Portuguese Water Dogs are an active breed. Before we got him, hubby and I did lots and lots of research. We got him, primarily because it was one of the few dogs that hubby was not allergic to. But, we also knew that they needed lots and lots of exercise. Needing a lifestyle change, hubby and I decided to kick start our healthy habits and pretty much use the dog to get healthier.
Dogs need to be walked. They don't care if it's sunny, rainy, snowy, or if it's the end of the world...they have to go out. Therefore, hubby and I knew we could never use the weather as an excuse not to get out there. Actually, in the 10 months that we've had our puppy, we can honestly say that we've spent just as much times outdoors, as we do indoors. Our TV consumption is down to a minimum, we wake up early...and as a consequence, go to bed early. Hubby had lost 30 lbs, suits that I bought 10 years ago fit me perfectly, and 14 year old son now plans walks with his buddies (as opposed to sitting n front of the TV playing video games)
Pup is still in a pain in the butt, though. Anyone that has been following my blogs for the last 8 months will know all the trials and tribulations I've gone through. For the most part, pup is starting to calm down...with one exception. He JUMPS!!!
Once again, hubby and I had done plenty of research before settling on a PWD. Everything we read stated that this particular breed is very agile, and, it likes to jump. In fact, that is one of the primary traits of this dog. At home, we've trained him not to jump on us or the furniture. When people come over, he does run to them, but once we've instructed our guests to ignore pup for the 1st few minutes, then pup just walks away. The big problem is when we're out walking the dog (which in our case is very, very often). He'll see some poor unsuspecting jogger and run to the end of his leash, all the while trying to jump on them. Because he's over 55 lbs now, the momentum of his run and jump also propels me forward towards the jogger. I usually get very dirty looks from the joggers because from their point of view, it looks like I'm actually steering my dog towards them and encouraging the jump!!
He doesn't only jump at joggers. He also jumps at other dogs. Not so bad when the other dog is taller...but a bit of a disaster if the other dog is shorter. A taller dog will be able to take my pup's weight...but a shorter dog kind of turns into a pancake. They get angry and start biting at pup's tummy. This gets my pup excited and then he wants to play!! The other dog, however, having been flattened, wants to kill!! Not the best combination for play-dates!!
Pup also jumps at little old ladies..maybe because he can smell their frail bones. I've had many a dirty look from these ladies that think I'm sicking my pup on them on purpose in order to rob them!!! The worse, of course is other dog owners. Let me explain. We don't give our puppy treats, but there are legions of dog owners out there that carry bags and bags of treats. Well let me tell you, one whiff of those bacon, chicken, liver treats is enough to send my pup into a frenzy. He's constantly jumping on these poor unsuspecting dog-owners. I try to get him off them, but the leashes always end up getting tangled and pup's nose is usually right up the other dog-owners pocket!!
Yesterday, he jumped up on a 5 year old girl. They were the same height when pup was on his hind legs. He kind of put his paws around her so she couldn't move away, and then he decided to take advantage of his position by proceeding to "hump" her. I spent the next 15 minutes trying to explain to her father that my 11 month old pup was neutered and really had no idea what he was doing!!!
I've looked up ways to get pup to stop jumping up. Advice ranges from putting your knee up while he's in mid-air, to grabbing his front paws and walking him backwards. Yeah,...now I'm trying to figure out a way to tell that to the joggers as they run from me, or the little old ladies who are trying to swat me with their purses!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Sunday, 18 March 2012
The Kennel
So there I was...partly looking forward to leaving my 11 month old pup at the kennel for a week...but partly missing him like nuts.
He and I have a very complex relationship. He relies on me for food, walks, healthcare, love...but he also tries to dominate me every chance he gets. He has never seen me as Alpha..not in the 9 months that we've had him. He jumps at me, he pulls away or bites the leash incessantly when I walk him, he tries to occupy my space, he never listens to any of my commands.
So, when my family and I were planning our Spring Break vacation, I looked forward to a "Spring Break" from pup as well. Hubby and I did lots of research. We couldn't just leave him with anyone (too many horror stories). It took us a while but we finally came up with a kennel in the country. Hubby and I visited it and we liked what we saw. It was clean, the dogs looked happy, and there was plenty of free space for the dogs to run around. In short..we were happy with our decision.
