When Tearfree brought home 8-week-old Bridget two weeks ago, she was cute in a generic fluffball puppy type of way, but in recent days she has turned into a mini Scottie and is going though what may well be the cutest phase of her life, which helps to make some of her naughty Scottie habits bearable. (Photo evidence will be posted later)
Training Bridget has been interesting, to say the least, partly because Tearfree has been dogless for 25 years and partly because over those 25 years there has been a revolution in dog care and training. The rolled-up-newspaper technique that was used to train Tearfree’s last two puppies is now as frowned upon as spanking children. And there’s absolutely no more house training by sticking the doggie’s nose in it and repeating, “NO! BAD!” Instead, you just praise the dog when it does things right, or so the theory goes.
When Tearfree imparted this news to a friend of a similar age, he broke into hysterical laughter. “What!!!???” he exclaimed. “You just praise the dog when it does it right. Let me know how it all works out.”
His comments came at a particularly sensitive time for Tearfree who had made almost zero progress in stopping Bridget’s foot attacking habit, which had made it next to impossible to walk through the house in footwear other than combat boots. For two weeks we had been saying no (alright, sometimes screaming NOOO in pain,) giving her toys to distract her, and, on occasion, getting her to back off only to have her strike again far more fiercely. Finally, after a foot bite in just the place her Rockport-sandal-strap hits her toe, Tearfree decided it was time to try the rolled-up newspaper technique she remembered from her childhood. Lo and behold, the foot attacking problem was solved in 30 minutes with no appreciable negative effects on Bridget’s self-esteem.
Now, Tearfree is trying to decide whether she dares take the rolled-up newspaper with her on walks, where Bridget loves to taste everything in her path: pebbles, sticks, used gum, plum pits, old soggy kleenexes, bottle caps, you name it. (The only thing that she turns up her nose at is cigarette butts.)
Extracting a plum pit held firmly between Bridget’s sharp little teeth is a dangerous operation, which we now basically accomplish by holding her upside down until she spits it out. Tearfree believes therefore that a rolled-up newspaper would not only be easier on Bridget’s trainers but easier on Bridget too. What’s the verdict?
6 comments:
I am all for beating her when needed. I spray my cats with a spritz bottle when they scratch the furniture.
I hope that's a joke, Jacy.
She may not be. I've had to break up serious cat fights with cold water before grave harm was done.
I'm pro spritzing cats myself, but beating poor Bridget? Never! The rolled up newspaper in question is a mere eight pages.
You people need to watch "Dog Whisperer" on National Geographic channel.
Trust me there is a reason it is called whisperer and not whiperer.
3 rules when it comes to dogs:
exercise, discipline, affection in that order.
Terriers need exercise point blank.
Discipline, as with children, one needs to find the boundaries of discipline.
Affection does not mean the same thing to dogs as humans. Patting them on the head and saying ``cute doggie`does not constitute affection nothing else needed. Affection in dog terms is doing something the dog likes to do, i.e. play stick, learn tricks, etc.
The other thing to remember is the dog wants to please you the master not be the master in most cases. If your dog wants to be the master, you now have to establish yourself as the master, an extra step but not that difficult.
Wonder where I get this?
Find The Dog Whisperer and prepare to be amazed!!
Exercise -- check
Discipline -- check
Affection -- maybe not check
I did indeed think lots of tummy scratching and "you're the cutest" was affection. Have bought a large ball supply, which I am proud to say was on my shopping list even before your recommendation. Will try to change my affection-defining ways.
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