Sunday's Mischief Managed on a Tuesday

Ok, we had a rough weekend in the house, which will happen. So I'm playing catch up now.

I will spare you the disgust of posting pictures, because I'd like to recount one of Penny's more...sordid...outdoor activities.

I'd like to say that our dog gets enough exercise out in our backyard since we fenced it after moving in. In the summer, I'm good about taking her for half-mile or mile walks quite often. But in the winter, it's cold. This is Minnesota - and it's too cold for me and it's too cold for her. Not only does this mean we don't go for walks, it also means that from sometime in November to sometime in March we don't even go out in the yard with her. Coincidentally (or not so), this is also the time-frame that I can be found wearing long underwear every single day.

So our yard in the winter becomes somewhat of a mine field. Our hope is that she goes out to do her business and comes straight back in to claim her treat. We don't let her stay out for more than five minutes or so alone for several reasons. The "mines" being one, plus there are sometimes hawks around and as a Jack she might start digging holes. Luckily hawks and digging haven't been problems so far, but sometimes she gets distracted and sometimes it's because she's eating her own crap. I'll be at the door saying, "no!" or whistling or calling her name - but she honestly doesn't notice. It's not that she's intentionally ignoring me...because when she happens to look up and catch sight of me, she usually comes. She just gets so focused on eating that crap that nothing else exists. It's amazingly frustrating.

Once in a while she sees me and continues her dastardly deed just to be naughty. Half the time I stay inside getting angrier and angrier, and the other half I put my boots on and go get her. Of course, by the time I get to her she's already ingested it. Either way, by the time she comes in, I can't very well reprimand her because she probably wouldn't understand what she did wrong.

I assume this is because she does need more exercise or attention. It doesn't seem to hurt her, but obviously it's gross. I know I'm not the only dog owner with this problem - how do we handle it?