One of his more useful tricks is staying in the kitchen when he's allowed in the house. We started using a toddler gate to keep him in the kitchen when he was little. Once or twice he got a bit excited and knocked the gate over, and the loud crashing noise scared him enough that he soon learned to stay away from it. Before too long, he learned he wasn't supposed to leave the kitchen tile and has done a very good job respecting that boundary, even when the gate isn't set up. As far as we know he's obeyed this rule since we first started training.

That is until last night...

In an effort to keep Tomo from digging too many trenches across the yard, we bring him in to the kitchen when its raining heavily (he loves mud) or when there is fresh dirt around. With recent rains, and since I just fixed our broken gate, there happens to be plenty of both at the moment, so Tomo has been spending the last few nights inside.

At about 12:45 last night (I was having trouble getting to sleep) I heard what sounded like claws walking on the wood floor downstairs. I got up and looked but didn't see anything (it was dark) so I figured I must have just heard him moving in the kitchen. But as we were getting up this morning, Erin went downstairs to let him outside and found him sleeping on the carpet in front of the downstairs bathroom.

He didn't get into anything else down there, he was just looking for a softer place to sleep. It seems he's chewed his blanket up so much that it no longer provides the cushy comfort he needs to get a good night's sleep. Regardless of his motives, the deed has been done. Tomo has crossed the line from a cute furry puppy who listens and obeys, to a hardened rebel. The innocence is lost and can't be regained.

The Rebel: "It wasn't me!"

We better start looking for a "Beware of Dog" poster, who knows what he's going to do next...

PS - The previous post says "2 more weeks to Japan. I'm looking forward to it!" Of course, now its only two more days.

Jon is a good friend of mine. I worked with him at City Hall in Laramie. Note the link to his own blog on the right hand side. Below the video is a link to his extra-curricular blog.

A lizard.

P.S. Sorry for the blurry photo. I took the picture using Melissa's crappy old razor cell phone. Thanks for the replacement phone by the way Melissa!