Our dogsitters think we're strict. In the world of dog training, I assure you that we're barely doing anything. However, we do have some rules.
Rule #1: The dog isn't allowed on the furniture.
This rule started when we first adopted her because we wanted Zelda the Cat to be able to escape from the dog if needed. However, when Hannah had some back issues it became more of a law than a rule. However, don't feel too bad for her. She doesn't really like to cuddle and there are plenty of places for her to lay down that aren't on furniture. See photo proof below. She's not allowed to go upstairs, either, which means I don't know if Hannah's ever even seen a human bed.
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Rule #2: Dogs have to stop and let the human look both ways when you come to an intersection on a walk. We used to have her sit at each intersection, but it honestly takes too much time and sometimes it's wet and sometime it's cold. Now I will accept a standing halt. A clicking noise with my tongue and "good girl" is her release.
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| It's been very cold here the last week. I'd love to put boots on her front paws, too, but they are rubbing her dewclaws raw. This is the best we can do for now. New boots have been ordered, but I suspect they won't come in until the weather is warmer. |
Rule #3: The dog has to wait on her pad until she is released to eat her meal. This is basically to prevent us from tripping over her. Safety first! "Get your breakfast/dinner!" with a huge arm flourish is her release for food.
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| Food is on the left in the purple puzzle dish. Dog is on the right on her pad. Winter accessories are everywhere. |
Rule #4: Steps outside have proven to be verrrry challenging for Hannah. I think that's because she doesn't do any steps in our house. So we do one step at a time. I have been trying to get the number up to two at a time, but whenever I increase the number, she takes all the steps at a run. This is dangerous, particularly when it's slippery outside, so we're back to one step at a time with a very tight leash. When we get to the bottom, I put more slack in the leash and she knows she can do more than a step at a time.
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| It was 4F/feels like -11F when I took this photo. She had just put her whole muzzle in a snowbank. Dogs are weird. |
Do you think we're strict? What are your house rules that are never broken?
Those are good rules to keep Hannah happy and safe. My cats go wverywhere- there are no rules. My daughters dog is allowed on the couch, as he snuggles so nicely, but not my bed. My people rules are no food outside of the kitchen or dining area. I don't want crumbs and dishes everywhere. Occasionally broken but I mostly win.
ReplyDeleteSince it's just me and my husband, we don't actually have a lot of people rules. We both just don't want to live in filth and that seems to work out well!
DeleteI should write a post about the rules for the cat. There's basically one and she breaks it all the time!
I love the photos of Hannah all bundled up! Yes, these rules seem strict to me but that's because I only have cats, and cats pretty much do whatever they want. Apparently the people in my house do whatever they want as well, because I can't think of house rules that are never broken. We take our shoes off in the entryway- I guess that's a house rule. Hmm! Maybe I need more rules around here- no wonder the house is a mess.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, Zelda's rules are much fewer and regularly flaunted. Oh, well. Cats are perfect beings!
DeleteThese are all good common sense rules! We have our own reasons for not doing most of these - Doggo is our only pet and she's small and snuggly, so she is allowed on all furniture. If we had a cat, then it would make a ton of sense for all of the off the floor spaces be the cat's domain. When I stayed with Nicole over the summer, I immediately understood how different life is with a larger dog, and why the no furniture rule makes sense. Back in Stepdog's day, Hubs had a "no dogs in the bed while humans are sleeping" rule, but that ended on the first night that we let Doggo sleep in our room.
ReplyDeleteDoggo's rules are that she has to stay in a down position while I'm filling up her treat toys, because otherwise she gets too excited and will try to take the toy before I can fill it. When we're walking and we pass someone, it's a scary thing for her and if she didn't have an alternate behavior, she would growl and lunge at the other person. That's why when this happens we move to the side and she has to sit until the person passes.
Isn't Doggo roughly the same size as Hannah? She's about 50 pounds (50.6 at her last vet appointment). I cannot imagine having her on the couch with me! She's so big!
