National Dog Day?
Thank GOODNESS for Facebook, otherwise I never would have known that it was National Dog Day! These two refused to pose for me, so I had to settle for a nap photo. I mean, it was THEIR day, who am I to interfere in a good nap on the couch? Mishka did manage to open one eye for me though.
The Dog Training – an Update
At the beginning of June, I hired a Dog Trainer to help me with Tucker. We have had Tucker now for 2 1/2 years, (Tucker is 5) and house training has always been an issue. It gets better, then we go backwards. Then it gets better, then we go backwards. My house was starting to feel “dirty”, and I hated it. I had decided it was time to bring in a professional. This particular dog trainer had lots of great advice. They also happened to offer a “money back guarantee”, and they were pricey, so I liked that I could get my money back if things didn’t work out. After three months of doing ALMOST everything they said to do, Tucker still likes to occasionally, and sometimes more than occasionally, do his outside jobs…..inside. Upon the advice of the dog trainer, I’ve changed up the daily dog routine a lot. They get fed twice a day now instead of just leaving the food out, they eat a higher quality food, so they actually do eat when I put the food out, the water is put away shortly after the dogs eat their dinner, they no longer sleep in our bed (well, Mike is a sucker for our aging little Mishka…..so she kinda sleeps wherever she choses) I have gated off the basement and the upstairs during the day, the dogs get a reward each time they do their business outside, and Tucker has now learned to “bark” on command.
It was, and is, still a hope, that eventually Tucker will come to us and “bark” when he needs to go outside.
Here is how this particular trainer handled the whole house training issue. If your dog should happen to pee or poop in the house, the trainer wants you to sit down with your dog on a leash, right beside the potty or poop, and have a 15 minute conference with them about why this is wrong and how they need to learn to “go” outside. Okay, you guys……15 minutes is a REALLY long time to just sit and talk to your dog! Especially when they don’t talk back. The idea is that they will not like these 15 minute conferences just as much as you don’t like these 15 minute conferences, and they will catch onto the idea that when they go outside, they get a reward, and when they go inside, they get a 15 minute conference. With each conference, you are supposed to increase the intensity of the way you talk to your dog. The trainer said that most dogs get it within 7 to 8 conferences. Okay….I did about 15 conferences, but I only could last about 7 or 8 minutes. At the end of the conference, I had a headache and Tucker just looked bored. It was just not working for us. I was honest with the trainer, and said I hadn’t actually done 15 minutes, but I had done the conference each time there was an accident. Last week, I got my money back and they were very nice about the whole thing.
Monday, I brought in Dog Trainer number TWO! His name is Earl. He has a much lower price, he does not offer a money back guarantee, but his services are for life. I can call him any time I need to for advice. He refers to the whole 15 minute conference idea as “dog shaming” and is in complete disagreement with the whole idea. His method? A crate. Well, I tried that in the very beginning, and Tucker not only hated the crate and barked the whole time he was in it, (getting him to GO in it was a total pain!) , but he pooped and pee’d in it, AND rolled in it. After several afternoons of cleaning that whole mess up, I said screw it and let him have the run of the house, crossing my fingers that he would just hold it and figure out that the backyard was the only place that he was supposed to “go”. Obviously, that didn’t work out either.
The last time I had a crate, I had one of those that looks to me like a cage, and it may have been too big. This time, based on Earl’s suggestion, I have the plastic crate with just a small cage type door. The trainer, Earl, assures me that dogs like small spaces, and he approved the crate size that I purchased. Earl says that Tucker should learn to enjoy his crate. He wants him to eat his meals in it, play with toys in it, and look forward to spending time in it. ME TOO!! He says there is to be no blanket or pad in it, otherwise he will likely soil it.
On Monday, Tucker ate his dinner in his crate with the door closed, and then stayed in there for a while. He didn’t whimper or bark at all. Monday night, I was prepared for an entire night of barking, but that didn’t happen. I had the crate right beside my bed, and I never heard a peep! I was gone on Tuesday from about 9:00 in the morning until about 2:00 in the afternoon, and when I came home, he hadn’t pooped or pee’d in his crate, but he went outside right away and did both jobs! Last night, Tucker slept in the crate, and it was another quiet and peaceful night for all of us!
Earl thinks that since Tucker has never been properly house trained, he hasn’t been forced to strengthen and develop those muscles that allow him to “hold it”. He says that the small crate will allow him to learn to hold it since he won’t want to be in his mess, and eventually he will know that going outside is the only option.
I HOPE SO!!
I swear, if the only thing I needed to do all this time, was buy a smaller crate, I’m just gonna slap myself!!!
Here are yesterday’s eats…..
Breakfast
Oatmeal topped with Walnuts and Pumpkin Butter
Frothy Coffee
7 PPV
Lunch
Egg White, Cheese and Veggie Frittata
Fruit
(I didn’t eat the toast)
15 PPV
Snack
Un-pictured Banana
0 PPV
Dinner
Not Your Mama’s Taco Salad….Again!
12 PPV
Weight Watcher’s Points Plus
I can eat 26 PPV a day.
I can earn Activity Points by doing exercise, and eat them if I choose.
I have an allowance of 49 extra points that I can dip into throughout the week if I choose.
I should drink a minimum of 6 (8 oz) glasses of water each day.
My Weight Watcher Week Begins on Friday’s
Breakfast = Oatmeal, Frothy Coffee (7)
Lunch = Frittata (15)
Snack = Un-Pictured Banana (0)
Dinner = Taco Salad (12)
Total = 34…Ooops. I guessed on my lunch, and I ate about 3/4 of that frittata. Hopefully I OVER guessed today. 🙂
Exercise = 20 minutes of 30 minute Core Yoga class, I got to class late! 60 Minute Yoga Class.
How many glasses of water I drank = 12
Activity Points Earned for the Day = 5
Activity Points Earned This Week = 11
Remaining points from my 49 Points Allowance = 0
Alcohol Consumption = none
“love the life you live, live the life you love”
