Sophie says: Hey, don’t fence me in

Fencing in the entire backyard is a big, big project, requiring a lot of money or a lot of manpower. With kids in college and all the boys moved out, both are in short supply these days. But I offered to cordon off a section of the yard.

So I trudged off to the hardware store and bought supplies — rolls of 3-foot-high picket fence and a pile of plastic fence posts. I created a little exercise yard/lavatory for Sophie at the bottom of the porch steps, about 8 by 10 feet. Once it was done, I called Sophieout to the porch.

She looked over the setup, instantly realized what this was all about and tried to go back inside. I carried her out to her little private plot of grass, stepped over the fence and watched. She stared at me through the picket fence, then climbed the steps and went back into the house. I ran in, picked her up and put herback in the yard.

“See,” I said, “Your own little playground! You can be out here to go potty and then go sleep on the couch on the porch!”

Ileft her to get comfortable, ran back up the steps and closed the screen door behind me.A minute later, she was at the back door, staring silently through the screen. I came overand shooed her away.

“Go! You can be by yourself for a little while. Go play in your yard. You can do it!” I turned and left.

A few minutes later, I peered toward the kitchen door to see if she was still trying to slather on the guilt. No dog. I found Sophie standing defiantly in the middle of the porch, staring. Behind her wasa big pool of pee.

Sophiegenerally has no expression on her face, but I swearfor just a moment I saw her sneer as she calmly walked by me into the front hall and headed for her crate allby herself.