06/03/2026
Scout has become a little more territorial the longer weāve been in the same campsite here in the Florida Keys. Though she still doesnāt even lift her head for anybody walking by on the road, sheās much more likely to alert bark when strangers actually enter our space now than she was a month ago. (Weāve even gotten a few of those under-her-breath growls.)
Aaandāas proud as I was of her total quiet composure in our initial weeks hereāI am still that proud. I donāt mind her alerts. I think the behavior is not only understandable but also reasonable!
We usually move around so much in the vanāour volunteer position is the first time weāre staying in one spot like this, really feeling like an area is *ours*. Scout is a herding breed whose ancestors were specifically selected to be protective of property. When she lets someone know sheās noticed their presence, she still readily takes cues (or more formal guidance, like her āgo awayā crate command) from me and Sean. If the new person does invite her to approach them, she ignores them after .5 seconds of sniffing. Basically, 1) she keeps a nice level head and 2) no one ever feels unsafe.
Forever reminding myself of the lesson it took me years to learn when I first adopted her and was so overwhelmed (read: constantly spiraling into āwhat ifsā) by her fear reactivity: Thereās not a problem unless thereās a problem.
