So, I'm going to start a list right HERE and right NOW of all the lovely things my puppy has decided to chew on/ruin/tear/destroy/urinate on, and whatever else his little puppy brain decides is appropriate to sabotage!!! I'm certain that I will need to keep this particular post updated, so if anyone is interested, just check back! Remember, it's THIS little puppy that's ready to lose his little life if he doesn't straighten up! (Ok, I would never do that, just trying to express my frustration right now) So here goes, in no particular order:
1. Our framing that Jero has worked so hard on in our kitchen. While lying cozily (is that a word?) on his bed, Duke decided "Hey it's right by my head, I can just lay here and chew on this wooden framing and not even have to get up!"
2. Urinated on our king size, velour comforter! I was sitting right beside him, guess he thought I would never notice??? Go pee in your own bed...oh wait, you already have!!! (on a positive note though, he is getting better at this, as I think Jero and I are working overtime crate training him and taking him outside about every 45 seconds!)
3. My MAC BLACK eyeshadow...hope that tasted good! Ok, so a little thing of eyeshadow from MAC is a whopping $13, that was my first thought when I caught him in the act! But that passing thought quickly vanished when I realized what it had done to my CARPET!!! Just for the record, if you happen to get chunks of eyeshadow on your carpet...PICK THEM UP, DON'T VACUUM THEM!!! Mistake number one! WOW oh WOW, what a mess...a little Scotch Guard and Gain scrubbed by a really ticked off person does wonders! I wish I was calm enough to stop and take a picture to show the exact damage...how Katrina did in this post is beyond me. Oh Lord, please grant me the patience...it's just a puppy :) Are you wondering what mistake number two was??? SOMEHOW, SOME WAY that flippin eye shadow ended up IN his crate hours later...I thought I had thrown it AWAY! Not only was he covered, so was everything in his crate and more carpet stains to clean...after a long night out at a Super Bowl party that is NOT what I wanted to contend with!
4. Our power cord to a fairly new computer! So, as we were laying on the couch last night wrapped up in a captivating episode of "The Bachelor", both of us were wondering (to ourselves) what that "sparking" noise was, but neither one of us sat up to see until it was too late! In a matter of five minutes, Duke demolished the cord in a number of places causing it to spark away...not a safety hazzard whatsoever! Oh, yea, and they're $90 to replace, UUUGGHH!!! That's an outfit for me!
5. Our hands, feet, face, arms, legs...really ANY part of our body is fair game for this biting puppy! How DO you stop it? He is becoming quite the biter, and we don't likey! Our battle wounds are numerous, but we've tried everything. I feel like we've already jumped straight into the terrible two's. We try "redirecting" him to other toys...works for about 2 minutes. We tried spanking him, but my experience with children tells me you don't spank a child for hitting....what's the point in that, right? So, now I'm against popping his little butt or face...plus, as soon as your hand leaves his behind, his mouth is agape waiting for another opportunity to chomp! I'm using some other techniques now, so we shall see.
Are we failing as parents? I told Jeromy, maybe it's time for me to go ahead and be a "Stay at home Mommy"...yea, that went over like a lead balloon! Apparently when you have babies, you never want them to grow up...well, I'm SOOO ready for Duke to GROW UP already!!!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
PUPPY WOES...
Posted by amy at 9:56 AM
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7 Fabulous Comments:
oh poor puppy Mommy! I feel your pain. We had a dachshie puppy that used to stand on the sofa next to me, look me in the eye and pee......AHHHH! :D [She outgrew it, lucky lil' pup]...
I can't remember what we did for biting, maybe there is something on the net abou that?
I wish you luck and patience because Duke is such a cutie and if Lab/Boxers are any indication they are both really wonderful/trainable dogs!
Take care.
Okay, I don't know whether to laugh or cry with you-- so maybe a little bit of both? :) :( Wishing I could send you the dog whisperer, but I have faith in Duke's breeding (and his parents!)
DOGS!!! Back when Tucker was our firstborn, I thought perhaps we had lost our minds taking in this side of the road rescue (hmm... perhaps that still applies now at times?!) Anyway, they do outgrow many stages and for what it's worth here's what we learned...
1. Consistency. Same thing gets same consequences. Same expectations day in and out until it sinks in.
2. We tried "time out" and "redirecting" as well... find what works for your dog-- they all seem to have "buttons" (perhaps a rolled up newspaper, spray bottle, particular noise like coins in a can, etc.)... surely something will hit the spot.
3. LOTS or praise for good behavior (treats, treats, and more treats for every time you catch him being good and for every new skill you want him to learn).
I'm sure they're are more, but I'm so tired my eyes are burning out of my head... hope this made sense and good luck!
Thank God he's so cute, right? :)
for example, "they're are"... i need some sleep, folks! :) sweet dreams of perfectly behaved puppies for you and children sleeping through the night for me!
Added you to my daily blog roll. =D
My sister's dog used to do that too. He chewed E V E R Y T H I N G !!! So a dog trainer said that whenever he does anything that's not allowed to lay him on his back with our hands on his belly keeping him there while we say, "NO!" and while staring at him in his eyes until his body went limp. That's how they realize that YOU'RE in control...not him!
For puppy accidents, I know this is gross and a little mean, but it works. Rub his nose in it! He will soon realize that every time he makes a 'no no' that he'll have to smell it on his nose the rest of the day! Good luck!
Hi Ambull! I had been WONDERING where you have been lately!
Just so you know, if you go on J&K blogs, there is another Jan now, so I am NanaJan. And for now, her (Jan) name isn't in red. I changed it when I began reading her posts, trying to remember when I wrote them! LOL So, I figured if I thought she was ME, others would too! hahaha So, you have a puppy, huh? My daughter's dog in now 2 yrs. old, and she is about 170 lbs. now! An American Mastiff. Very, very gentle, but her wagging bum and tail could seriously knock over a kid!
We are enjoying our new baby and he is divinely snuggly and soft!
I think we are blessed!
Oh, I heard that if your pup is chewing, her teeth might be coming in...so you can take a wet facecloth, wring it out and put it in the freezer. Supposedly that feels good on those gums!
The last big snow I remember was when you insisted on going to your friends house before the blizzard, then got into a fight. I had to walk two miles up and back to get you home!
Love you,
Dad
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