towards me 

and following her is ... a Scottie.

He looked just like this.

He's a little skittish..but I get them both in the house...which causes a huge uproar in my household.

Both Harvey and Newman were beside themselves.

A quick look at their tags and I learn their names are Boomer and Sooner.

So obviously someone who went to school at OU owns them.

I call the number on their tags repeatedly because by then I realize there is no going to bed

for me while they are in the house.

I tried to mix mine with them...but as I said, Newman can be an ass. 

But if the dog he's putting his bluff on does not bark or growl back...then all is good 

and Newman does not try anything.

He just wants any new dog to know he's the man of the house around here.

But the little Scottie seemed to be a bit like this himself...so we had a skirmish.

Which made me decide Boomer and Sooner would be staying in the living room for the night.
Harvey kept barking and barking and screaming...he is scared of any new dog and
will make all kinds of noises but stay around a corner because he's scared to get close to them.
Sally was hid under the bed the whole time.
Violet? She was loving every minute of it. Tail wagging and smiling...she loves meeting new dogs.

I called repeatedly the owner....no answer. 

A few times I just let the message be the sound of lots of dogs barking.

I wondered if the neighbors could hear all the noise coming from inside my house.

Both of these dogs were super sweet but they were pretty young and there was lots of this going on.

I tried to read a book. 

About 6 am...their Mom called. She apologized for not knowing I'd called.

Turns out she lives around the corner and down the street.

She said they had asked to go out at 2:30 am. That they normally do not sleep outside.

Then they never asked to come back in. That was because they'd dug out and were having an

adventure and then a sleep over at my house.

The digging out made sense since when I'd given them a bowl of water, 

it immediately turned to mud from all the dirt in their whiskers.

Anyway....they are safely back home now. 

This is exactly why I don't let mine be out unattended.

You just never know what they might get themselves in to.  

I'm sure these two thought it was a great idea to dig out and it did turn out well for them...

but we are not far from a very major highway and or they could have been lost for good.

So lucky...for them that I was up... and that Harvey accidently got left out. 

Which has only happened like once before.

So Harvey was a hero and possibly saved their lives. 

Harvey saved the Terrible Terriers!