Kicked out!
Posted: Feb 17, 2009 9:33 am
My Max, a 1 year old black lab, was kicked out of dog training class! Now what the heck am I going to do????? He's absolutely out of control and I blame everyone in this house! Why them and not me? I haven't been home much the past 6 months! The last time I left for Mom's, I had Max not jumping on folks.. most of the time. While I was gone.. someone (Ty) had this grand idea to have Max give him hugs. Basically it's a nice jump.. but is a hug. I don't want hugs nor does everyone who walks through the door. Although most do. Ty's friends think it's cool. So they all want hugs. Trust me it's not cool. Gramma won't want hugs when she comes over.. which thankfully isn't often... and again.. I don't want hugs... and I deal with him the most. Now he gets pleanty of hugs from me but he has to be on 4 legs to get them. I am losing this battle.. I seem to be the only non hugger that lives here.
Sit.. and down.. oh yeah he's got that down.. so long as there is a cookie involed. You don't even have to tell him to sit.. he see's a cookie and his butt is on the ground faster than lightening! If not, you can forget it!
We've about mastered rollover.. but again.. there's gotta be a cookie involved.
Did I mention he's a mater jumper? Oh yeah he can hike over a 5 foot fence. He jumps up.. climbs a lil.. hangs there until he gets his balance... up and over and gone! Of course he come right back when he hears me holler "cookies!!" He really likes cookies. He doesn't seem to be able to jump back in the fence. So.. I was fed up.. and I think I have that lil problem solved after putting up some hot wire. I really didn't want to resort to that but he left me no choice. The first time he hit it Sat, I was having anxiety. "Max get off there!" He did the electric slide down. It was kind of scarry for me.. He thinks it's shocking! The second time he went to hit it.. I was watching from the house.. Ash ran after him and blocked his path to the fence. It was cute watching Ash trying to tell Max he was going to regret it... and keep him from atempting it. Needless to say, Max isn't trying to escape anymore. So it worked.
Did I mention he was a good climber? He seems to think he is a lap dog. Trust me... he's not. But that does not stop him from forcing his way up.. no matter where you are sitting. He's mastered getting on my lap in 2 seconds flat while I am sitting here typing. That includes bed.. when there's no spot on the bed for him.. he makes one.. on my lap! It's always me too. Speaking of bed... Poor Ash, when he wants to come up to bed, I literally have to hold Max so Ash can climb the stairs otherwise he barrels down and knocks Ash off the stairs. Ash is so patient. But he'll stand at the bottom for a few minutes to make sure I have a good hold on Max. Then it's the mad dash between 2 dogs and me to get our spots on the bed!
I think, he thinks he is human. This is verified when I am working in the kitchen. I often turn around to find him sitting on a chair at the table. Just watching me.. hanging out. He likes chairs. I keep one at the south windows for him now.. it keeps him occupied and out of my lap! He watches the birds, the barn and the bunnies. Although the bunnies are a lil problem because he wants to chase them so he goes into bark mode. Speaking of barking... he barks really really loud. Sounds like a 500 pound dog. Thankfully, he doesn't bark 24/7.. or else I'd lose my mind.
Walk? More like drag Mommy. Choke chain does nothing! He is much stronger than I am. I have no control. Oh I can get him to walk nicely... if I have 700 cookies for the walk... and then he spends most of it sitting... again the butt on the ground faster than lightening.
Whiner.. oh yeah he's a whiner. Cry baby.. when he doesn't get his way. Starved for attention.. he seems to think so even though he demands and gets most of mine... regardless what I am trying to do. If I have my attention on something other than him, it's maul Mommie time. He's never more than 1/2 step beside or behindme.. which can make things difficult when I'm cooking. I cook like a maniac and am going from counter to stove to fridge to cabintes in seconds. Well.. I use to.. I've had to slow down so as to not trip or step on Max.
Bubba's (stuffed toys).. he annilates(sp?) them! The only ones that stand a change are Kongs and Kong Wubba's.. and even the Wubba's he tears the tails off.... Kongs eventually bite the dust but usually last a few months. The rope toys have also proven to be un Maxable.
I have watched every single episode of The Dog Whisperer.. it sure hasn't helped me as much as I hoped. So.. I went to dog training class...that sure didn't last long.. not even the whole 1st class. Max isn't welcome there. He distracts the other dogs. Yeah no sheet. If I had a good dog.. I wouldn't be in dog class. So now... I think I am up the creek without a paddle. I am going to see if I can find a private trainer.. a real trainer in my opinion... Cuz if you're a good trainer, you wouldn't be kicking the worst case from class. Prove yourself sweetheart. Which is pretty much what I told the gal.. although I was nice about it. I said.. if you are any kind of a good dog trainer, you would be able to conquer Max... or at least try. You won't even try which tells me a lot. All she said was sorry.
