I have a new puppy called Montague. The trouble with Monty is that he doesn't know when to stop. If I give him an inch, he takes a mile; if I glance at him affectionately he nudges my hand, drools on my skirt and gets intimate with my leg. That's because he's a dog and dogs aren't good with boundaries. It's only a fear of being told off that stops him from pissing on the carpet, raiding the biscuit tin, messing up the bathroom for loo roll or trying to hump anything that looks cute and cuddly.
Like guys really ... don't you think?
To live with puppies you have to have firm rules. They like (need) to live in a binary world where good behaviour is rewarded and bad behaviour punished. For this reason, I tell Monty that he is a "naughty boy" or a "good boy" and give him a treat when well deserved.
Like guys really ... don't you think?
This reward based, positive behaviour theory works well most of the time although to be fair, Monty is usually too busy licking his own privates to care less about it.
Like guys really ... don't you think?
When visitors come to the house, I try to explain our positive training methods, but it's not always noted. Yesterday, despite being appraised of the 'puppy-in-training rules' that clearly state "the feeding of puppy is strictly forbidden", my friend gave Monty a biscuit in return for the profit of cuddle on her knee. Not only that, against my better judgement, I watched while she fed him from her fingers. FFS!! I couldn't have damned him more if I'd given him crystal meth and set him up with a dealer.
Low and behold, this morning he gave in to his primal urges and craned his neck across my lap to snatch a bite of my toast. I shall remember this next time I'm tempted to flout my own canine commandments. Puppies need their boundaries. As long as you keep them on a tight leash, they behave in a civilized manner, but as soon as you relax on those darn rules they revert to their feral ways.
Like guys really ... don't you think?
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11:10 pm Wednesday, 12th March, 2014
"As puppies get older and more mature. The cute factor diminishes and they become more of an annoyance. |
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5:25 am Thursday, 13th March, 2014
Shyboy, just knowing about the existence of the Urban Dictionary buys you some street cred. |
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6:13 am Thursday, 13th March, 2014
Shy boy, you've pulled. Grab your coat ;-) |
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6:39 am Thursday, 13th March, 2014
I prefer dogs to many people I've met over the years and have shed more tears when a trusted canine friend has died than I ever did for some humans. |
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7:30 am Thursday, 13th March, 2014
I have two terriers |
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9:05 am Thursday, 13th March, 2014
Rigger: Wow ... 2 bitches! |
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9:14 am Thursday, 13th March, 2014
I always had an aversion to authority, and chose to do the opposite of what people told me, so if I'd been your puppy I'd probably have had an ASBO slapped on me or been put down :-) |
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9:19 am Thursday, 13th March, 2014
Oh and I haven't forgotten the rest of you pups. I'll sort you out when I get home. |
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1:12 pm Thursday, 13th March, 2014
DP, put that cushion down you naughty dog!!
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6:32 pm Thursday, 13th March, 2014
Skebbie, ".., so if I'd been your puppy I'd probably have had an ASBO slapped on me or been put down."
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6:37 pm Thursday, 13th March, 2014
MsG, "Always remember if you train a pup well they can give you endless hours of amusement, affection, loyalty and fun, they will obey your every command .... but their instinct is still to hump!!"
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9:08 pm Thursday, 13th March, 2014
The riggerterriers and I are more of a team actually - we enjoy each others company greatly and have a heck of a lot of fun. Sometimes things get a bit lively, especially if rabbits are involved they can be a scheming pair too, cooking up all sorts of little surprises. But generally speaking we all get along beautifully and to be honest my life would be much diminished if we didn't have a bit of a run around once in a while. |
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4:43 am Friday, 14th March, 2014
And I've just snorted my morning cuppa down my nose reading this ... It made me giggle. |
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6:14 am Friday, 14th March, 2014
My dog was sitting playing the piano one day.Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata it was.A friend came in and listened to his recital.When the dog had finished my friend said " That was absolutely fantastic ! You ought to get that dog orchestrated " Before I knew it, the dog had leapt from the piano stool and shot out of the door,yelping wildly.....I never saw that dog again ! |
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7:07 pm Friday, 14th March, 2014
G: It would be a constant giggle, but with a biting power of about 4,500 newtons (four times that of a pitbull) I think I'd settle for a cocker.
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7:42 am Saturday, 15th March, 2014
Wanted: Loving home for puppy. Not quite potty trained, doesn't eat much, hairy little bugger, a history of chewing iPad charger cables and shoes. Loves cuddles. |
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8:50 am Saturday, 15th March, 2014
Luv2: Cryogenic hibernation. Allowed out briefly every couple of months.
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