OK - so Stella was feeling very ignored ( don't we all at one time or another) and she ate my "Beat It" record. Strange irony that she chose that title when I was communicating to her..."get lost...I have work to do!" I just found a stack of old"45's" in the attic and hadn't even looked at the titles. Wow, I wonder what it was worth ( notice past tense). Baby boomers and "vintage" record collectors will understand the term "45". If you know how much, please don't tell me. LOL
Doggy Moral/Message: Not everyone appreciates the value of "vintage" records.
Puppy Love
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The invisible fence
Such a kind name for a fence that shocks you! Well Stella and I have been working on this "invisible" fence training thing for over 3 weeks now. My husband was adamantly against the fence. We had already spend well over 4 figures on Vet bills and he had to draw the line some where. Now you must know that it took me over 30 years to convince my dear husband to "get a puppy". He was not a Dog Person. (A blog entry forthcoming). But they day my neighbor almost missed her flight, because Stella showed up in her backyard...he saw the light. We had to do something. Stella was now running around the neighborhood to play with her new friends. Our wonderful friend installed the fence saving us a significant amount of money...looked at me.... and said now the fun begins. You have to train her to stay within the safe boundry. Kinda of chuckled and drove away. He knew many of our Stella Stories, so I figured he was laughing because nothing with Stella had been easy so far, so why would this be!
To make a long training story short. Stella did quite well and only ran through the fence 3 times. Twice to visit her doggy friends and once to greet a man on the street. (As you might or might not be aware, Goldens LOVE everyone and act as though they have never been petted once in their life). So dashing through the fence seemed to be worth it for one warm greeting.
I am happy to say that it "appears" that Stella gets it...and she has gone one week w/o breaking through. Not sure when I will feel secure enough to let her out alone. YIKES.
Doggy moral: Go for it! Sometimes "it" is worth the risk of getting shocked.
To make a long training story short. Stella did quite well and only ran through the fence 3 times. Twice to visit her doggy friends and once to greet a man on the street. (As you might or might not be aware, Goldens LOVE everyone and act as though they have never been petted once in their life). So dashing through the fence seemed to be worth it for one warm greeting.
I am happy to say that it "appears" that Stella gets it...and she has gone one week w/o breaking through. Not sure when I will feel secure enough to let her out alone. YIKES.
Doggy moral: Go for it! Sometimes "it" is worth the risk of getting shocked.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
No Treats at the ATM?
How can Stella know that the bank drive-thru always gives dog biscuits (after only one experience) and after 1,000 times being put in timeout she still jumps on the kitchen counter to steal food?
I suppose this is the difference between positive reinforcement and punishment.
As I drove up to the bank lanes, Stella became so excited and was already licking her chops. Unfortunately, (for Stella) I pulled up to the ATM lane. Her nose was hanging out the window and she jumped around the back seat filled with hope. As I performed my transaction, I explained to Stella that a treat will not come out of this machine. I do realize most children think "treats" do come out of this machine. Perhaps her frustration is similar to our frustration when the ATM is down. I couldn't believe I was explaining this to my dog and telling her not to worry...we will stop at the pet store and buy a few bags of her favorite treats.
Doggy moral: Bank tellers are more personal than machines.
I suppose this is the difference between positive reinforcement and punishment.
As I drove up to the bank lanes, Stella became so excited and was already licking her chops. Unfortunately, (for Stella) I pulled up to the ATM lane. Her nose was hanging out the window and she jumped around the back seat filled with hope. As I performed my transaction, I explained to Stella that a treat will not come out of this machine. I do realize most children think "treats" do come out of this machine. Perhaps her frustration is similar to our frustration when the ATM is down. I couldn't believe I was explaining this to my dog and telling her not to worry...we will stop at the pet store and buy a few bags of her favorite treats.
Doggy moral: Bank tellers are more personal than machines.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Stella performs surgery on stuffed "fart" dog
This might sound strange, but someone in our family received a stuffed dog for Christmas that makes a "farting" sound. Of course Stella was quite intrigued with this creature that didn't move but made an unusual tooting noise. For once in her life (18 months) Stella seemed "somewhat" afraid. Unlike the other stuffed creatures we bought to keep Stella company( that she ripped to shreds), this one was different. She seemed to respect it...maybe even showed some mother-like instinct by being kind.
