Ugh, I suck as a dog mom :(

vraiblonde

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Here's the problem:

He's just so cute and loveable! I don't really want to establish dominance over him - I'm okay with him getting what he wants when he wants it. Yes, he is spoiled. :lol: But I know it's bad for him, so I'm trying to get better.

He walks fine on the leash. The only time I have to reel him in is when he sees another dog and starts jumping up and down because he wants to go play. But I do shorten him up and make him settle down before we go over to greet the other dog/walker. So that's something. But I'm also not averse to running with him if he wants to chase after a squirrel.

A week or so of ignoring him at the dinner table, or telling him to go lay down (which I hate to do) has scotched that begging business (that I really didn't mind because I have no problem sharing my food with him) until someone else *ahem* is over and feeds him from the table despite my strict instructions not to. But he doesn't do that anymore when it's just us.

So I don't completely suck but Apollo isn't as well-behaved as others might think he should be. I'm not particularly diligent about making him behave because his antics make me laugh and don't annoy me in the slightest. If I'm working and he wants to play, well by god, we go play. :lol: And rather than tell him to go lay down, which makes me feel bad, I pull him into my lap and he naps while I work.

I was never this nice to my kids. Which is probably why they weren't brats and the dog (sort of) is.

So make me feel better about disciplining him.
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
vraiblonde said:
Here's the problem:

He's just so cute and loveable! I don't really want to establish dominance over him - I'm okay with him getting what he wants when he wants it. Yes, he is spoiled. :lol: But I know it's bad for him, so I'm trying to get better.

He walks fine on the leash. The only time I have to reel him in is when he sees another dog and starts jumping up and down because he wants to go play. But I do shorten him up and make him settle down before we go over to greet the other dog/walker. So that's something. But I'm also not averse to running with him if he wants to chase after a squirrel.

A week or so of ignoring him at the dinner table, or telling him to go lay down (which I hate to do) has scotched that begging business (that I really didn't mind because I have no problem sharing my food with him) until someone else *ahem* is over and feeds him from the table despite my strict instructions not to. But he doesn't do that anymore when it's just us.

So I don't completely suck but Apollo isn't as well-behaved as others might think he should be. I'm not particularly diligent about making him behave because his antics make me laugh and don't annoy me in the slightest. If I'm working and he wants to play, well by god, we go play. :lol: And rather than tell him to go lay down, which makes me feel bad, I pull him into my lap and he naps while I work.

I was never this nice to my kids. Which is probably why they weren't brats and the dog (sort of) is.

So make me feel better about disciplining him.
Click to expand...

shock collars are cooolll...




For you, not for him.

Have a friend come hang.out for the day (i'll volunteer) and everytime you spoil him or don't disipline him like you should, said volunteer gets to hit you with a few volts...
 
vraiblonde

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
itsbob said:
shock collars are cooolll...

For you, not for him.

Have a friend come hang.out for the day (i'll volunteer) and everytime you spoil him or don't disipline him like you should, said volunteer gets to hit you with a few volts...
Click to expand...

:lmao:

Well, we can't nominate Pete or Vince because they're worse about spoiling him than I am.
 
Bann

Bann

Doris Day meets Lady Gaga
PREMO Member
vraiblonde said:
Here's the problem:

He's just so cute and loveable! I don't really want to establish dominance over him - I'm okay with him getting what he wants when he wants it. Yes, he is spoiled. :lol: But I know it's bad for him, so I'm trying to get better.

He walks fine on the leash. The only time I have to reel him in is when he sees another dog and starts jumping up and down because he wants to go play. But I do shorten him up and make him settle down before we go over to greet the other dog/walker. So that's something. But I'm also not averse to running with him if he wants to chase after a squirrel.

A week or so of ignoring him at the dinner table, or telling him to go lay down (which I hate to do) has scotched that begging business (that I really didn't mind because I have no problem sharing my food with him) until someone else *ahem* is over and feeds him from the table despite my strict instructions not to. But he doesn't do that anymore when it's just us.

So I don't completely suck but Apollo isn't as well-behaved as others might think he should be. I'm not particularly diligent about making him behave because his antics make me laugh and don't annoy me in the slightest. If I'm working and he wants to play, well by god, we go play. :lol: And rather than tell him to go lay down, which makes me feel bad, I pull him into my lap and he naps while I work.

I was never this nice to my kids. Which is probably why they weren't brats and the dog (sort of) is.

So make me feel better about disciplining him.
Click to expand...