When it was time to take pup there, we made it a family trip. Hubby and I sat in the front seats of the car, 14 year old son and pup sat in the back. (with lots and lots of towels just in case pup would get car sick). We also brought along pup's food, his bed, 4 of his favourite toys, and one of the towels from the car (so that it would smell like home). As soon as we got there, pup couldn't wait to get out of the car...he heard so much barking, all he wanted to do was play and play. Given it was his supper time, we gave him his food. He went at it and never looked up as we were trying to say a sweet "good-bye" to him. He had positively no interest in us. We stared at him for a while, but when he made it clear he was too busy to give us any attention, we just kind of left. So much for the tearful good-bye I had envisioned.
That evening was really weird. The 3 of us ate dinner in silence. It was strange not to have pup around sniffing at our feet. It was strange not going out for a walk after supper. I really missed the little guy..hubby and son..not so much. But I missed him like crazy.
So today, after a full week, we went back to the kennel to pick him up. Son went to the car to get pup's leash, so hubby and I were in the office alone, waiting for our dog. As soon as pup came out, he ran right past me and was all over hubby. He jumped on hubby, he licked hubby, he stuffed his nose up hubby's private areas...he could not get enough of hubby. I just stood there, next to hubby, staring. Then, 14 year old son walked into the room. Pup left hubby and jumped on son. He licked son, he played with son, he sniffed son. I started to feel like the 3rd wheel so I tried to get pup's attention. I tried to get pup off son so he could actually focus on me...the only one who missed him!! Pup didn't like me prying him away from hubby and son, so he turned around and NIPPED my hand!!!
That's when it hit me. All this time I've always thought my dog hated me. Now I know the truth...he doesn't hate me. I'm just a non-entity to him. I feed him and walk him, but I'm a NOBODY to him...sniff..sniff..
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
He and I have a very complex relationship. He relies on me for food, walks, healthcare, love...but he also tries to dominate me every chance he gets. He has never seen me as Alpha..not in the 9 months that we've had him. He jumps at me, he pulls away or bites the leash incessantly when I walk him, he tries to occupy my space, he never listens to any of my commands.
So, when my family and I were planning our Spring Break vacation, I looked forward to a "Spring Break" from pup as well. Hubby and I did lots of research. We couldn't just leave him with anyone (too many horror stories). It took us a while but we finally came up with a kennel in the country. Hubby and I visited it and we liked what we saw. It was clean, the dogs looked happy, and there was plenty of free space for the dogs to run around. In short..we were happy with our decision.
When it was time to take pup there, we made it a family trip. Hubby and I sat in the front seats of the car, 14 year old son and pup sat in the back. (with lots and lots of towels just in case pup would get car sick). We also brought along pup's food, his bed, 4 of his favourite toys, and one of the towels from the car (so that it would smell like home). As soon as we got there, pup couldn't wait to get out of the car...he heard so much barking, all he wanted to do was play and play. Given it was his supper time, we gave him his food. He went at it and never looked up as we were trying to say a sweet "good-bye" to him. He had positively no interest in us. We stared at him for a while, but when he made it clear he was too busy to give us any attention, we just kind of left. So much for the tearful good-bye I had envisioned.
That evening was really weird. The 3 of us ate dinner in silence. It was strange not to have pup around sniffing at our feet. It was strange not going out for a walk after supper. I really missed the little guy..hubby and son..not so much. But I missed him like crazy.
So today, after a full week, we went back to the kennel to pick him up. Son went to the car to get pup's leash, so hubby and I were in the office alone, waiting for our dog. As soon as pup came out, he ran right past me and was all over hubby. He jumped on hubby, he licked hubby, he stuffed his nose up hubby's private areas...he could not get enough of hubby. I just stood there, next to hubby, staring. Then, 14 year old son walked into the room. Pup left hubby and jumped on son. He licked son, he played with son, he sniffed son. I started to feel like the 3rd wheel so I tried to get pup's attention. I tried to get pup off son so he could actually focus on me...the only one who missed him!! Pup didn't like me prying him away from hubby and son, so he turned around and NIPPED my hand!!!
That's when it hit me. All this time I've always thought my dog hated me. Now I know the truth...he doesn't hate me. I'm just a non-entity to him. I feed him and walk him, but I'm a NOBODY to him...sniff..sniff..
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Goodbye Cruel World
Well, it's finally happened. I think I finally know what's going through my 11 month old puppy's brain!!! I use to think the answer was "not much", but now I've finally figured it out. Puppy wants to end it all!! Yep, he wants to grab his big ole bone, lap some water out of his dish, maybe mark his territory on a tree or two, and then he wants to go out like a flash!!
