Easter Sunday Relaxation

We're playing kind of low key on this Easter Sunday. This is the first time in probably eight or nine years that I haven't been in SF spending Easter with my niece and nephew. I miss them. There really isn't a lot for a childless couple to do on Easter(besides church, which I already did). There's no need to visit the Easter Bunny, or buy stuff to fill a basket, or dye or hide Easter eggs. I wonder how many more Easters before we get to experience that. Too many.

Anyway, Joe and I are about to leave to find some place that is open for breakfast(lunch? It's 12:15 here), then we are planning on driving down to Laguna Beach to check out the tide pools. The weather here is in the high eighties, so I'm sure we're the only people on the planet to have that plan :)

On another note, we've been having some problems with our dog escaping from our yard lately. After three years in the same place, she has decided the grass is greener on the other side of the patio fence. There is a small gap between the concrete floor and the wooden fence, and she has been wriggling under it and going on little jaunts around our complex. Usually we don't even know she is out until we hear her trying to attack someone who is walking by.

I know you think I am exaggerating, but I am not. She is the friendliest, sweetest little dog in the world to myself and Joe, and a small handful of other people she likes(my sister and my dad), but around strangers she turns vicious. Barking, growling, baring her teeth. It's scary! If you don't believe me, ask my friend DeAnn. She pet sat for us over Thanksgiving and I thought Gizmo was seriously going to eat her. She thought so too!

So anyway, the other day Joe went to the laundry room and when he came back, she came flying out of the bushes barking and growling at him, until she realized it was him and then returned to her sweet little self. He said it was like she was laying in wait for him!

So today I come out of the shower and I realize she isn't in the apartment. There are only so many places she could be. So outside I go to investigate, and sure enough, she's laying under the bushes right outside our patio. It totally looked like she was just biding her time until some unsuspecting stranger came along so she could attack! I'm very concerned about this. What if she bites someone? We're removing the doggie door until we can find a solution to the gap in the fence.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions on how to socialize her so that she won't attack people she doesn't know? She never did like strangers much, but ever since our other dog passed away she has gotten ten times worse. She is a small dog, so I realize it is based in fear, but to our knowledge she has never been hurt by a person and we have no idea why she reacts this way to people she doesn't know. Perhaps some doggie Prozac is in order.

For now we have decided to just keep her locked up in the house and change her name to "Cujo".

We're off to enjoy our Sunday.

It's hard to believe that I'm talking about this sweet little dog, isn't it? Well it's true. Don't get too close. You'll lose a hand! I'm serious!