How to survive to a stalking dog and the art of being unable to cook

Border collies are dogs with strong personality and have an insatiable appetite. Brick is not only insatiable but he has also a “5 stars” taste. My neighbor is an excellent cook while I’m surely not, and therefore the smells coming from her kitchen are ever since like a drug for my family.
Brick broke a piece of the fence between our houses and always showed up for dinner and lunch. My neighbor’s dogs have all the time some delicacies: tuna macaroni, meatballs, grilled salmon but borders are real troopers and the poor dogs had not even the time to put their muzzles in their bowls that a gentledog thief was already coming back home licking his mustaches.

We mutually agreed, in order to keep good neighborhood relationships, to replace the old broken fence with a stronger and 1.80m high new one. Brick studied the issue seriously, measured the new fence covetously, stood on his rear paws to control the real height. Then he made his calculations: the time needed to climb over it was much more longer than the time food stayed in bowls, the neighbor’s dogs are slow not stupid.

Hence brick  changed his tactics. He stays in a strategic place to control through the fence the neighbors’ dinner table that can be perfectly seen if the window is open. He tries the hypnosis and it works. The neighbor surrenders and gives him a tidbit. He drools and looks at her gratefully ( she could call the animal care police if the doesn’t know us). She takes him some cheese and he loves cheese so much! Each meal some cheese. Borders are overbearing their sheep.
At the very beginning he barked softly to have the neighbors’ attention now he barks fiercely making them stand up to give him some cheese.

I was embarrassed that he went to his liking to the neighbors, now that he stalks them.
Today the smelling coming from their kitchen was one of real gourmand and the Tomato macaroni in my sons’ plates made such a sad impression that they looked at each other then looked at brick. I think they wished to be border collies.

Italian version Come convivere con un cane stalker e con l’arte di non saper cucinare