Let me explain. Why else would puppy try to run out on the street while I'm walking him? Why else does he go to the end of his leash, trying with all his might to run onto oncoming traffic? I can see it now, as he sits by the living-room window..looking out onto the street in front of him. I can see that bubble forming on top of his head. The bubble with the words clearly stating his thoughts. "Hmm", he thinks, "living with these humans has been fun, but now I must go. All they do is exercise me 4 times a day, groom me, brush my teeth". Yes it's a tough life for this pooch. His thoughts continue, "Well, I'm 11 months old now. I've tasted every Kleenex, I've marked every tree, and I've played with every dog in the world "....true..his is a small world. "I've eaten really healthy food as my masters don't give me junk or snacks, I've destroyed every room in their home, I've torn all their cushions, chewed on shoes and socks. I've been to every dog park, soccer field, golf course, and water fountain. Now I have nothing left"
Then as I take him out for our walks, he starts. Pull, pull, pull the leash. Put leash in mouth and jump into the street while I try to reel him in only inches away from an oncoming bus!!. We have an overpass near our house which looks down 20 feet onto train tracks. Sometimes you can see the train in the distance, sometimes it's directly underneath us. Most times, however, there is no train...and what should be a 30 second walk across the overpass, becomes a 10 minute ordeal as pup pulls and pulls...all the while I'm making his leash shorter and shorter so that he doesn't fall through the barrier and 20 feet down onto the tracks!!
I'm not sure if puppy really thinks this way...but for now, I'm just focused on keeping him alive...at least long enough so that he can experience his first birthday next month!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Let me explain. Why else would puppy try to run out on the street while I'm walking him? Why else does he go to the end of his leash, trying with all his might to run onto oncoming traffic? I can see it now, as he sits by the living-room window..looking out onto the street in front of him. I can see that bubble forming on top of his head. The bubble with the words clearly stating his thoughts. "Hmm", he thinks, "living with these humans has been fun, but now I must go. All they do is exercise me 4 times a day, groom me, brush my teeth". Yes it's a tough life for this pooch. His thoughts continue, "Well, I'm 11 months old now. I've tasted every Kleenex, I've marked every tree, and I've played with every dog in the world "....true..his is a small world. "I've eaten really healthy food as my masters don't give me junk or snacks, I've destroyed every room in their home, I've torn all their cushions, chewed on shoes and socks. I've been to every dog park, soccer field, golf course, and water fountain. Now I have nothing left"
Then as I take him out for our walks, he starts. Pull, pull, pull the leash. Put leash in mouth and jump into the street while I try to reel him in only inches away from an oncoming bus!!. We have an overpass near our house which looks down 20 feet onto train tracks. Sometimes you can see the train in the distance, sometimes it's directly underneath us. Most times, however, there is no train...and what should be a 30 second walk across the overpass, becomes a 10 minute ordeal as pup pulls and pulls...all the while I'm making his leash shorter and shorter so that he doesn't fall through the barrier and 20 feet down onto the tracks!!
I'm not sure if puppy really thinks this way...but for now, I'm just focused on keeping him alive...at least long enough so that he can experience his first birthday next month!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Awww...what's in the dog's mouth now!!!!
The Portuguese Water Dog is a mouthy breed. That's what all the textbooks and magazines say. PWD's always have t have something in their mouth. My question is, "WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN??"
My 10 month old is never without something in his mouth. We've bought him all kinds of chew toys (both stuffed and unstuffed), we've bought him squeaky toys (they last about 10 minutes in those big strong teeth), we've given him special bones, balls, Kongs..you name it...there is no lack of objects for our pup to chew on...
So...
Why the heck does he have to pick up strange objects off the street when we're walking!!! We'll be walking along, he'll have his (annihilated unstuffed) ferret in his mouth, happy as a clam. In the blink of an eye, the ferret is tossed aside and a new, foreign object is in his mouth!!! How he does this so quickly will forever remain a mystery to me!! I can be seen at any given corner trying to pry his jaws open, all the while pulling out used Kleenex, bounce sheets, Tim Horton coffee cups, branches, cigarette packs (thankfully empty)!
Last week, as we were walking, I saw his head swoop down...but I didn't see anything sticking out of his mouth. We kept walking a little further when he turned to look at me. There, sticking out of his mouth, a used Q-Tip!! Ick. What could possibly have attracted him to that!! I tried to pull it out, but let me tell you, I have enough trouble pulling out a stick or twig...at least they're wide enough for me to be able to get a good hold on them. But a Q-Tip?? There's nothing to hold onto!! And I sure as heck didn't want to touch the cotton swab portion!! So, I did what I've always done..I looked for another piece of garbage to tempt him with, and once his mouth was opened and the Q-Tip fell out, I grabbed the leash and started running as fast as I could away from the offensive Q-Tip!!