DeleteHannah's behavior when someone passes us is atrocious. I have to DRAG her off to the side and put her in a sit, but she doesn't stay there. I am struggling with how to train this because she doesn't do it with people we know and I don't want to ask strangers to help. The rule is to start far away and get closer and closer, which is great in theory, but in practice is not really possible because there's no way to get very far away on most sidewalks!
Nah, she's 40 pounds sopping wet. We've known her since she was 20 pounds, so we probably see her as being smaller than she is.
DeleteWe had rules with our dog that we got when I was a teenager, including the no furniture and not allowed upstairs. She was a big cuddler but we just had to get down to her (not very low as she was big) level for cuddles. I think the fact that my only other pet owning experience was with a dog with rules is part of why having a cat annoys me a lot. I HATE when he sneaks in and climbs on the bed, or jumps on the table etc. and yet rules with a cat are so dang hard to enforce, because they are very different creatures than dogs. (To be clear I love the cat, he just frustrates me so much.)
ReplyDeleteThis is very occasional commenter joymariecooks/Maria btw. Blogger isn’t letting me log in to when I comment on blogpost blogs for some reason. I don’t like leaving anon comments lol.
Ha! Our cat is not allowed upstairs or allowed on our bed, so I feel you on that. Insane cats! We basically have one rule for ours and she regularly breaks it. She's a jerk. I love her more than life itself.
DeleteThis was fascinating to read. Hannah is so well behaved <3
ReplyDeleteI don't have dogs, but I have kids and I feel like Hannah obey's her rules better than my kids do theirs. Ha. To be honest, we don't really have a lot of set house rules? I remember visiting a friend once where she was not allowed to put her feet up on the living room coffee table and getting reprimanded by her mom for doing so. So I guess I can blame the lack of rules on my parents???
My daughter has to charge her iPhone in our room, so we have a no devices in your bedroom rule for the kids (our son doesn't have a device yet, but we make him watch videos/do homework in the living room/at the table so he doesn't have a laptop in his room, for example).
Okay, but she's not always well behaved. I don't want to give the wrong impression. She growls/lunges/barks at strangers when they approach us. That's really the area where she needs the most work. Poor nervous girl.
DeleteYou probably don't need house rules because you parent (like verb parent) and when they do something that's not acceptable, you correct it! That's actually good news.
Awww. This reframe on my parenting was so sweet!!!
DeleteHannah is very well-trained. She makes Zydrunas, who was professionally trained at one point, look like a lawless hooligan. Z responds very well to commands, but he is allowed up on couches and chairs for snuggling, and he sleeps with Sam in bed. He also has slept with Rick and me in bed at the lake, taking up an enormous amount of room. He is also a Professional Seat Stealer, so anyone who gets up to get anything will have to either forcibly remove him from their former seat or share it with him.
ReplyDeletePiper cat is not allowed on tables or counters. Marlowe, his late sister, flouted those rules constantly. She was a princess and knew it. When we reprimanded her, she sassed us but eventually complied. Piper sleeps with me in bed for part of the night since Marlowe died. I can't bear for him to be alone.
Zelda is Marlowe. Her only rule is not to get on surfaces where food is prepared/eaten, so the stove, the counter, and the dining room table, and Z does not think this rule is okay. It limits her freedom! She will get down if we see it and chastise her, but she chirps at us to let us know she's doing it under protest. I suspect you would recognize this behavior.
DeleteI am impressed with your ability to train more than her ability to be trained. 👍
ReplyDeleteWell, it's just about consistency when you have a smart dog. More credit to her than to me!
DeleteI don't think you're strict at all. I love the rules/laws; they're enforced for her safety!
ReplyDeleteMy dogs are lawless, and that is why they frustrate me so much. I know it's all our fault, but I still wish I'd done a better job of enforcing the rules. NEXT TIME!
I always talk about how we'd do it better with our "next dog," but the truth is I don't know if there will be another one!
DeleteCodex: I trained my dogs, trained our cats. Counter and table are no. (Kitty litter paws). Outdoor also a no. (We have coyotes and cars).
ReplyDeleteEvening is brushing and bonding. Toys everywhere. They can play hide and seek, give high fives. All through training. Cats learn best with positive reinforcement. Works well.
