trauma

There's trauma in the household. Its name? Self-watering system.
I was thrilled by the thought as I stood in the Wal-Mart. See, having two dogs is kind of challenging logistically. Most doggie accessories provide these cute trays holding TWO, count 'em TWO cute doggie bowls. You've seen them, the ceramic kind that say GOOD DOG inside. One is supposedly for food, the other is supposedly for water. That doesn't work when there are two hungry dogs in the room. They both want their own bowl. That means you have to use a piece of throwaway tupperware for the water dish -- the piece that lost its lid a few months ago.
But no more. Standing in the Wal-Mart, I decide the dogs need an Obama-like change. And today, it was worth $11.97 for a cute self-waterer. A gallon jug sits upside down in a recepticle and as the dogs drink, the jug refills the reservoir.
This is the Martha Stewart of doggie self-waterers.
It terrifies them.
It began with Petey. I heard the clicking of his toes as he entered the kitchen two nights ago. I heard the lapping of water as he began to drink. Then I heard the ominous bubbling sound as the jug emptied to fill the reservoir. So did Petey. And then I heard the clicking of nails again as he bolted out of the kitchen. His little bug eyes turned to me with a clear, What the hell was that noise expression. About twenty minutes, same thing. About twenty minutes later, same thing, only it was Mollie.
So today, the dogs spent the day in the yard. They were exhausted. Happy. Thirsty.
They won't drink. They tried to fight their way into the bathroom so they could jump in the tub and drink from the faucet. I shooed them out.
So now, standing next to the Martha Stewart of doggie self-waterers is a tupperware bowl with water in it. I lost the top to it months ago. I'm just afraid my dogs are going to take my quote from yesterday to heart.

--Laura