Lately, pup has started going in my bathroom to sniff around. I tend to keep the door closed, but he's learned that if he rams his head hard enough against the door, it will open for him!! Let me explain a little bit about my bathroom. This bathroom is mine!! I share my home with my hubby and my 14 year old son, so this bathroom is off-limits to them. It's my sanctuary. I keep my make-up there, my cologne, smelly pot-pourris and of course, the things that my husband or son can never use..simply because they're male!! So, what does puppy come out of the bathroom with? Yep!!! Now, excuse me while I try prying that out of his mouth..all the while looking for taller shelves to keep things on!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
My 10 month old is never without something in his mouth. We've bought him all kinds of chew toys (both stuffed and unstuffed), we've bought him squeaky toys (they last about 10 minutes in those big strong teeth), we've given him special bones, balls, Kongs..you name it...there is no lack of objects for our pup to chew on...
So...
Why the heck does he have to pick up strange objects off the street when we're walking!!! We'll be walking along, he'll have his (annihilated unstuffed) ferret in his mouth, happy as a clam. In the blink of an eye, the ferret is tossed aside and a new, foreign object is in his mouth!!! How he does this so quickly will forever remain a mystery to me!! I can be seen at any given corner trying to pry his jaws open, all the while pulling out used Kleenex, bounce sheets, Tim Horton coffee cups, branches, cigarette packs (thankfully empty)!
Last week, as we were walking, I saw his head swoop down...but I didn't see anything sticking out of his mouth. We kept walking a little further when he turned to look at me. There, sticking out of his mouth, a used Q-Tip!! Ick. What could possibly have attracted him to that!! I tried to pull it out, but let me tell you, I have enough trouble pulling out a stick or twig...at least they're wide enough for me to be able to get a good hold on them. But a Q-Tip?? There's nothing to hold onto!! And I sure as heck didn't want to touch the cotton swab portion!! So, I did what I've always done..I looked for another piece of garbage to tempt him with, and once his mouth was opened and the Q-Tip fell out, I grabbed the leash and started running as fast as I could away from the offensive Q-Tip!!
Lately, pup has started going in my bathroom to sniff around. I tend to keep the door closed, but he's learned that if he rams his head hard enough against the door, it will open for him!! Let me explain a little bit about my bathroom. This bathroom is mine!! I share my home with my hubby and my 14 year old son, so this bathroom is off-limits to them. It's my sanctuary. I keep my make-up there, my cologne, smelly pot-pourris and of course, the things that my husband or son can never use..simply because they're male!! So, what does puppy come out of the bathroom with? Yep!!! Now, excuse me while I try prying that out of his mouth..all the while looking for taller shelves to keep things on!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 19 February 2012
The Pedicure
We take care of our little 10 month old. We brush his hair and teeth daily, we give him monthly baths, we are careful to feed him the right type of food, we limit his snacks, give him monthly pedicures and of course we give him lots and lots of exercise.
In the 8 months that we've had the little pup, hubby has lost 30 lbs and his blood pressure is at the healthiest level in years. Our 14 year old son has grown about a foot in this time and his build is starting to get quite athletic. Me? Although pup and I do not see eye to eye on anything, although he and I have yet to bond, although he makes my life a living hell, still, I can't deny that I'm really happy with the way my body has changed.
Pup has changed too!! He's a PWD of the curly variety. Awfully cute, but when we had let his hair grow longer for the winter, he just looked like a puff ball. Actually, although we knew his weight was perfect for his age and size, the occasional (well-meaning?) neighbour would make a comment about how BIG, pup was getting. Hubby and I, always ready to come to our puppy's honour, would immediately tell the neighbour just how wrong he was. We would tell our neighbour that pup was just PERFECT!!
Well, after his wonderful little curls started getting all knotted up because of the snow, rain, mud, etc....we had to get him shaved. Well let me tell you, pup looked like a different dog!! Apart from looking suspiciously like a schnauzer, pup now looked really skinny!!! Too skinny if you ask me. People, especially our neighbours, started remarking on how fit and trim pup was underneath all that curly fur!! People couldn't believe that it was the same dog!!
Now, because we walk him so much, from June till January, we only had to cut his nails once per month. The pavement would wear them down and they never got too long. But, never ever having had a dog before, hubby and I didn't think that his nails might need cutting more often now that there was snow and ice on the ground!! The day that we took him to get shaven, he came home and we could still hear his nails clicking on our floor. A couple of days later, I took him back to the groomer, thinking that they had forgotten to trim his nails. Actually, the groomer told me the opposite. Because pup's nails had gotten so long, the quick had gotten long as well. She could only cut a bit...any more and the poor thing would bleed. So, now we were in a predicament where we had to get his nails trimmed every 10 days...just so that the quick would shorten. We did this for a few weeks.
