The Bill Mattocks wrote:
Get the crate NOW.


I'm not arguing with you about your advice - I'm going to try it. But
why would a crate meal be messier than a kitchen meal? I dunno, which
is messier, eating dinner in your house or eating dinner in your car?
The floor is easier to dust, sweep, mop - the inside of the crate, less
so. That's all.

Why are you having to mop after they eat? What are you feeding them?
I've never had a dog slop over a bowl, but then I do feed kibble.

Our dogs 'zip into the crate' when we tell 'em to. We just say "Get in
your den" and in they go. No trouble so far.


You may have some initial trouble when you begin separating them, but
that needs to happen now rather than later. Go buy another crate today.

The Bill Mattocks wrote:

As far as a swat on the bottom - well I think we'll have to agree to
disagree on that one. I was raised different. I understand it is a
hot button, so I won't mention it again. I appreciate your point of
view, and especially all your good advice.

Nobody is saying you can't ever correct the dog. The objection to the
swat on the bottom isn't because people think it's cruel, but rather
because (breakthrough here) DOGS ARE NOT LITTLE PEOPLE.

What worked for you when you were a kid doesn't matter. You can't think
of your dogs as children, they aren't. A "swat on the bottom" is
meaningless in a social context for dogs, because that's not how they
discipline or communicate with each other. It really doesn't matter
whether or not you were spanked as a child. Unless, that is, you have 4
legs, bark, and eat dog food.

In order to become a good leader and a good dog owner, you need to
understand how dogs communicate--both with each other and with you. Your
female puppy is clearly being a bossy little snot, and the other puppy
is deferring to her, but that doesn't mean she *should* be allowed to be
a little terrorist. Swatting on the butt will NOT communicate to her
what you want. Interrupting her behavior by picking her up, turning her
away from the other dog, refocusing her elsewhere, etc will be far more
effective.

In article 40lXd.106994$4q6.65750@attbi_s01,
Robin Nuttall wrote:
Why are you having to mop after they eat? What are you feeding them?
I've never had a dog slop over a bowl, but then I do feed kibble.

I think puppies can be sloppier than dogs, but my dogs leave
their eating stations spotless. It's a little embarrassing
to take my dogs over to friends' houses, actually, because
the little snots hoover up any food that happens to be on
the floor and they're pretty reliable about letting us know
who hasn't vacuumed recently.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

The projected gap between Social Security revenues and expenditures is
smaller than the gap between non-Social Security revenues and expenditures

KWBrown said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

My Golden foster is due to arrive in two weeks, although
her official owner is having a last-minute attack of, "no -
I DO have time to raise this puppy right now! Really, I
do!"

I better take a picture of Murphy, the Big Red Golden. This is
his last day here. I've spent the last two weeks teaching him
manners and now he's leaving!

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

On 8 Mar 2005 17:46:24 GMT, Rocky wrote:

I've spent the last two weeks teaching him
manners and now he's leaving!

which means you've probably done a great job with him that his owners
will hopefully continue!

Esther's visit showed me that my younger cat is not quite up to canine
guests unless they are a lot small and less nosy.


--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...ence/my_photos

Suja said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Here I am, already thinking about pruning and spring
cleanup, and we have snow. Blech!

Here I am on the prairies of the snowy north, and it's 65degF
today. The golf courses had to open.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

KWBrown said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

http://www.growlery.com/puppies/pupp...15_2004_10.jpg

This is one of the best dog portraits I've seen go by in
ages.

Nope, this one is:
http://www.growlery.com/puppies/pupp...15_2004_14.jpg

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

Rocky wrote:

I better take a picture of Murphy, the Big Red Golden. This is
his last day here. I've spent the last two weeks teaching him
manners and now he's leaving!

Don't worry Matt, if he is going to people who didn't bother teaching
him manners in the first place, he'll un-learn all that right quick.
Next time around, you'll have to do it all over again, although it
should go a little faster.

The little snot who stayed with me for 3 days and learned some basic
manners will be staying here again for a week. Not only does he appear
to have forgotten everything I've taught him, he has now picked up the
lovely habit of jumping up to grab things out of people's hands, putting
teeth on human skin in the process. I read him the riot act yesterday.
We'll see if he remembers any of it next week.

Anyone in the market for a snotty little brat who is adorable as all get
out, extremely smart and agile? The people who want him are not ones
that would get through me, as their dogs are even worse behaved than he
is.

Suja

I'm a former Marine.
There's no such thing.

Sure there is. There just are no living ex-Marines. You get that
title when they throw dirt on your face.

If you really want to make a particular point with a your PUPPY(who
somehow refuses to "get with the program"), just grab him by the
collar, look him dead in the eye, and express your dissatisfaction.

Oh, that goes along with it. Real wrath of God stuff. Scruff of the
neck, eyes front, smoky brim would be smacking his nose if I were
wearing one. "Private Mollie! What is your major malfunction? You
want to be an individual? IN MY MARINE CORPS? Lemme tell you
something sunshine, it will NEVER HAPPEN!"

More along the lines of Paris Island 2005 than Paris Island 1955, if
you know what I mean.

Nope. Because Parris Island never changes, Handsome Jack. It is an
icon, an institution, it is where boys become men. Harsh things are
done, and pain is intentionally inflicted. And all the hang-wringers
and momma's boys and crybabies in Congress can never change that.
Because when the call comes and the Marines step forward into the
breech, it doesn't matter if that Marine wears the uniform of a
Revolutionary War Leatherneck or the desert camo of a modern-day
warrior - we're all the same inside and out. Tough as nails, mean as
Hell, and ready to kick ass and take names. Accept no substitute.

But if you find yourself doing that more often than, say, once or
twice a YEAR, you're probably doing a lot of other things wrong and
should get yourself some professional help.

They've been threatening to drop a net on me for years. I guess I need
some professional help.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

The Bill Mattocks said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

As far as a swat on the bottom - well I think we'll have to
agree to disagree on that one. I was raised different. I
understand it is a hot button, so I won't mention it again.

It's not that it's a hot button issue - it just doesn't work.
The thought processes of "fur babies" don't work the same way as
"skin babies". [Scary quotes intentional, heh, and I'm not
recommending the swatting of fur challenged young'uns.]

Honestly, swatting a dog won't convey the intended message - the
dog will learn to fear your hand instead of understanding why
the hand was used.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.