Last week, Mom said there was a package for me – for me! Even better, it was gifted to me from PetSafe. I secretly hoped it was another box of dog biscuits, because every time she opens one of those boxes, I’m allowed to help myself to one…or two…of the treats. I was already drooling by the time I realized that this was no treat box. It was a short black round cylinder that came with a number of instructions. Inside the box there were white flags, battery chargers and a bulky black collar – which, I thought was a little odd since I already have a nice blue one with little white stars on it.
I sat in the kitchen, while Mom told me that sometimes I scare her when I run after squirrels. But can you blame me? If you could, you would chase after them too! They’ve got those little black eyes and big bushy tails – you can’t trust anything with a big bushy tail. So every week, I run them out of our yard, careful to stop at the pavement. I’m not allowed to cross the street by myself, but sometimes, I admit, it’s tempting. I mean, have you ever been taunted by a squirrel? Mom knows that I hate being taunted by the them and every now and then she wonders if one day, I’ll break the rules and run across the street to continue the chase. I wouldn’t though, I’d rather stay in the yard and play fetch with her than run down a squirrel any day. But when PetSafe sent us the Stay + Play Wireless Fence system, Mom thought maybe – just maybe – this might be good for a little extra squirrel chasing insurance.
The short black cylinder, which I sniffed sufficiently, is the boundary transmitter. Mom said that she could place it anywhere in our house and it would set up an invisible boundary line around our property line. The black collar, I found out, would vibrate if I accidentally tripped the circular boundary line, telling me that I needed to back up. It all sounded safe enough, the transmitter was portable and could easily be repositioned and the collar wouldn’t shock me like an electric fence. There was just one problem – the invisible boundary varied sometimes, due to the radio waves on which it relies. Sometimes the boundary was right at the property line, sometimes it spilled into the road and sometimes it landed in the middle of our yard. Talk about confusing. So Mom shortened the boundary in the front so there would a little wiggle room for error. And as it turns out, all Mom has to do is call my name and I’ll run back to her faster than a bushy-tailed squirrel.
Benny Hitt is the sweetest pup you’ll meet. Doesn’t know a stranger and always wants to greet you with a hug. He loves showing off his favorite toys and will chaotically run in circles upon your arrival trying to remember where he last left his favorite rawhide so that he can proudly flaunt it for you. He has 35 nicknames, impeccable treat tasting capabilities, an expansive vocabulary, strong squirrel radar and is the best distraction around the Adrian Hitt Photography offices.
