Puppy, more work that a baby!

Hey everybody... the insanity will end soon! Summer has calmed down a lot... she is 10 months old now. It flies by so fast! She is really mellow and calm in the house now, but she also gets tons of exercise. I think that exercise is really important- a tired dog is a good dog. We just started leaving Summer out of the crate while we make quick trips to the store... she was alone for 2 hours yesterday and didn't chew anything or pee in the house! YAY! But I was in the same boat all of you were in a few months ago. I used to yell at Summer all the time saying "I should have bought a cat!". I think the dog park has been very important- she comes home and sleeps for hours! Doggie daycare could also work well for some of you... if you just need a day off! We used it when we were really busy and knew that we wouldn't be able to give Summer any time or exercise. Cesar Millan is GREAT- I apply all of his theories... His DVD is also a great tool. It says every day you need to give them exercise, discipline, then affection... in that order, to have a balanced dog. Also, their energy builds, so if they don't get exercise one day, they will have double the next day! Good luck, keep 'em busy, and know that someday you won't need to constantly watch them!

Bridget and Summer

Hi,
My husband sent this to me in an email and I felt that it was especially right for this forum topic!

Enjoy!

Dear Dogs and Cats,
>
>
> The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The
other dishes are mine and contain my food.
>
>
> Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food
does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
>
>
> The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.
Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
>
>
> I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry
about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure
your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they
sleep.

> It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and
having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
>
>
> For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If
by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered.
> I have been using the bathroom for years--canine or feline attendance
is not mandatory.
>
> The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's
butt. I cannot stress this enough!
>
> To pacify you my dear pets, I have posted the following message on
our front door:
>
> Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and Like to Complain About Our
Pets:
>
>
> 1. They live here. You don't.
>
> 2. If you don't want hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.
(That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
>
> 3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
>
> 4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter
who is short, hairy, walks on all fours, and does not speak clearly.
>
>
> Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they: eat less,
> don't ask for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when
called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't
smoke or drink, don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don't
wear your clothes, don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

I personally like the "they live here, you don't."
:lol:

Training, well, we did it all. We took our dogs to puppy kindergarten, and we didn't keep working with them...time passed quickly and the poor dogs were getting pretty much, well, at home. (Their house, not ours.)

Then we hired an expensive trainer to come to our house, one on one training. We didn't follow through and so it didn't work either.

It dawned on me that we were really bad parents. Our intentions, as good as they were, didn't cut it. We needed to get them trained AND FOLLOW THROUGH! (But we wanted them to feel at home and comfortable, not restrained and forbidden.)

We finally sent them to what we called "doggie boot camp" and they stayed (all 3 of them) for a week. When we picked them up, they were absolutely perfect! The training worked wonders, they had so many good manners it was scary.

This time, we try to follow through. Sure, sometimes we don't...but when our dogs misbehave (which they don't really, not any more) it is because they are doing what dogs do.

Dogs are not human, they don't do things for spite or because they are mad at us...the do things because they LIKE what they are doing! Pleasure. It's that simple. Dogs like to chew, bark, dig, tear fluff out of sofas, jump on their people, nip and play, roll around on the ground, chew up favorite shoes, shred papers, discover stashes of forbidden things...and they like to be loved.

They will do just about anything we want them to do, as long as they know what that is. They need short, quick commands that they hear often and ones that they learn the meanings to. And they need to know that if they don't do it, there will be consequences (whether it is not getting a treat, a click, a love, or whether it is a quick tug on a prong collar.) I don't believe in being mean. I think that dogs learn love and kindness by the way we treat them...they also learn aggression and fear by the way they are treated.

They rely on us to be consistent. We can't let them chew on old shoes if we don't want them to chew on new ones. They don't know the difference...so, what I have learned is that the training needs to come FROM us...and WE need to be trained to do it. Most importantly, WE need to keep it in mind 24/7 until it is automatic for us and for our pets.

So, I can't say what type of training works best (although for us a prong collar does the trick). I have seen some wonderful dogs (well behaved, gentle, quiet) living with old ladies who give them treats from the kitchen table and I have seen really bad dogs living with aggressive and restrictive people...I think that it boils down to...you have to learn how to communicate with your dog, then let your dog know that you will be consistent. That you are the top dog, but you love them very much.