Yesterday, I took pup to the groomer again. This time, the quick had gotten back to normal and she told me that I could start coming back again every 3-4 weeks. Relieved, I mentioned that I had no idea that due to the fact that there was ice and snow on the ground, this would keep pup's nails from wearing out. I told the groomer that I'd make a point of going more often when the next winter season would begin. She looked at me and told me that was only one side of the equation. She then said something that completely blew me away!!! She said that most PWD's she sees are overweight. This is due to the fact that they are such a high energy dog and the masters can't keep up with them. But, she said that our dog was in phenomenal shape!! She said that in all her years of grooming PWD's, she had never seen one as trim and healthy looking as ours. She said that the other reason his nails were growing so long, was that he didn't have all that extra weight that heavier dogs have, bearing down on his paws!! There was no pressure on his nails at all!! That got me thinking as to how lucky our pup was that he had committed owners that gave him the exercise his breed requires...but, most importantly, how lucky we were to have this pup that was helping us lose weight and not put so much pressure on our feet (organs, etc.)
Despite the fact that this pup makes me nuts with anger at times, I have to thank him for helping my family get healthier and happier. Maybe one day, when I'm old and grey, I'll look back with fond memories about how much this dog meant to me...but for now...ugh, I'm off to walk him again, this time in the pouring rain!!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
In the 8 months that we've had the little pup, hubby has lost 30 lbs and his blood pressure is at the healthiest level in years. Our 14 year old son has grown about a foot in this time and his build is starting to get quite athletic. Me? Although pup and I do not see eye to eye on anything, although he and I have yet to bond, although he makes my life a living hell, still, I can't deny that I'm really happy with the way my body has changed.
Pup has changed too!! He's a PWD of the curly variety. Awfully cute, but when we had let his hair grow longer for the winter, he just looked like a puff ball. Actually, although we knew his weight was perfect for his age and size, the occasional (well-meaning?) neighbour would make a comment about how BIG, pup was getting. Hubby and I, always ready to come to our puppy's honour, would immediately tell the neighbour just how wrong he was. We would tell our neighbour that pup was just PERFECT!!
Well, after his wonderful little curls started getting all knotted up because of the snow, rain, mud, etc....we had to get him shaved. Well let me tell you, pup looked like a different dog!! Apart from looking suspiciously like a schnauzer, pup now looked really skinny!!! Too skinny if you ask me. People, especially our neighbours, started remarking on how fit and trim pup was underneath all that curly fur!! People couldn't believe that it was the same dog!!
Now, because we walk him so much, from June till January, we only had to cut his nails once per month. The pavement would wear them down and they never got too long. But, never ever having had a dog before, hubby and I didn't think that his nails might need cutting more often now that there was snow and ice on the ground!! The day that we took him to get shaven, he came home and we could still hear his nails clicking on our floor. A couple of days later, I took him back to the groomer, thinking that they had forgotten to trim his nails. Actually, the groomer told me the opposite. Because pup's nails had gotten so long, the quick had gotten long as well. She could only cut a bit...any more and the poor thing would bleed. So, now we were in a predicament where we had to get his nails trimmed every 10 days...just so that the quick would shorten. We did this for a few weeks.
Yesterday, I took pup to the groomer again. This time, the quick had gotten back to normal and she told me that I could start coming back again every 3-4 weeks. Relieved, I mentioned that I had no idea that due to the fact that there was ice and snow on the ground, this would keep pup's nails from wearing out. I told the groomer that I'd make a point of going more often when the next winter season would begin. She looked at me and told me that was only one side of the equation. She then said something that completely blew me away!!! She said that most PWD's she sees are overweight. This is due to the fact that they are such a high energy dog and the masters can't keep up with them. But, she said that our dog was in phenomenal shape!! She said that in all her years of grooming PWD's, she had never seen one as trim and healthy looking as ours. She said that the other reason his nails were growing so long, was that he didn't have all that extra weight that heavier dogs have, bearing down on his paws!! There was no pressure on his nails at all!! That got me thinking as to how lucky our pup was that he had committed owners that gave him the exercise his breed requires...but, most importantly, how lucky we were to have this pup that was helping us lose weight and not put so much pressure on our feet (organs, etc.)
