Housebreaking, Part II

[SamSpade]

FYI, Target has those rope-pulls for $.99. Petco sells them for something like $5-$20 and they're the exact same ones at Target. I bought two of them over the weekend because the boys LOVE them! It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to stock up on them and keep them throughout the house; just in case they get bored.

????

Rope-pulls? Do you mean those chew toys that look like rope?

Our guys still don't care for them yet. The tough thing is, there isn't a toy they've found yet that they won't fight over, even if it's just a popsicle wrapper they swiped from the trash. We give them IDENTICAL toys, but they always want the one the OTHER one has.

I told Bluejay that I finally realized that you have to TEACH things like sharing to children - and to teach them that yes, Daddy and Mommy love BOTH of you, and you don't beat up on sister because Daddy shows attention to her. Dogs have no innate sense of "fair play". Well, children don't either, but they learn.

Their favorite toys are still - pieces of trash - shoes - and soft toys. Jingle always picks the same toy at Petco - a big round stuffed fishy with a squeaker. She's adorable walking through the store with her new toy in her mouth.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

????

Rope-pulls? Do you mean those chew toys that look like rope?

Yep! The boys play with them almost all day, and they throw 'em and toss 'em around. Occassionally little boy doggy will get hit with one because he's too close to his big brother.

 

[Elle]

In fact, the only problems we've had with them lately are - being bad, like disobeying us and getting into the trash or running away from us when we call them - and just destroying anything they can get near - like the outdoor carpet on the porch, my garden tools, my shoes. They have plenty of toys, and it amazes me that I can find half their toys on the upstairs deck the day after I put them away in their box - meaning, they took several trips to carry their toys there.

Ours is very defiant as well, I’ve been told you just need to stay consistent and one day they will outgrow it.

One thing that you posted was that BJ gave them a pair of shoes to play with. I once read that you have to draw boundaries and stick to them, the pups will become confused and not understand the limits of what is ok and what is not b/c it all looks the same, I can chew up the red sneakers but not the blue ones. We never allow our monster to play with anything other than her own toys when we are around and so far she hasn't torn up anything other than what my son leaves on the kitchen table (his fault b/c he knows the kitchen is her domain).

 

[SamSpade]

Thought I'd post Jangle's baby picture:

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Thought I'd post Jangle's baby picture:

Awwww, what a cutie pie!

 

[Elle]

Thought I'd post Jangle's baby picture:

Awwww!

 

[SamSpade]

Awwww, what a cutie pie!

THAT pic convinced us, we had to have him. His sister is black and brown, and looks more dobe or shepherd, than he does. They really do not look like they're related at all.

But - alas - they grow up. He's probably no more than 10 pounds in that pic, and he's forty now. His muzzle is easily twice as long, his fur is almost all brown everywhere, his mask has spread across his face and no puppy fuzz.

You know what's funny? We were in the shelter about 20 seconds when we saw someone holding his sister, and we wanted her right away - she was adorable. We didn't care they wouldn't look alike. And I feared at first that I would favor her terribly, over him. The opposite has occurred - he is SO well behaved that had we only got him, we'd have had no problems at all. And he's funny - when he gets excited, he pounces - he lifts his body up and slams it down with both paws, the way a polar bear tries to break through ice. He's so sturdy and husky, he still "trots" like a bulldog.

And he's a crybaby - loves little children so much, he ignores commands and treats at school, and cries when he's separated. (They both interact so poorly with other dogs, but follow the dog's owners everywhere - I suspect, they think they're PEOPLE, and not dogs). The first time we had little children over, he cried for about 45 minutes after they left - we tried to hold him but he wouldn't stop. He just loves attention. And despite what Bluejay says - he is kinda dumb. Good, but dumb.

Jingle is very different. She's smaller, but she's the leader - he will follow her anywhere. He needs to be with her, but she doesn't need him. He craves attention, but she's happy with a little bit - so while he will stretch out on our bed with us, she gets antsy and takes off after a few minutes. She learned "down" last night in class after about four tries - a command for her to lie down. She's already trying to open doors. And she has what I've learned are "shepherd" instincts - I have a hard time getting her to "heel", because her natural instinct is to stand directly in front of me. Him, walking him can be like walking a turtle. Putting a treat in the car, and she'll jump in. He won't go in, and amazingly, won't jump out either.

I guess I like to talk about my dogs. Heaven help me when we complete our adoptions later this year. I'll be incorrigible.