Stay off the furniture unless you are invited, I lead you follow, no whining, wait until you’re told to eat, stay out of the kitchen. These are some of the rules we have in my house to keep the dogs in line. But those who have been around since the beginning know that this hasn’t always been the case.
I’m not perfect and my dogs aren’t perfect. We’ve made plenty of mistakes so far, and I’m sure we’ll make some more, but it’s all part of the learning process. I didn’t grow up with dogs and having a dog is a big responsibility, period. When you add in another dog or maybe even more, and factors like keeping them indoors, having young, high energy pups, and training, it’s an even bigger responsibility.
Ares is my first dog and I did not get him until I was 25. I had just bought my condo and I was ready to take on a dog. I knew that he would be dependent on me for everything and that having him would change a lot of things about my life. But I was not prepared for all the mistakes I would make.
Chaos came into my life just 4 months later and that’s when things really started to get crazy. There were 2 little puppies running around and I was responsible for everything about their lives. It was a little overwhelming but I was thrilled at the prospect of raising them and watching them grow.
When you have a dog, especially a puppy, you don’t have time for life to be all about you. You can’t come and go as you please. You can’t take a road trip on a whim. And you can’t just meet a friend for happy hour right after work. Your mindset has to change to accommodate the furry little lives you are now in charge of fostering. And it’s kind of a big deal.
I was adjusting to my new situation just fine, mostly because I was so in love with my furry boys. I wanted to be the very best mommy I could be and give them everything they ever wanted. And that’s how I started making mistakes.
Ares was a very tiny puppy. And adorable, of course. He learned very early on how to manipulate me. If I was eating I would put him in his little playpen on the floor. But he did not like that so he would stand with his little paws up on the side and look at me through the holes with his sad bug eyes and make noises that sometimes could be mistaken for a crying baby. I couldn’t stand it so I’d let him out. And that wasn’t good enough for him so he’d attempt jump on the couch. He was too little at first so he would come up and lay his head against my leg or put his paw on me and cry. I gave into this too and would pick him up and put him on the couch. Not only did he then just assume the couch, or any other furniture, were his territory and could jump up anytime he pleased when he was big enough, this also taught him that his manipulation techniques worked. So he continued to use them.
I had read about introducing the leash to a puppy by attaching it to the collar and then giving them treats and letting them run around the house with it on. This would help them to get used to the feeling of having it on. I did this with Chaos but he instantly hated it. He didn’t like it flopping around and trailing behind him when he walked or touching his legs or back. He would just lay down and refuse to move when it was on him. I didn’t want him to be so uncomfortable so I’d take it off. Well that led to problems trying to teach him to walk on leash outside. He was so focused with having it on him he would pull ahead and weave back and forth like he was trying to get away from it. An adult Pit Bull can pull 30x it’s body weight if it wants to. So even as a puppy Chaos was very strong and you can imagine how ridiculous I looked trying to keep up behind him with Ares prancing along as well.
The boys also use to be fed in the kitchen. It seemed like the most logical place for feeding time so I’d fill up their bowls and before the bottom of the bowls would even hit the floor they’d have their heads buried in them. If you feed the dog in the kitchen, obviously this means he is allowed to be in the kitchen, and he’ll want to be in the kitchen because he associates that spot with food. Especially if you have a small kitchen or a kitchen that is difficult to maneuver around, it’s all that more difficult to accomplish anything with 2 dogs underfoot. Not to mention dangerous if the stove is on or you open the hot oven, or maybe even if you’re just chopping onions. I’ve burnt myself, cut myself and had both dogs burn themselves because all of us were in the kitchen.
Maybe you don’t care if your dogs are on the furniture at will. Or cry and make sad faces every time they want something. Or walk you. Or hang out in the kitchen. It’s not wrong if it’s what you’re comfortable with. But for me, these are just a few of the many mistakes I’ve made as a dog owner. Chris has been a big help in teaching me better ways to handle the dogs when they do something I don’t want them to do. I’ve do a lot more research, talked to trainers and just did some trial and error to figure out how to correct the mistakes I’ve already made and try to prevent new ones. But this is impossible because I’m human and I’m going to make mistakes. We all make mistakes. And that’s okay.
I can assure you if you get discouraged, stressed out or just overwhelmed and feel like all you are doing is making mistakes, you are not alone. We’ve all been there. Our lives are always a work in progress and we just have to do our best. Your best one day may not be as good as your best the next. There are good days and bad days and you could have a week full of mistakes followed by a week full of successes. The best thing about dogs is that they forgive your mistakes every time.
What mistakes have you made?
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