Dogs...

I've been a dog-owner for just 9 years,
and here are some things I discovered early on;
1) dogs need some specific things, like;
a) exercise
b) structure, ie things happening in a timely and predictable way
c) discipline,
d) affection.
these things together, and in that order, are to the dog, proof of love .
2) dogs are like toddlers. Give them what they need, and they be quiet.
3) but you can't treat them like they are toddlers, cuz
4) sometimes they need the kind of discipline that you should never dispense to a child.
5) beating on them is NOT the answer
6) bribing them is not the answer
7) sometimes/usually, you just have to remind them who is alpha
8) Yelling at a barking dog never works for longer than a few seconds, and as the human, you yelling at your dog, only proves that you're a lousy dog-owner, cuz;
9) sometimes the dog gets fixated in a barking-mode, and it takes knuckles in the ribs to break the behavior and/or
10) some dogs are just barkers, good luck tryinta change them.
11) sometimes you just gotta realize that you and your dog are not compatible, that divorce is the best option, and possibly you should not get another dog, until you yourself change. Dogs recognize weak leaders.
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My dog was like that to/for several previous owners, rejected at least three times. I got him as a three year old, and it took over a year to get him to come out of his depression. Part of that, I'm sure, might have been me learning to be a first-time dog owner.
But when he came out, glory-be, he is such a treasure.
He is coming 12 this month, and his age is starting to show. even as are mine; and the wife and I are starting to realize, that he's gonna pass on before we do. We got a second dog a year ago, as a two year old female, to take Georgie into his golden years, and to then usher us into ours. Those two are getting on super fine, and altho she was an obsessive barker when we got her, she's come around to my program.
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BTW
my neighbors have noticed that my dogs roam freely, and stay on my unfenced town yard, are quiet, well-behaved, but always curious to greet or meet their dogs in a pleasant and respectful manner. And so it is that Their dogs sometimes stay at our house, sometimes up to two weeks. and when they return, the owners marvel at the change in their dogs, so I tell them
Dogs need three things.............. I just gave them what they needed,
starting with;
hold on there Buster, I am alpha,
and sometimes, just knuckles in their ribs is all it takes.
And then they say; "oh I could never do that."
And so, in a short time, their so-called pet, is back to it's old familiar self.
The trick for me is to be alert enough to figure out when they need what, and to be there for them. And if/when their owners are deadbeats, to go over to their house and to as lovingly as possible, get them to surrender their neglected dog to me.
My block is pretty quiet these days.
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Now if I could just get thru to that young fella three doors over to put a stinking muffler on his diesel truck, that wakes me up at 6AM every morning............
Update, he said he installed a "resonator" last week.
Good for you laddie, but it's a diesel! it's ALWAYS at WOT.
and he now has three kids in diapers. Two more, and he can quit work and live on the government Family-Allowance program. Oh to have such a lofty goal.
ah well, he's on Maternity-leave again, so;
so that diesel is not starting up as often anymore, and
Yippie that truck is sure to turn into a 7-passenger van soon.
But that dummy is pretty smart; he times his babies so that he gets every summer on mat-leave. ........
See; this is what is happening to some of our younger godless generation of lazzyazz video gamer sons.
Wait, I digress. lol.
This young fella had FOUR dogs, three of them howling Huskys. Well, the Husky's started disappearing when the babies started showing up; maybe they went to stu, IDK ..............
Update; no, they went to "the farm".............
Sometimes divorce is the best answer.
Like I said,
10) some dogs are just barkers, good luck tryinta change them.
11) sometimes you just gotta realize that you and your dog are not compatible, that divorce is the best option, and possibly you should not get another dog, until you yourself change. Dogs recognize weak leaders.
******************************************
My dog was like that for several previous owners, rejected at least three times. I got him as a three year old, and it took over a year to get him to come out of his depression. Part of that, I'm sure, might have been me learning to be a first-time dog owner.
But when he came out, glory-be, he is such a treasure.
He is coming 12 this month, and his age is starting to show. even as are mine; and the wife and I are starting to realize, that he's gonna pass on before we do. We got a second dog a year ago, as a two year old female, to take Georgie into his golden years, and to then usher us into ours. Those two are getting on super fine, and altho she was an obsessive barker when we got her, she's come around to my program.
*************************************
BTW
my neighbors have noticed that my dogs roam freely, and stay on my unfenced town yard, are quiet, well-behaved, but always curious to greet or meet their dogs in a pleasant and respectful manner. And so it is that Their dogs sometimes stay at our house, sometimes up to two weeks. and when they return the owners marvel at the change in their dogs, so I tell them
Dogs need three things......... I just gave them what they needed,
starting with
hold on there Buster, I am alpha,
and sometimes, just knuckles in their ribs is all it takes.
And then they say; "oh I could never do that."
And so, in a short time, their so-called pet, is back to it's old familiar self.
The trick for me is to be alert enough to figure out when they need when, and to be there for them. And if/when their owners are deadbeats, to go over to their house and to as lovingly as possible, get them to surrender their neglected dog to me.
**********************************
Now if I could just get thru to that young fella three doors over to put a stinking muffler on his diesel truck, that wakes me up at 6AM every morning............
Update, he said he installed a "resonator" last week,
good for you laddie, but it's a diesel! it's ALWAYS at WOT.
and he now has three kids in diapers. Two more and he can quit work and live on the government Family-Allowance program. oh to have has such a lofty goal.
ah well, he's on Maternity-leave again, so;
so that diesel is not starting up as often anymore, and
Yippie that truck is sure to turn into a 7-passenger van soon.
But that dummy is pretty smart; he times his babies so that he gets every summer off work, on mat-leave. ........
See; this is what is happening to our younger godless generation of sons.
Wait, I digress. lol
He had FOUR dogs, three of them howling Huskys. Well, the Husky's started disappearing when the babies started showing up; maybe they went to stu, IDK ..............
Update; no, they went to "the farm".............
Sometimes divorce is the best answer.
Like I said, My block is pretty quiet these days.
I think we're down to about 11 dogs in 11 houses, now, and all are inside dogs, but some of the dog-owners have two, and one has four. Surprisingly, the one with four is pretty quiet. But you know, I visit with them a fair bit .........
Hyup, another thing I learned is that you have too visit with the owners if you want to be able to sleep at night. I don't need to visit the non dog owners.
We have been in this house now, for just about 30 years; easily triple of the next neighbor. and I got this. We are all of us, one big happy family, even the kid with the diesel, and the chain-smoker, and the Roto-Rooter man.