Another Baby Gate Nemesis--They're Multiplying!

As if Sam weren't already leery enough of the baby gate we use to keep him out of the living room, now he's scared to death of the one we use to pen him in the kitchen at night.

The Gate (dun dun duuuunnnnn!!!)

Last night while playing Sam accidentally knocked into the gate, which fell over on top of him with a loud clattering crash. He scrambled away from it, terrified, and cowered by the door. I put the gate back up and tried to console him, but he was shivering, so I let him outside away from the big scary gate. (He tends to pee a little when he gets that scared, as well, so I'd rather not have to clean up any spills.)

Ten minutes later I tried to bring him back in, but he refused to come inside for fear of an ambush from The Gate. Eventually, with Mom and Dad calling him from inside and me cajoling him from the doorway, he skulked along the far edge of the wall and back into a corner behind the kitchen table. Dad seemed pleased about this, since he thinks Sam needs a healthy fear of barriers. I think so too, but I also didn't want him peeing himself all night when we put him to bed because he was cornered by The Gate.

Eventually I put a few treats next to The Gate in the hopes that Sam's love of food would help conquer his fears, but he refused them and sat cowering a few feet away. Mom and I both got on the floor with him, having him do a few tricks to try to take his mind off things, giving him pieces of treat and slowly luring him back toward The Gate. After half an hour he would crouch and stretch and take a piece of treat from the foot of The Gate, only to immediately retreat to safer ground. And he point blank refused to sit anywhere near us if either of us were touching The Gate.

I worried when it was time for Sam to go to bed, but Dad assured me Sam wouldn't even recognize The Gate that had attacked him was the same one that kept him in at night. And sure enough, Sam's poor recognition skills came through: he didn't even look twice at The Gate when I put him to bed.

There is a silver lining to all of this. At least now if Sam ever gets it into his half-empty head to try to break free from the kitchen in the mornings, and tries to push at or paw at The Gate, it'll make that same sound that scared him so much and hopefully thwart any jailbreaks. Here's hoping!