Despite the fact that this pup makes me nuts with anger at times, I have to thank him for helping my family get healthier and happier. Maybe one day, when I'm old and grey, I'll look back with fond memories about how much this dog meant to me...but for now...ugh, I'm off to walk him again, this time in the pouring rain!!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 12 February 2012
The Fabulous Ferret
So here we are, having had pup for just over 8 months now. He loves my hubby and my son...he LOVES them. When they walk, pup is right next to them...heaven forbid he leaves their side..why he'd never forgive himself if something nasty were to happen to them. He listens to their every command, and he is obedient when he's in the house with them.
And then there's me!!
Pup HATES me. He doesn't care if anything were to happen to me on our walk....in fact, I believe he secretly hopes that I run away or better yet, fall into an open manhole cover, far down, away into the sewer...swept away by the tide only to re-emerge far, far into some far off ocean in some far off land. You don't believe me? Well why else would he walk so far away from me when I'm holding the leash? Not only does he go to the end of the leash, but he starts running so that he can get as far away from me as possible. When it becomes evident to him that I am not about to let go of the leash, he then turns towards me and puts the leash in his mouth, tugging hard, trying to make me loosen my grip. He actually went through leash #8 this week. Remember, we've had pup for 8 months and this is his 9th leash!!!! I wonder if they make Kevlar leashes??
So anyway, along with the tugging, biting and pulling, my pup tries to get away from me by running back and forth (always at the end of the leash), either trying to wear me down or dislocate my shoulder. Each time I get back from my walk, all sweaty and dishevelled, I always make a solemn vow that that was my last walk with him..Then of course, a few hours later, I take him out again. Yes, pup and I have a real, "master and servant" thing going on..only he thinks HE'S the one in charge.
One night, I took him out and he started playing with his best friend, a lovely year old Golden-Doodle. As they played, I noticed he kept taking a toy from her. The Golden's master told me it was an unstuffed ferret and that my dog probably loved playing with it more that his dog did. All of a sudden, a light bulb went off over my head. The next day, I went out and bought a white, unstuffed ferret and hid it from him until it was my turn to walk him. That afternoon, the second I showed him the ferret, he smiled, grabbed it and never let go. The walk was priceless. It was the best walk I had had with him in 8 months. We walked everywhere together, for close to an hour!!
Next day, same thing, day after that, same thing. Now, the 4th walk was kinda dicey. The ferret, after 3 days, had become really filthy, and, because the weather had been quite mild, there was quite a bit of water on the ground. Pup had been dragging the ferret in his mouth, but the water was seeping into the ferret, and it was getting heavier and heavier. I guess pup wasn't use to having to lug around a heavy, wet ferret and just left it in the middle of the street. In the nano second it took for the ferret to leave his mouth, the leash was back in pup's mouth!! I kept trying to put the ferret back in there but it was impossible!!! For those of you who have tried to pry something out of your dog's mouth, try imagining trying to do the opposite!! The pup just would not put the heavy wet ferret in his mouth!
So, being rather resourceful, I kept looking for imaginative ways to keep the ferret there. At first I tried to wrap the ferret around the pup's head. I figured it wouldn't be too heavy and he had easy access to his mouth. What was I thinking??
Then, I wrapped the ferret around his leash. That way, every time he'd go for the leash, he'd find the ferret there instead. Once again, what was I thinking??
So, I did the only thing I could do. As I walked him I had the leash in one hand and the ferret held out in front of his like a carrot in the other. Believe it or not, this worked really well. The last 4 walks have been like this. I just hold it out in front of him and he walks perfectly. People on the street give me peculiar glances, but I don't care one bit!! It works.
Now about a week later, my son took pup out for a walk. When son came back, he casually mentioned that he had LOST the ferret in a school yard. Horrified, I had looked at the empty hook in the garage that was home to the ferret for a full week. As my eyes were filling up with tears, I started putting on my sweater, scarf, snow pants, hat, boots, gloves...and ran out of the house in search of the ferret. I entered the school yard, and in the distance, I could see this dirty grey clump on top of the pure white snow. I ran to that ferret, picked it up, brought it home and put it back on its hook. Every member of my family knows never to touch that ferret again..It's MINE!!!! It's the only way I can walk my dog and not come back with a dislocated shoulder. The fabulous ferret saved the day!!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
And then there's me!!
Pup HATES me. He doesn't care if anything were to happen to me on our walk....in fact, I believe he secretly hopes that I run away or better yet, fall into an open manhole cover, far down, away into the sewer...swept away by the tide only to re-emerge far, far into some far off ocean in some far off land. You don't believe me? Well why else would he walk so far away from me when I'm holding the leash? Not only does he go to the end of the leash, but he starts running so that he can get as far away from me as possible. When it becomes evident to him that I am not about to let go of the leash, he then turns towards me and puts the leash in his mouth, tugging hard, trying to make me loosen my grip. He actually went through leash #8 this week. Remember, we've had pup for 8 months and this is his 9th leash!!!! I wonder if they make Kevlar leashes??
