Battle of the Belly Band

Kritter, being a stubborn and crafty pug, has continued his protest of the lack of doggy door in our new house. He leaves his manifestos in the form of a yellow puddle on the corner of a fish tank stand in the living room or, if he is feeling particularly wronged, as a wet spot on any portion of the bedspread that has fallen too close to the floor.

I had a long talk with him about coyotes and careless meter readers. I explained one might try to eat him and the other might leave the gate open and offer him too great a temptation to explore the wide-open world. Kritter listened intently, then snotted in my face.

It was ON!

I combed the Web in search of a suitable weapon and found an intriguing concept: THE BELLY BAND. Different than a diaper, belly bands use elastic or velcro to secure a barrier between a marking dog and your furniture. I recommend purchasing a patent-pending belly band from PugMama1 on eBay. She hand crafts bands in various fabrics and can even monogram the offending pet's name on the strap.

The band has quelled Kritter's protests. He did devise a maneuver to remove the band, but the series of wiggles and twists are only successful when performed among the comforter and pillows of the bed. Block his access to the bedroom and he is utterly defeated.

Victory!!!

Note to others on the battlefield: Of course, you must remember to remove the Belly Band to allow the pet to relieve himself outside. Alan had trouble with that concept at first. Ok, I admit, I've done it too.