The dog

So, ever since I moved into my latest apartment (last August) I have put the dog in her kennel whenever I leave. Now, this kennel is pretty good size. You could probably fit three Tesses in there easily (or comfortably. I could fit 4 or 5 in there easily-it just wouldn't be comfortable). So anyway, its a good size.
Tess used to be great about going in there when I told her to, or at least when I offered her a treat. About 2 months ago I noticed she was being a bit more difficult when I told her to go in. But she would eventually go.
Well, last week I was getting ready for school one morning. When I get ready Tess usually jumps up on my bed and crawls under the covers- regardless of whether or not the bed is made. So, once I was all ready to leave I went to find the dog to put her in her kennel. But she wasn't in or on my bed. And she wasn't on her bed either. So I went out to the living room to see if she had slipped past me somehow. She wasn't out there either. The doors to all the other rooms were closed, so I went back to the bedroom to look for her. Still not on the bed. I couldn't figure out where she could be. One last place... I plopped down on the floor and looked under the bed. THERE SHE WAS! Huddled in the far corner of the bed trying very carefully to be very quiet. It reminded me of Kevin about ten years ago when Dad would come looking for Kevin to put him to bed and Kevin would come running into the back room and hide behind one of the chairs begging us to not tell Dad he was in there. Well, she wouldn't come out and when I reach in to some place after her she snaps at me, so I went to get the broom. Finally I was able to get her out (after much barking and yelling). And she went into her kennel. This continued on for most of the rest of the week. One day I got her out of the bed, but she slipped back past me when I was trying to corral her to the kennel. Which brings us to yesterday.
I was already late to church and Tess was not too anxious to head to her spot. So I used the broom (which had taken up residence in my bedroom) to "sweep" her out. Well. She started barking and baring her teeth. Then she decided to grab the end of the broom with her teeth so we proceeded to play tug-of-war from opposite sides of the bed, UNDER the bed, with a broom. Finally, I got her out, but when I moved to grab her she just went under the bed. So, after more yelling and barking (and broom tug-of-war), I decided to just move the bed. Luckily my bed frame is on wheels, so it isn't too hard to move it. Tess got really mad then and finally charged out of the bedroom and right into her kennel. And I charged off to church in none too good a mood.
Well, the spirit spoke to me yesterday. It said, "Why don't you just kick her out of the bedroom first thing in the morning before she has time to hide?" I thought.... "Hmmm... good idea spirit."
So, this morning, I tried it. AND IT WORKED! I picked her up as soon as I got up and plopped her out in the living room on the other side of the baby gate so she couldn't get back to the good hiding places. She was very confused and proceeded to scratch for a while, but when it was time for the kennel she went right in!
Whoever said I wasn't smart obviously didn't give me a week to prove myself smarter than a beagle.

And those who say leave her in her kennel at night, or don't let her in the bedroom at night- She knows how to get my attention. She will bark at anything and everything and sometimes nothing unless I let her into the bedroom and sometimes force her into the bedroom.
And for those who say just put her in the kennel when she first wakes up- She spends the entire day in there (sometimes more than 12 hours a day) and regardless of what people may think or say, I am not totally heartless.