:killingme

I've always said I only like "other people's dogs". He is a cutie, and is really very hard to resist!
 
migtig

migtig

aka Mrs. Giant
I say if you "spoil" your dog, then "spoil" him. :shrug: Dogs are there for unconditional love, so give and receive. As long as he isn't being destructive, aggressive or causing harm, then why is there a problem? Because people say so? Do those people live in your home? :shrug:
 
Pete

Pete

Repete
desertrat said:
:lol:
She is now known in her neighborhood as "that crazy woman who chases squirrels with her dog". Next it will be cars. Expect to see it on youtube someday.
Click to expand...

You don't know the half of it. The other day she took him for a quick walk and came back with a squirrel in her mouth. Biatch is crazy fast in short bursts.
 
desertrat

desertrat

0_0
Pete said:
You don't know the half of it. The other day she took him for a quick walk and came back with a squirrel in her mouth. Biatch is crazy fast in short bursts.
Click to expand...

Hmm, is there a competition for that somewhere? Gotta be, they compete everything else. Let's enter her!
 
PrepH4U

PrepH4U

New Member
I say if it is working for you and he is not biting visitors or slobbering all over them uninvited, what's the problem? If he is making you happy I say go with the flow.
 
vraiblonde

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
PrepH4U said:
slobbering all over them uninvited
Click to expand...

He does. He thinks everyone who comes over here is coming to see him (which they are) and wants to greet them with enthusiasm - jumping up and down, carrying on like a nut. He's little so it's not like some big huge dog knocking people over, and I never mind a warm welcome from other peoples' pooches, but I have this idea that he should mind his manners for some reason.

We've been working on him having to sit until the visitor greets him and he can't jump on people, but many of them (and you folks know who you are :nono:) greet him the second they walk in the door and encourage him to jump up. But I'm aware that not everyone wants some baby mooshball punkin butt being so glad to see them. :jet:

So maybe that's the only thing I really have to work on - making him sit and behave when I'm visiting with someone and not letting him think he's the center of the universe (which he is).
 
Vince

Vince

......
vraiblonde said:
He does. He thinks everyone who comes over here is coming to see him (which they are) and wants to greet them with enthusiasm - jumping up and down, carrying on like a nut. He's little so it's not like some big huge dog knocking people over, and I never mind a warm welcome from other peoples' pooches, but I have this idea that he should mind his manners for some reason.

We've been working on him having to sit until the visitor greets him and he can't jump on people, but many of them (and you folks know who you are :nono:) greet him the second they walk in the door and encourage him to jump up. But I'm aware that not everyone wants some baby mooshball punkin butt being so glad to see them. :jet:

So maybe that's the only thing I really have to work on - making him sit and behave when I'm visiting with someone and not letting him think he's the center of the universe (which he is).
Click to expand...
She doesn't know I'm just coming over to see the dog. :lol:
 
libertytyranny

libertytyranny

Dream Stealer
vraiblonde said:
He does. He thinks everyone who comes over here is coming to see him (which they are) and wants to greet them with enthusiasm - jumping up and down, carrying on like a nut. He's little so it's not like some big huge dog knocking people over, and I never mind a warm welcome from other peoples' pooches, but I have this idea that he should mind his manners for some reason.

We've been working on him having to sit until the visitor greets him and he can't jump on people, but many of them (and you folks know who you are :nono:) greet him the second they walk in the door and encourage him to jump up. But I'm aware that not everyone wants some baby mooshball punkin butt being so glad to see them. :jet:

So maybe that's the only thing I really have to work on - making him sit and behave when I'm visiting with someone and not letting him think he's the center of the universe (which he is).
Click to expand...



ahh yeah thats different. My dumbass dog stilllll greets people like they are his bff. But he is about 80lbs and significantly larger than your doggie. SO, good luck with making him calm down for new folks, cuz that is kind of important, even if he is little.
 
migtig

migtig

aka Mrs. Giant
vraiblonde said:
So maybe that's the only thing I really have to work on - making him sit and behave when I'm visiting with someone and not letting him think he's the center of the universe (which he is).
Click to expand...
Smaller dogs are the worse for this. It has to do with both wanting to protect you by checking out your visitors and not being able to access them for a check out since they are so low to the ground. If I'm having company I try to "release the hounds" after everybody's gotten situated and then it's a much calmer sniffable situation without big people hovering over top of them making them bounce up and down like spastic yo-yos. I also sometimes lift them up so they can see and sniff at the company coming through the door without issues.

However, having said this, my close friends know that my pups are my babies and tolerate the spasmatic dog approach and make sure to crouch down and say hello when they come inside and then there are no more issues. In my home, my pups are the center of the universe and it's perfectly okay with us and our friends love us so they love our dogs. :biggrin: Thank goodness. :lol:
 
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