Beware of Dog

The reasons I, I mean, we got a dog are numerous and varied. I'll have to walk him everyday and so will be walking myself everyday, he can clean the floor under Lulu's chair for me, dogs are cool, Pete wanted one, Husbandguy didn't say no... You get the picture. One thing I hadn't considered, though, is that dogs provide protection. I didn't think about that at all until last week when I got home late from our first PTA meeting and he barked when I came in because it wasn't what he was used to (he quit when he saw it was me). He let HG know there was something unexpected happening. And then yesterday he proved that he'll be a great guard dog again. This man rang the doorbell (Howie doesn't bark at the doorbell, thankfully) and was asking me all sorts of questions about our security system: how long had we had it? did it have this feature or that? Being a product of my parents, I just shrugged at him noncommittally for the first few questions and then finally said, "I'm not comfortable talking to you about this. Is there something I can do for you?" And he said something about putting signs in our yard for his company (??) and I said that we didn't want his signs in our yard and he acted all whatever-y and stalked off. But here's the thing. Howie was right there at my feet the whole time, and rather than dancing and panting and acting all friendly like he usually does with strangers, he sat very still, watching the man, and making warning noises - not big ones, but noises that clearly said, "Watch it, buddy..." to anyone paying attention. THIS IS MY DOG! HE IS MY DOG! My guard - G.U.A.R.D. - dog. He knew I was uncomfortable and was ready to defend me if he needed to. Thank goodness he's going to be bigger than I wanted him to be.