So anyway, along with the tugging, biting and pulling, my pup tries to get away from me by running back and forth (always at the end of the leash), either trying to wear me down or dislocate my shoulder. Each time I get back from my walk, all sweaty and dishevelled, I always make a solemn vow that that was my last walk with him..Then of course, a few hours later, I take him out again. Yes, pup and I have a real, "master and servant" thing going on..only he thinks HE'S the one in charge.
One night, I took him out and he started playing with his best friend, a lovely year old Golden-Doodle. As they played, I noticed he kept taking a toy from her. The Golden's master told me it was an unstuffed ferret and that my dog probably loved playing with it more that his dog did. All of a sudden, a light bulb went off over my head. The next day, I went out and bought a white, unstuffed ferret and hid it from him until it was my turn to walk him. That afternoon, the second I showed him the ferret, he smiled, grabbed it and never let go. The walk was priceless. It was the best walk I had had with him in 8 months. We walked everywhere together, for close to an hour!!
Next day, same thing, day after that, same thing. Now, the 4th walk was kinda dicey. The ferret, after 3 days, had become really filthy, and, because the weather had been quite mild, there was quite a bit of water on the ground. Pup had been dragging the ferret in his mouth, but the water was seeping into the ferret, and it was getting heavier and heavier. I guess pup wasn't use to having to lug around a heavy, wet ferret and just left it in the middle of the street. In the nano second it took for the ferret to leave his mouth, the leash was back in pup's mouth!! I kept trying to put the ferret back in there but it was impossible!!! For those of you who have tried to pry something out of your dog's mouth, try imagining trying to do the opposite!! The pup just would not put the heavy wet ferret in his mouth!
So, being rather resourceful, I kept looking for imaginative ways to keep the ferret there. At first I tried to wrap the ferret around the pup's head. I figured it wouldn't be too heavy and he had easy access to his mouth. What was I thinking??
Then, I wrapped the ferret around his leash. That way, every time he'd go for the leash, he'd find the ferret there instead. Once again, what was I thinking??
So, I did the only thing I could do. As I walked him I had the leash in one hand and the ferret held out in front of his like a carrot in the other. Believe it or not, this worked really well. The last 4 walks have been like this. I just hold it out in front of him and he walks perfectly. People on the street give me peculiar glances, but I don't care one bit!! It works.
Now about a week later, my son took pup out for a walk. When son came back, he casually mentioned that he had LOST the ferret in a school yard. Horrified, I had looked at the empty hook in the garage that was home to the ferret for a full week. As my eyes were filling up with tears, I started putting on my sweater, scarf, snow pants, hat, boots, gloves...and ran out of the house in search of the ferret. I entered the school yard, and in the distance, I could see this dirty grey clump on top of the pure white snow. I ran to that ferret, picked it up, brought it home and put it back on its hook. Every member of my family knows never to touch that ferret again..It's MINE!!!! It's the only way I can walk my dog and not come back with a dislocated shoulder. The fabulous ferret saved the day!!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 29 January 2012
I Pity the Fool
So there I was, finally making some progress with my 9 month old pup. Both Cesar Millan (via TV of course), and our doggy trainer had told me that in order for me to gain the respect of my dog, I would have to ignore him.
And I did. I ignored him for about 1 1/2 weeks. He had finally started listening to me in the house. Finally, he'd drop a cushion when I told him, and finally he'd stop chewing on our plants and towels and dish cloths. Finally. Of course our walks were a completely different story. We still hadn't mastered that yet. The walks were still a nightmare, and yes, today I bought leash #9 even though we've had the pup for under 8 months!!
But, for a while, things started to take on a sunny appearance. Then, the inevitable happened. One perfectly normal evening, long after the last walk of the day was taken, long after he had been combed and his teeth had been brushed, he developed a limp. It could had happened while he was chasing his tail and he slipped on the rug, or, maybe when he was taking those flying leaps off the stairs from the forth step up. But somehow, he developed a limp out of nowhere. He was still able to go up the stairs, and still able to go into the backyard to relieve himself, but you could tell that something was not quite right. He slept quite well that night, but the next morning when we took him out of his crate, he would not put his foot down. Hubby just walked him to the end of the street and back, just enough for pup to do what he had to do, and then pup slept at the top of the stairs as I got ready in the morning.
