Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Delilah and Me

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I mentioned a while ago I thought Delilah would be very content as an only dog.  While she’s fiercely independent, she’s also jealous of attention given to another dog and she’s competitive.

There is no where her competitiveness comes through more than when she and I are walking with Sampson.  And it doesn’t matter if I’m walking both of them, or Hubby’s walking Sampson.  Delilah will pull to the end of the leash to get ahead of Sampson.  It’s not quite so bad if he’s off-leash, but if they are both on leash, she wants to lead the charge.

Having two dogs with different exercise requirements can be somewhat challenging.  Sampson has to have timed walks.  We started out at five minutes twice per day and are currently working ourselves up to fifteen minutes, preferably this would occur three times per day, but logistically that’s hard for me.

First thing each morning, I get up, throw some clothes on and take Sampson for his first walk.  We live practically smack in the middle of a hill and I discovered early on, it’s easier for Sampson to start the walk by ascending the hill and finish the walk with the descent.

After our walk it’s time for some range of motion and weight bearing exercise, then I ice him up, ready the dog’s breakfast and go get myself ready for work.

Once I get home I prep the dog’s dinner, fix their snack and grab Sampson for his second walk of the day.  Delilah needs to stay inside because when I leave her out, she tries to exit the yard with us and when I leave her, she barks her fool head off.    There is nothing enjoyable about a walk, when you can hear your stinkin’ dog barking like a loon.

Once Sampson’s back home I follow the same schedule as the morning in terms of physical therapy and icing.  Then it’s Delilah’s turn for a walk.  Typically Delilah chooses our walk and I simply follow along.  As long as I’m outside with her, it doesn’t matter to me where we go.

The whole walking two dogs is a pain in the ass, but in spite of this challenge something really awesome happens when it’s just Delilah and me.

I'm glad you're holding onto that leash Mama, I don't want you to get lost.

I’m glad you’re holding onto that leash Mama, I don’t want you to get lost.

Can you see it?  No?

4-15-14-1 How about now?  No, it’s not the toes that need a manicure!  It’s the loose leash!!

Notice how I have gathered it in my hand?  She is actually on about 4 1/2 feet of leash, walking like a princess beside me and not pulling at all!

It’s totally Amazeballs to have a nice, leisurely walk without having my arm pulled out of the socket.

Have you noticed competition with your dogs?  How do you handle that?

The Dog is Not the Problem…it’s Me.

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When winter is too harsh and we can’t walk in our woods, whenever possible we take the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood.  There’s one house we pass that has two dogs and an invisible fence.  One of the dogs simply sits and watches as we walk past.  The other dog watches and then runs posturing and barking along the top of the yard as we walk past.

This does not sit well with one of my dogs.  In fact, she thinks it’s her job to give that dog what for.

When it first happened it took me by surprise.  The dog seemed to come from nowhere (which could have been due to the fact the house is set below the street line.)  In fact, I noticed the first dog, quietly sitting there watching us and as we began to walk past the other dog came running up barking and Delilah went to the end of her leash growling and barking back and I’m certain I heard her say, “You want a piece of me?”

After that first time, my guard was up and so was Delilah’s.  She knew exactly where that house and dog were.  And as we approached, she again went to the end of her leash looking for a fight.  I think her philosophy is I’ll get you before you get me.

I would stop, call her to me or lure her with “look” and give her a treat and it’s true there were times when I was wrestling her past that house and dog.

Sometimes I think dog training is too complicated.  Not that I don’t think my dog can follow instructions, it’s more like me trying to remember what command to use for what behavior I want.  The trouble (for me) with having so many commands is when a situation happens, I can never remember the correct command and I think I end up confusing the hell out of my dog.

“Stop!” “No.” “Come” “Here” “This Way.”

It’s no wonder my dog has no idea what I want.

And then it hit me.  K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple stupid.

I’ve been working Delilah on her “leave it” command.  And I’m thrilled with her progress.  It not only works in the house if I drop something (although I still better be quick with my foot or hand) it’s also been working on our walks.

I use it in the woods to keep her away from unsavory items such as dog poop, I use it on the street to keep her away from someone’s stray garbage and just the other day I used the same command when THE DOG came charging at us.

Hey Chocolate, you want a piece of this?

Hey Chocolate, you want a piece of this?

 

And it worked.  Sure her hair was still up and she paused a moment, but a quick “leave it” from me and a treat at hand and we marched past that dog like we were in a parade.

Do I look like that kind of dog to you?

Do I look like that kind of dog to you?

Do you find dog commands as confusing as I do?  What commands if any do you use routinely?  What works best for your dog?

Places Everyone

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Good training is imperative for your dog, and it doesn’t stop once your dog is trained.  If you want reliable dogs, it’s important to continue to reinforce commands.

Just because I'm sitting on a bath mat doesn't mean I'm taking a bath. You try that shit with me Mama and I will cut you.

Just because I’m lying on a bath mat doesn’t mean I’m taking a bath. You try that shit with me Mama and you won’t know what hit you.

I worked very hard to train Delilah to stay on a bath mat while I’m in the bathroom.  Truthfully, I don’t care if she sits or lays, as long as she’s not sticking her head and body between my legs looking for butt scritches.  Some days she actually gets up and goes into the bedroom and lies down on the bed.

Ooops, that’s my bad, I should really enforce that once she’s on the mat she needs to stay there, but as long as she’s not in my way, I don’t care.

It’s not that I don’t love that she wants to spend time with me, it’s just really hard trying to put on eyeliner or mascara when your dog keeps shoving her head between your legs because she wants butt scritches.  There have been days I’ve walked out of the house looking like Norman Bates in the final scene from Psycho.

*Note to self, now is NOT the time to ask, Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

Not. A. Pretty. Picture.

Every couple of weeks when I doing my Saturday chores, I toss the bath mats in the wash.  This week after I washed them for whatever reason I put Delilah’s bath mat in front of the sink.

And yesterday morning, in no uncertain terms, she let me know the mat was in the wrong spot.

You said I could stay in the bathroom if I was on my mat. I can't help it if you are on there too. Isn't this togetherness nice? Now scratch my butt woman.

You said I could stay in the bathroom if I was on my mat. I can’t help it if you are on there too. Isn’t this togetherness nice? Now scratch my butt woman.

She came in, wedged herself between my legs, sat down and farted.  I laughed so hard I almost cried.    (I really want to get that on camera, because this dog can fart.)

So after an uncomfortable 30 seconds, in which I tried to get my make-up on, and then tried to take a photo, I had her get up and moved the mat back to where it belonged.

Don't look at me like that. I don't make these crazy rules, you do. I'm just here to do your bidding.

Don’t look at me like that. I don’t make these crazy rules, you do. I’m just here to do your bidding.  Now can I have my breakfast?

Consistency is key.  She’s so used to being on a mat in the bathroom that wherever the mat is, she’ll try and utilize it.  If it gets her butt scratches in the meantime, well that’s a bonus for her.

Do you use a mat or the place command?  What happens if you switch it up on your dog?  Do your dogs know their place?

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