HAPPY HALLOWEEN...please don't knock!

I love this time of year, the falling leaves and the arrival of a breeze that chills bare finger tips. I don't even mind the arrival of commercial Halloween from the other side of the Atlantic. In fact I think it would be a lot more fun if we embraced it whole heartedly.

But there is just one problem. I have a rescue dog called Bella, and she is a self appointed guard dog. She will bark loudly and sometimes viciously at anyone who steps within five metres of the house. If I happen to be at home in the morning she spends a total of 25 minutes watching the postman work his way down the street and back up again, and by the time he gets to the house her hackles are fully raised and she is literally jumping up and down on her hind legs in the bay window! Any dog trainer will tell you this is bad, very bad. But it has been very difficult for us to manage, as we both worked full time when we had her, and the behaviour is far too ingrained now for any protest from us to make a difference. But there is a plus side to this. Quite a few times since we moved here we have had a letter from the Police saying that a house in our street has been broken into. So far we have been untouched, and I like to think that no thief in his right mind would bother tackling a psychotic looking dog!

Now this is all well and good most days, but I have an 18 month old toddler who goes to bed fairly early in the evening. So Halloween and the trick or treaters presents us with a problem. Barking dog + sleeping toddler = unhappy household.

I was pondering on this a few weeks ago whilst I was taking Bella for her morning walk. I didn't want to put up a mean sign to make the trick or treaters go away, so in the spirit of Halloween I came up with this rhyme. I intend to put it out with a bucket of sweets on the door step so hopefully we won't be seen as Halloween grouches!

It goes like this...

Behind this door lies a beast that snores

and if you knock you will hear her roars.

As our baby sleeps this night

we ask you not to give him a fright.

So help yourself and enjoy the feast

but whatever you do don't wake the beast!

Happy trick or treating :-)