Too bad Ceasar is on the opposite end of the country. I need him!
And yes, I know I have a bad dog.. but I love him to pieces and he's my bad dog. I'm just frustrated and running out of options. Folks have told me to get a shock collar and I just can't do it. I don't like the hot fence I sure as heck am not going to send him a shock from my hands. I don't want a bad dog.. I'm too old for this. But I just might be stuck with the Max Factor.
Sit.. and down.. oh yeah he's got that down.. so long as there is a cookie involed. You don't even have to tell him to sit.. he see's a cookie and his butt is on the ground faster than lightening! If not, you can forget it!
We've about mastered rollover.. but again.. there's gotta be a cookie involved.
Did I mention he's a mater jumper? Oh yeah he can hike over a 5 foot fence. He jumps up.. climbs a lil.. hangs there until he gets his balance... up and over and gone! Of course he come right back when he hears me holler "cookies!!" He really likes cookies. He doesn't seem to be able to jump back in the fence. So.. I was fed up.. and I think I have that lil problem solved after putting up some hot wire. I really didn't want to resort to that but he left me no choice. The first time he hit it Sat, I was having anxiety. "Max get off there!" He did the electric slide down. It was kind of scarry for me.. He thinks it's shocking! The second time he went to hit it.. I was watching from the house.. Ash ran after him and blocked his path to the fence. It was cute watching Ash trying to tell Max he was going to regret it... and keep him from atempting it. Needless to say, Max isn't trying to escape anymore. So it worked.
Did I mention he was a good climber? He seems to think he is a lap dog. Trust me... he's not. But that does not stop him from forcing his way up.. no matter where you are sitting. He's mastered getting on my lap in 2 seconds flat while I am sitting here typing. That includes bed.. when there's no spot on the bed for him.. he makes one.. on my lap! It's always me too. Speaking of bed... Poor Ash, when he wants to come up to bed, I literally have to hold Max so Ash can climb the stairs otherwise he barrels down and knocks Ash off the stairs. Ash is so patient. But he'll stand at the bottom for a few minutes to make sure I have a good hold on Max. Then it's the mad dash between 2 dogs and me to get our spots on the bed!
I think, he thinks he is human. This is verified when I am working in the kitchen. I often turn around to find him sitting on a chair at the table. Just watching me.. hanging out. He likes chairs. I keep one at the south windows for him now.. it keeps him occupied and out of my lap! He watches the birds, the barn and the bunnies. Although the bunnies are a lil problem because he wants to chase them so he goes into bark mode. Speaking of barking... he barks really really loud. Sounds like a 500 pound dog. Thankfully, he doesn't bark 24/7.. or else I'd lose my mind.
Walk? More like drag Mommy. Choke chain does nothing! He is much stronger than I am. I have no control. Oh I can get him to walk nicely... if I have 700 cookies for the walk... and then he spends most of it sitting... again the butt on the ground faster than lightening.
Whiner.. oh yeah he's a whiner. Cry baby.. when he doesn't get his way. Starved for attention.. he seems to think so even though he demands and gets most of mine... regardless what I am trying to do. If I have my attention on something other than him, it's maul Mommie time. He's never more than 1/2 step beside or behindme.. which can make things difficult when I'm cooking. I cook like a maniac and am going from counter to stove to fridge to cabintes in seconds. Well.. I use to.. I've had to slow down so as to not trip or step on Max.
Bubba's (stuffed toys).. he annilates(sp?) them! The only ones that stand a change are Kongs and Kong Wubba's.. and even the Wubba's he tears the tails off.... Kongs eventually bite the dust but usually last a few months. The rope toys have also proven to be un Maxable.
I have watched every single episode of The Dog Whisperer.. it sure hasn't helped me as much as I hoped. So.. I went to dog training class...that sure didn't last long.. not even the whole 1st class. Max isn't welcome there. He distracts the other dogs. Yeah no sheet. If I had a good dog.. I wouldn't be in dog class. So now... I think I am up the creek without a paddle. I am going to see if I can find a private trainer.. a real trainer in my opinion... Cuz if you're a good trainer, you wouldn't be kicking the worst case from class. Prove yourself sweetheart. Which is pretty much what I told the gal.. although I was nice about it. I said.. if you are any kind of a good dog trainer, you would be able to conquer Max... or at least try. You won't even try which tells me a lot. All she said was sorry.
Too bad Ceasar is on the opposite end of the country. I need him!
And yes, I know I have a bad dog.. but I love him to pieces and he's my bad dog. I'm just frustrated and running out of options. Folks have told me to get a shock collar and I just can't do it. I don't like the hot fence I sure as heck am not going to send him a shock from my hands. I don't want a bad dog.. I'm too old for this. But I just might be stuck with the Max Factor.