Oh, Zelda KNOWS she's not allowed on the counter and table. She HAS been trained and knows, but she also flaunts that rule with some regularity. She jumps down when we see her and scold her, so it's obvious that she knows. Honestly, we did not use positive reinforcement with her, but negative, because I ain't got time for working with a stubborn cat when I have a stubborn dog who is larger and more dangerous!
DeleteCodex: They take less time than a dog. Lose interest quickly, but you have 10 minutes. They hate noise loud clap and no when they do something bad. Immediately after the behavior you want; the reward (whatever the cats personality likes foodie gets treats cuddler gets petted). Lots of baby voice (they prefer high pitched) good girl/boy.
DeleteCats do not forgive or forget, but don't always make the connection. .maybe you just gave me a post idea.:)
Unlike dogs they learn at any age.
Codex: Not sure if you saw it, but have a comment on a previous post. Tried to get a discussion going on Pluribus. Carol in the title if you want to participate.
ReplyDeleteI don't know your blog address!
DeleteWe only have fish and they definitely don't have/need rules. Actually I think they give us rules - don't tap on the fish tank, feed them regularly and change the water periodically.
ReplyDeleteI admire your ability to maintain rules and boundaries. I wish I could be so firm and logical with my kids - they kind of just trample all over anything I try to do if they don't like it. Unless I bribe them with screen time.
I mean, I would be such a pushover if I had children. They would be spoiled and terrible. That's why I don't have them!
DeleteNo, I don't think you're too strict because every person and every dog is different. We let Lucy on the furniture and beds, but she's small. If we had a big dog I would not be able to deal with that weight on the covers. I also stop before each street, and she stops and waits for me. When she comes in the house when it's wet or snowy she has to wipe her feet on the mat. We had friends where every time the dog came in it went right to its bed until they released it. Lucy is not that well trained, and I admire people who have dogs that are - we only get away with it because she is small and doesn't have any really terrible or dangerous habits.
ReplyDeleteLUCY IS PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. She doesn't need strict rules.
DeleteWhy are no pets allowed upstairs? Bad sleepers?
ReplyDeleteMulder was not allowed on the furniture (except Maya’s bed, don’t tell my Ted, he didn’t (I don’t think) know). He was too big to fit in our bed, and from what Maya said, he woke her many nights fluffing the covers and chewing and scratching and being a dog. She didn’t care. I would. He was only allowed on the sofa/recliner when invited, and that was mostly for dog hair purposes. I would have loved to have him up there, but it would have driven my husband batty.
I wanted to train Mulder to not jump on people when they came to the door, but didn’t really have someone to practice with. I wish I lived nearby and could be the stranger to help Hannah learn, until she got to know be and that became useless. SIGH.
Fun fact about me: I'm quite allergic to dogs and cats. They are not allowed upstairs because it limits the dander upstairs and I'm able to sleep better. Also, Zelda is quite active at night, so she would be a huge distraction!
DeleteTraining dogs who are nervous about people is HARD. I have mostly given up, though, because Hannah is old and she has her pack of trusted people and she doesn't need more, you know? If I had brand new Hannah, I would try harder, but older Hannah? Eh.
I think your rules are sensible. Riley is not allowed on the furniture, not allowed on carpet (so the bedrooms and study) and not allowed in the kitchen (although he breaks that rule when we are watching TV). He has to sit and wait for his dinner until we tell him it is OK to eat. Yesterday, G forgot to say "take" and walked inside. Riley kept sitting, waiting for the word. He also has to wait for us to give him permission to come inside.
ReplyDeleteRILEY IS SUCH A GOOD BOY. He was so patient. I love him.
DeleteThese all seem sensible to me. We have the same rules for our offspring- - - just kidding. We do occasionally let them on the furniture. Hannah seems so well behaved. And I do prefer to not share the couch with a pet when I visit someone’s house. Might just be me and my allergies. Is it me, or is Hanna dressed in Chicago Bears colors? Cant tell if the hood is navy or gray. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa! That was the only color available in her color. It's hunter orange and the hood part is grey. I never intended to give her orange since it clashes with her reddish fur, but you do what you gotta do when there are limited colors available in your weirdly sized dog's size.
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