My Jack Russel Terrier, Sirius, is a 'fraidy-cat when it comes to people. With other canines, even ones ten times his size and weight, he’s Mister Macho Fierce Dog, but with people he goes stock-still and trembles. I have to carry him if we’re going around strangers, and he tucks his head into my neck as if to hide.
This led to an amusing situation the other day. On his “perimeter patrol,” Sirius peeked under the fence and saw that Neighbor Lady’s cat was in her backyard. Now, Sirius labors under the delusion that anywhere he can see is his herritory and took offense at the cat’s nonchalant trespassing. He began to bark furiously.
Neighbor Lady came out into the yard to put a bag of trash in the can. When Sirius spotted her, he jerked back from the fence and went to hide behind a tree, a tatic which was apparently a success, because she vanished from his sight, and thus, existance. He ran back over the fence, intent on sending the cat fleeing in terror with his patented Very Stern Bark.
He stuck his head beneath the fence and started bellowing at the cat. She gave him an imperious look and went back to licking her paws. Neighbor Lady suddenly came back into view, having dropped off her trash beside the garage. Sirius let out a whine that was half fear and half frustration. He dashed back for the safety of the tree’s protection.
Feeling sorry for him, I went out to the fence. Delighted, he sat on my feet, stuck his head back under the fence and barked furiously, knowing that I would protect him from the Neighbor Lady. To his outrage, I scooped him up and carried him back into the house. He summoned enough courage to peek over my shoulder at the cat and give one last Very Stern Bark and did an indignant wiggle against my shoulder when the kitty ignored him.
When I let him out later, he ran to the fence and checked the view of the other side, his rump dancing in the air behind him in anticipation of another round of verbal combat, but the cat was nowhere in sight. He pulled his head back to our side of the fence and let out a little “Huff!” as if to say, “That’ll show her!” I guess he believes his barks have a delayed efficacy.