Oh Deer

The first time I saw deer wandering by the window I was thrilled. Wow! Wildlife in my own backyard! Then I realized my pansies had been deflowered, the hostas chewed down to nubs and other assorted plantings pruned beyond repair. The thrill was gone.

And now that the neighborhood deer are driving my dogs to distraction I like them even less.

Before the fence, the deer would give a flick of their white tails and bound away whenever I walked Vega on the leash. They weren’t taking any chances. For all they knew that large, lunging, barking-her-fool-head-off German Shepherd might soon be in hot pursuit.

They are no longer worried.

That's because the same large, lunging, barking-her-fool-head-off German Shepherd is stuck behind a five-foot fence and is no threat at all. Ditto for Panzer, a younger, crazier version of his German Shepherd mother.

In fact, the deer are so sure of their safety, they seem to be inching closer to the fence - and the dogs - every day. Which just ratchets up the dogs' already out-of-control behavior.

The deer seem to actually enjoy this wildlife game. They might as well be chanting, "Nanny-nanny-boo-boo, you can't get us."

While deer aren't among the world's smartest animals, they definitely know how to yank these dogs' chain.