I felt really bad for the little guy, and all the "ignoring" went out the window. All I did was pet him and kiss him and let him sit on me. I called the vet later that morning and they suggested I keep him off his feet for the day. If the limp persisted the next day, then I would have to take him for x-rays. So, at lunch time, when I came home from work, instead of walking him, I let him out into the back yard, and then spent the entire hour just petting him on the floor of my living-room. He sat on me, I held his toys while he played with them (heaven forbid the toys slipped away from him), and just spoiled him rotten.
After work, I let him sit on me again and I just pet him and pet him. Both hubby and son told me to stop showing him so much pity. They both told me that pity does not exist in the canine world. Deep down, I knew they were right...but pup was just so darned cute!!! And the poor thing, he had a limp (which, by the way, was barely noticeable by the end of the day).
The next day, the limp was all but gone. Hubby was able to take him around the block that morning (we decided to ease him back into his long walks). When I came home for lunch and let him out of his crate, pup was super happy to see me. He ran up the stairs knowing that he'd be going out soon. I decided that his walk would also just be around the block. I didn't want to aggravate his healed limp. The walk was terrible, one of the worst one in weeks. Pup was pulling me and biting the leash. He was uncontrollable. Back in the house, he grabbed every pillow he could find and ran circles around the dining room table. He wouldn't listen to me ordering him to drop what he had in his mouth, nor would he listen to my commands to stop. In fact, pup wouldn't wouldn't listen to anything at all that I had to say!!!
That evening, my son and hubby gave me knowing looks. They knew the truth...the truth that I had fought hard to resist. By showing my puppy sympathy and pity, by caring for him and allowing him to sit on me, by showering him with affection.....I became that lesser being in pup's eyes again. I now had to start ignoring him all over again. Once again, I have to start right up again...trying hard to gain his respect...
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
And I did. I ignored him for about 1 1/2 weeks. He had finally started listening to me in the house. Finally, he'd drop a cushion when I told him, and finally he'd stop chewing on our plants and towels and dish cloths. Finally. Of course our walks were a completely different story. We still hadn't mastered that yet. The walks were still a nightmare, and yes, today I bought leash #9 even though we've had the pup for under 8 months!!
But, for a while, things started to take on a sunny appearance. Then, the inevitable happened. One perfectly normal evening, long after the last walk of the day was taken, long after he had been combed and his teeth had been brushed, he developed a limp. It could had happened while he was chasing his tail and he slipped on the rug, or, maybe when he was taking those flying leaps off the stairs from the forth step up. But somehow, he developed a limp out of nowhere. He was still able to go up the stairs, and still able to go into the backyard to relieve himself, but you could tell that something was not quite right. He slept quite well that night, but the next morning when we took him out of his crate, he would not put his foot down. Hubby just walked him to the end of the street and back, just enough for pup to do what he had to do, and then pup slept at the top of the stairs as I got ready in the morning.
I felt really bad for the little guy, and all the "ignoring" went out the window. All I did was pet him and kiss him and let him sit on me. I called the vet later that morning and they suggested I keep him off his feet for the day. If the limp persisted the next day, then I would have to take him for x-rays. So, at lunch time, when I came home from work, instead of walking him, I let him out into the back yard, and then spent the entire hour just petting him on the floor of my living-room. He sat on me, I held his toys while he played with them (heaven forbid the toys slipped away from him), and just spoiled him rotten.
After work, I let him sit on me again and I just pet him and pet him. Both hubby and son told me to stop showing him so much pity. They both told me that pity does not exist in the canine world. Deep down, I knew they were right...but pup was just so darned cute!!! And the poor thing, he had a limp (which, by the way, was barely noticeable by the end of the day).
The next day, the limp was all but gone. Hubby was able to take him around the block that morning (we decided to ease him back into his long walks). When I came home for lunch and let him out of his crate, pup was super happy to see me. He ran up the stairs knowing that he'd be going out soon. I decided that his walk would also just be around the block. I didn't want to aggravate his healed limp. The walk was terrible, one of the worst one in weeks. Pup was pulling me and biting the leash. He was uncontrollable. Back in the house, he grabbed every pillow he could find and ran circles around the dining room table. He wouldn't listen to me ordering him to drop what he had in his mouth, nor would he listen to my commands to stop. In fact, pup wouldn't wouldn't listen to anything at all that I had to say!!!
That evening, my son and hubby gave me knowing looks. They knew the truth...the truth that I had fought hard to resist. By showing my puppy sympathy and pity, by caring for him and allowing him to sit on me, by showering him with affection.....I became that lesser being in pup's eyes again. I now had to start ignoring him all over again. Once again, I have to start right up again...trying hard to gain his respect...
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
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