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Allison Larkin

Internationally Best-Selling Author

You are here: Home / dogs / Bass Ackwards: A Stella Story

Bass Ackwards: A Stella Story

June 1, 2012 Filed Under: dogs, German Shepherds, STELLA

Stella has conquered a long list of fears and is generally a happy pup now, but she’s still terrified of a spot on the kitchen floor.

She’s been afraid of the scary spot since she came to live with us.  There’s not much to distinguish the scary spot from any other span of floorspace.  At certain times of day there may be a sun patch there.  It’s near the stove and she hates the stove, but she finds this spot terrifying even when no one is cooking anything.

Leaving the kitchen via the scary spot (which is the only way to leave the kitchen) turns Stella into a Bambi on ice impersonator.  Her legs splay out.  Her feet scramble like a cartoon character.  Sometimes our poor girl gets “trapped” in the kitchen when her fear gets too great.  I’ve woken up a few times to a sad little whimper from down the hall when Stella ventured into the kitchen for a drink from her water bowl and simply could not escape until I ran in to grab hold of her collar and lead her across the scary spot so we could go back to bed.

There’s nothing there.  Nothing.  She’s never been hurt there, and the rest of the floor doesn’t scare her.  Also, apparently it’s only scary to walk over the scary spot when she’s leaving the kitchen, not when she’s entering the kitchen.

Last weekend, J noticed that the frantic cartoon scrambling had stopped.  Now, when Stella gets to the scary spot, she turns around and backs out of the kitchen.  J posited that because Stella doesn’t find it scary to walk into the kitchen, she may have associated her fear with the direction she was facing when she crossed the spot.  Backing through to leave the kitchen isn’t scary, because entering the kitchen isn’t scary.

Sure enough, over the past week I’ve watched Stella walk right to the imaginary scary spot line.  The shaky Bambi legs would start, but then she’d pause and turn around to back through the spot without further incident.

The thought process and strategy involved in this new kitchen exit method is seriously impressive…but there’s still absolutely nothing there.  
Maybe it’s the dog version of holding one’s breath while driving past a cemetery.  

UPDATE: Now, there’s video.

7 Comments

Comments

  1. Jen says

    June 1, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    Awesome! Clever dog!

    Reply
  2. The Modern Gal says

    June 1, 2012 at 3:05 pm

    How funny, but still, props to Stella for finding her own creative way to deal with it.

    Reply
  3. Kim says

    June 1, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    I love her!! Dogs see things we don’t, so there must be something in, around or below the scary spot!!!

    Reply
  4. Kim says

    June 1, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    I love her!! Dogs apparently can see things we can’t, so there must be something in, around, above or below it. Please let us all know if you ever discover what makes it so scary.

    Reply
  5. Abby - Bright Yellow World says

    June 1, 2012 at 6:17 pm

    I adore this story! Stella sounds so cool and funny and interesting. Also, very, very creative.

    Reply
  6. flurrious says

    June 1, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    This story makes me insanely happy. The idea that animals have their own logic and worldview pleases me to no end.

    Reply
  7. mauishopgirl says

    June 2, 2012 at 6:27 am

    Midnite used to bark ferociously at a corner of our living room so we used to think there was a ghost there. After a few years he stopped barking. My hubby said “I guess the ghost left”. My response was “No, he just got used to it”. I hardly think though that there is a ghost hanging out in the same spot in the middle of our kitchen. I’m so glad she found a way to keep calm and carry on.

    Reply

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Internationally bestselling author of STAY, WHY CAN'T I BE YOU and SWIMMING FOR SUNLIGHT. THE PEOPLE WE KEEP coming from @gallerybooks on 8/3/2021

Allison Larkin
Back at it, because I knew the longer I waited the Back at it, because I knew the longer I waited the harder it would be to get back at it. Sticking to wide trails with good visibility during wild boar piglet season. #trailrunning
A few days ago, I took this photo of turkeys while A few days ago, I took this photo of turkeys while I was out on a run, marveling at how wild animals do not seem to mind when they see me. Once, I almost bumped into a deer, the way a couple might meet-cute in a rom com. We just didn’t see each other. I’ve always thought it was a fun little quirk. Not even bunnies are afraid of me. But this afternoon on my run, I came up over a hill and was suddenly within fifteen feet of a wild boar. Thankfully, a year or two ago I got curious about the big traps that show up trailside around the bay, looked them up and learned about how fast, ruthlessly aggressive, and unpredictable a wild boar can be. Otherwise, I might have (stupidly) thought I was in the middle of another one of my Snow White moments and been all “Hello there, Mr. Pig! Look at you!” believing that I could quietly observe in wonder. Instead, I knew this was a bad situation. The boar grunted and moved to the center of the trail. It felt very ‘You shall not pass!’ But I did not want to pass. I wanted to get away. I backed slowly for a few moments and then turned and ran faster than I ever have in my whole life. I’ve since learned that there’s no way that boar chased me, because there’s no chance of outrunning a boar (climb a tree if you can). But I know that boar saw me and also wasn’t happy about the surprise, and I had a moment, racing back over the hills I’d just run — not daring to look behind me more than once or twice in fear I’d lose my footing — when I truly did not know what would happen. I’ve been in scary situations, but they were a different kind of scary. I don’t think I’ve ever flat out run for my life before, but that’s truly what I thought I was doing. Right now I am still full of adrenaline and also exhausted and so so thankful to be okay.
My lemon is a happy fox. #fruitfaces My lemon is a happy fox. #fruitfaces
I think there’s something about getting older an I think there’s something about getting older and reaching back to the core of who you are. I’ve always been at my happiest when I’m up in a tree.
Portrait of the bestest girl. Stella may be slowin Portrait of the bestest girl. Stella may be slowing down, but she’s still exceptionally curious. #dailystelladog #germanshepherd
Portrait of a woman who just wants a free moment t Portrait of a woman who just wants a free moment to paint over the poop brown bathroom walls that came with this house.
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