I have worked with many dogs on counter surfing. I must say that the training in someone else’s home is much easier than it is in my own! Giving advice can be so much simpler than applying it! Teaching a dog that food on the counter is not for them is challenging at its best.
One product/tool I used with great success was the Tattle Tale. It is a small box that sits on the counter and emits a very high pitched tone when it senses warmth and movement; i.e., a dog’s schnoz! Some dogs merely find it annoying. Violet, a large Great Dane, was terrified of it. In fact, she wouldn’t go in a room if it was anywhere in sight. Oh, if it were that easy.
Rather than go into other training tips, here’s my advice. Ready? Keep things pushed back and off the counters or keep the dog(s) out of the kitchen. That is probably the only way to achieve 100% success. Unless, of course, you have a dog like my Zoe that would not even consider doing something as barbaric as scouring the counters for human food.
The dog in this picture pretty much confirms my thoughts and takes counter surfing to a whole new level.
Tonight, as I was leaving work, I turned the corner to witness a woman running toward the street. In front of her was a very scared and frantically running Pug. Fortunately, the bus was able to stop as were the other cars on the road. I watched as several other people joined in the run as they yelled and waved their arms in the air while calling the dog. The humans had definitely engaged in “let’s chase the dog.” Dog’s love this game even if they don’t know they are playing it. It goes something like this. Dog runs. People chase and yell angrily. Dog runs.
I will be nice. Let me just say, if I were that dog, I would have been running away from them too! I get that we all panic when our dog gets out. Some dogs just take off with no street smarts whatsoever and run rampant. I’ll explain what I did. (Only because it worked.) It may not have, but it’s a little advice I’d like to share in the event your dog escapes or for any other dog you’re trying to catch.
I drove up to the next block and used my car to block the street. It was very Starsky and Hutch but with less tire squealing. I got out of my car and bent down on the ground. The dog stopped in front of me. Not so that I could get her, but at least she wasn’t running. She was exhausted and frightened. The people that were chasing her came running up the street attempting to see how loud they could say the dog’s name. I think the dog knew its name. Just a guess. As they were getting closer, the dog stood up and looked for a place to run. I called to those in hot pursuit of the runaway to kneel down so they would be less threatening. They did, and the dog stopped.
It may not have, but it did. Frantically screaming and chasing an already scared animal, is not the best way to get them to come to you. If they run out of your site, you are out of luck, and believe me, I’ve been there. The point I want to make is that if your dog gets away from you and is not already frantically running, the best thing you can do is call its name and turn around and run the other direction - hopefully, that’s toward home. It’s scary to try it, but they will usually follow.
The Pug that is the topic of this post, was gathered up by her people, as one woman said, “I hate this dog.” I’m hoping this was just a moment of frustration. Maybe the dog knew exactly what it was doing. Hope not.
What do you remember about your first kiss? Does it make you smile or your heart skip a beat? There is a kiss and then, there is the kiss. The first one. If you’ve kissed, then you know what I am writing about. It can stop us in our tracks, make us see fireworks, (figuratively) bring us to our knees, or make our head spin; and often leave us with a desire for more. What is it in that first kiss that possesses so much power?
The anticipation, hopefulnss, restlessness, and nervous curiousity that precedes a first kiss can all dissipate in a second when the lips gently touch…
In order to raise awareness about canine cancer, amazing photographer, Julie, of Bailey and Banjo photography, is taking a photo of a dog every day of 2012. Thanks Julie! Here’s January. . .
I am not a fan of soap operas so this post is not about this actor, Nick Santino, but about the sadness of his choice to commit suicide after putting his dog down. Apparently, there were complaints about the dog’s barking and my guess is the threats were coming because the dog is a Pit Bull. Nick chose to put his dog down and could not handle the grief that followed. Anyone who has assisted their pet in this process, knows the pain can seem unbearable. My heart goes out to Nick, family, and friends.
It is 2012! With the start of a new year and the puppy adoptions that have happened and will happen in the coming months of spring, it feels like it is time to do a few posts on life with a puppy. I have a few suggestions, but am starting off with a video that demonstrates one of my favorite suggestions for not only how to train but also how to exhaust a puppy - use an older, well-behaved dog!
Dogs may be as receptive to certain human communication signals as infants. Here’s a great article that brings insight into how we communicate with our dogs. As with humans, actions speak louder than words!
I have been told by more than one person that having a dog is a huge responsibility they just aren’t sure they can handle. When I say I have three dogs, then they multiply my responsibility by three. Caring for a dog does take some of our time, so I decided I would write down a few of my responsibilities in having dogs. Here’s what I came up with:
I am responsible for …
Talking sweetly to Melody as she wiggles, crab-crawls, and “gets silly”
Picking up Moby and dancing around as I sing our song.
Brushing Zoe as she paws for me not to stop.
Walking Zoe as she frolicks in front of me and runs back full speed to sit for a pet.
Telling Moby that Zoe doesn’t have the only bone in the house.
Laughing every morning as Zoe talks to me (seriously!) and the little ones look to see if I’m awake as they prepare to meet the day as if it were the best thing ever.
Opening the back door and letting the dogs out…then, opening the door to let the dogs back in.
These are just a few of them…
I can now see why others perceive my having dogs as a HUGE responsibility. I gotta’ go now - there’s a dog that needs a hug.
. . .of course they do! There are experiences in life when science finally validates what some of us already knows or believes to be true. If you have spent any time observing dog behavior, you already know the answer to the question - Do Dogs Smile?
