Break In

Generally, I go to bed quite a bit earlier than my husband. For one thing, I get up before 6:00 and he's still in bed at 8:00. He also doesn't need as much sleep. Most nights, he comes and lays down with me for a while until I fall asleep and then gets up to go back to the computer or watch Napoleon Dynamite for the MILLIONTH time. Sometimes, he falls asleep with me (mostly unintentionally).

Monday night was one of those "fall asleep with me" nights. I was tired as it was and went upstairs around 10:00. We talked for a few minutes, but were probably asleep by 10:30. At 11:30, both of us were in a deep sleep when we were awoken by a loud crash. Disoriented, we lay there for a couple of minutes. I heard barking and whining, but figured it was one of the neighbours dogs - until I realized IT WAS FROM OUR FAMILY ROOM DOWNSTAIRS.

We went over to the stairs and confirmed we were hearing right. Going down, we saw an older medium-sized puppy. Our family room windows are at ground level, and one was open with just a screen between us and the elements. The dog had pushed hard enough on the screen to break off the snaps holding it to the frame. The crash we had heard was the screen falling down and the fan on the window sill being knocked off. Being scared, it had peed all over the (laminate) floor. We saw it hiding underneath Shannon's computer desk, pulling on various cables as it shifted around. It took us FOREVER to get it from under the desk - luckily, it was very good natured and only licked our hands instead of biting them. Its coat looked well maintained and clean and it had a collar on, but no tags.

We managed to get it out to the garage and closed the door to the house. Shannon couldn't get the garage door closed before the dog was back inside, sitting at the door to the house, looking up and wagging its tail. Anytime we tried to move it, it would give us slobbery kisses. Finally we got it outside and Shannon came back in the front door. The dog proceeded to scratch and bang at the (now closed) window.

By morning it had left - since it was healthy, I'm assuming (hoping) it was a neighbour's dog who just got loose and was attracted to the fact that we had a light on.

That night, it was bound and determined that we would be its new family. If it hadn't startled us so much out of a deep sleep, it might have gotten its wish.