I Love My Dog, But...

Here I sit in my recliner trying to enjoy my favorite TV show, Person of Interest, and our ding dang dog keeps coming over wanting something from me. I have fed her and she has fresh water in her dish and I have just let her in from being outside to do her business. What else could she possibly want from me? Oh here she comes again to lay her head in my lap and look up at me with those sad, sad brown eyes. I wish I knew what in the world she wants from me! I am missing my show! And now look at her! She has laid down and turned over and wants me to rub her belly! OK, OK the commercial is on. Rub, rub, scratch, scratch. More scratching gets her leg a going! I just have to laugh at that! I love how her eyes about roll as I scratch her belly. Oh my show is back on! You be a good dog and go play with your toy or something. Ding dang dog! She is always wanting me to pet her! I probably should pay more attention to her. Maybe we should get her a playmate! Then again, maybe not! Then I would have 2 ding dang dogs bothering me all the time to pet them, feed them, play with them and go for walks. I guess I better just love on my dog more. Come here, girl. Let me give you some lovings! Being a dog lover is one of the most rewarding things in all the world. There is a reason that dog is called man's best friend.

I just want to relax and watch TV!

I am just sitting here relaxing in my comfy recliner! I love watching Hawaii Five-O! But I have this recurring problem! My dog keeps bothering me! He first comes over and lays at my feet looking up at me with those eyes! I just want to watch my show here! Now the dog has his head in my lap! "Go lay down", I barked. He must have a hearing problem! So I give him a push to get him to move away, so I can watch TV! Good, finally some peace! Do you ever have that feeling that you are being watched? Yup, I know the feeling. I love over and my ding dang dog is back beside my recliner! I don't want to deal with this right now! Oh, wait! Commercial! OK, here since you have turned belly up, I might as well rub your belly! Rub, rub, scratch, scratch! I am thinking he likes it. Look at the foot go back and forth scratching the air! So much fun, having a dog! OK, my show is back on! I still have the feeling I am being watched! Must be that ding dang dog again.

Oh piddle on the floor...!

No, not a new swear word combination but close.  My friend, Shirley, has a new puppy and has been using expletives with this statement for days.

Monty tinkles in the house.

He does this while gazing up at Shirley seemingly saying, "Hey mom! See what I did? Are you proud of me or what?"

A frustrated Shirley called to share these happenings, ( I could hear her tearing out her hair as she told me all the damp details.) and to ask if I knew what to do. It seems this puppy is out to dampen her day and also hates her.

So I asked Shirley a few questions and this is what I learned.

Monty had a little accident when he first came to live with Shirley. Shirley cleaned it up, telling Monty these things happen and he would learn, as the puppy watched her wipe. Then an hour or so later Monty piddled again in the same place. Shirley thought that Monty just returned to where it smelled of piddle. So, what did Shirley do..? She got out the spray bottle and paper towels and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned.

Monty observed this, puppy tail wagging, head cocked and processing.

That was a week ago and now Monty piddles only in the house, in fact, everywhere in the house! Shirley no longer says pacifying things like "you will learn" and "you'll get better", now she YELLS!
I talked Shirley down off of her ledge. I told her that she was a good mommy but she was thinking like a human, not like a dog.

Shirley, think and answer me this ... when a pup is small, how does a mommy dog get her pup to piddle..?


 Shirley tells me... Well, let me clean up what she said. The mother dog licks her pup and it stimulates the babe to evacuate. I expanded on this and told her when the pup is moving about and being puppies the mom still cleans up after them, lick, lick, lick but also guides and teaches them.

Now lets cross over to you Shirley being Monty's new mommy... You cleaned up after Monty on the first day and then reinforced the action again and again in the past week.


Monty watched and processed, thinking I am doing just what my new mommy wants. He discerned this because you let him see you clean up after him. But now Monty is confused because you are still cleaning up but you are now also barking(yelling) at Monty.


Monty is getting mixed messages.


"Am I or am I not suppose to pee in the house?"


Monty's anxiety level is up because he wants to please you but you keep barking. Perhaps it is because you are shedding, by the hand full.


The solution and I do not mean the stuff in the spray bottle. 


Start with No barking!


When you find a puddle, remove Monty from the scene because I am sure he is right there with you. Do not let him see this. Out of view he should be. 


Gather the piddle with a paper towel. 


Take it to the yard, where you want Monty to do his business. Weigh it down with a little dirt and maybe a rock so it does not blow away. Go back to the house and clean up.


Not done.


In about 45 or so minutes, maybe an hour take Monty out to the yard. Go with him! Do not just put him out. He loves you and wants to be with you. Go!


Stand by where the paper towel has been placed. Monty will eventually notice and sniff his evidence. 


Praise! Praise, I say. Tell him he is a good boy.


You have done the first steps in reversing his notion of piddle in the house. Now repeat until he catches on as you are reversing a weeks worth of piddle in the house training.

LICK, LICK, LICK and More LICK!!!

I don't know about any of you dog lovers out there, but we have 3 dogs and each of them will lick.  When I say lick...I mean lick on their own paw..lick on the other dog...lick my hands, feet, legs, face if I let them....LICK, LICK, LICK!!! OH and did I mention how irritating that sound is?  Ever have someone noisily licking on a lollipop?  OMG!  It's so ding dang infuriating!  Just STOP that licking!!

OK, I have vented...I feel better.  Well a little bit, anyway.  I am what you would call a sit-on-the-sideline watcher.  And I have noticed something.  The Alpha dog never licks on a lower level dog.  It seems to me that the lower dog will lick it's superior ranked canine as if the Alpha was royalty.  You know let me get as low to the ground (humble, don't bite my ass) attitude and here while I am down here let me lick, lick, lick you!

So here's the problem....I am 'THE ALPHA'.  I have 3 dogs that want to please me anyway they can.  How do they like to show it?  LICK, LICK, LICK, and even more LICKS.  I don't mind the feet getting a good licking....mind ya...but the face?  Yuck!  I know where that tongue has been.  LOL   I have learned to let my dogs lick me and have noticed the look of admiration they have as they LICK, LICK, and LICK. 

So Booser, Knoxi, and Autumn, you keep those LICKS a comin'.  I enjoy as much admiration as you can give me. 

That DING DANG DOG!!!

Are you a dog lover?
 For me that is an understatement.  I have a tremendous love for the 4-legged friends!  But have you ever been frustrated with that 'DING DANG DOG'?  Have you experienced missing cookies...ragged holes in your mocassins..missing socks...tipped over garbage can...and the list goes on.  The question becomes how does a dog lover deal with the mischievous little devils (or gentle giants!!)

The answer to that question is the subject of so many sites...why would anyone be interested in what we are offering here....