Well so much for my theory. After getting lost while reminiscing through old pictures, I thought things sounded awful quiet downstairs. Something inside of me said I better get down there to see what Stella is up to now. Unfortunately, my husband was enjoying an afternoon nap and Stella performed surgery on the "fart" dog. I asked, "Where is Stella?'" "She is in the mudroom (location for timeout) and she ate the "fart" dog." OH NO.... I ran to the kitchen trash compactor to discover only the stuffing. I panicked and said do you mean to tell me she ate the rest of the dog!! The fur, the eyes and the "noise making gadget" inside?? Please don't tell me I will have to turn to the Hydrogen Peroxide to get the "fart" dog out. My husband said he didn't know how much she ate - but he put what he found in the trash compactor. He even suggested that Stella hid the remaining pieces. I looked around the family room and could find no sign of the "fart" dog, not a trace... So I opened the mudroom door dreading the process of saving Stella from getting "fart" dog gadgets stuck in her body (or another trip to the Vet's) and explaining exactly what a "fart" dog is and how we know Stella ate it....then what to my wondering eyes appeared but a tiny FART DOG lying beside Stella. The FART DOG WAS NOT IN HER BELLY! Stella had skillfully opened one seam and removed only the stuffing... Thank goodness this one had a happy ending. Oh of course, I threw out the empty "fart" dog. Moral of this doggy story: Things aren't always as they appear!
Well so much for my theory. After getting lost while reminiscing through old pictures, I thought things sounded awful quiet downstairs. Something inside of me said I better get down there to see what Stella is up to now. Unfortunately, my husband was enjoying an afternoon nap and Stella performed surgery on the "fart" dog. I asked, "Where is Stella?'" "She is in the mudroom (location for timeout) and she ate the "fart" dog." OH NO.... I ran to the kitchen trash compactor to discover only the stuffing. I panicked and said do you mean to tell me she ate the rest of the dog!! The fur, the eyes and the "noise making gadget" inside?? Please don't tell me I will have to turn to the Hydrogen Peroxide to get the "fart" dog out. My husband said he didn't know how much she ate - but he put what he found in the trash compactor. He even suggested that Stella hid the remaining pieces. I looked around the family room and could find no sign of the "fart" dog, not a trace... So I opened the mudroom door dreading the process of saving Stella from getting "fart" dog gadgets stuck in her body (or another trip to the Vet's) and explaining exactly what a "fart" dog is and how we know Stella ate it....then what to my wondering eyes appeared but a tiny FART DOG lying beside Stella. The FART DOG WAS NOT IN HER BELLY! Stella had skillfully opened one seam and removed only the stuffing... Thank goodness this one had a happy ending. Oh of course, I threw out the empty "fart" dog. Moral of this doggy story: Things aren't always as they appear!
Dog Catches a Mouse
You might think that cats are the ones to bring you a mouse. Not true, not true. At least with Stella it's not true. Yesterday she was flipping what looked to be a stuffed animal up in the air and rolled over on it. When I called her to come to the door (with a cheese bribe) two back paws and one long tail was hanging out of Stella's mouth. You guessed it. She dropped the mouse on the ground before me... to gobble up a piece of cheese. Sweet irony! Catch a mouse and your owner will give you cheese. Too bad the mouse never had a taste!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Life Lesson
Life Lessons Stella Has Taught Me…. So Far
1. If you wipe your feet, the house will be cleaner.
2. We are more motivated to do a task if there is a reward at the end.
3. If you don’t make time for constructive use of your energy (playtime), one might get into trouble.
4. If you don’t know when to get out of someone’s face they might bite you.
5. It always feels good to be greeted by a happy face (or wagging tail).
6. If you “bark” loud enough and long enough someone will eventually react.
7. Grooming matters. If you don’t keep clean you will smell.
8. Treats always taste better than the same food we eat each and every day.
9. It’s hard to leave when you hear whining or crying in the background.
10. We all need to be stroked from time to time.
11. If you hear a sound like someone is tearing off the top of your hot tub lid, they probably are…
12. Good behavior only comes after lots of hard work, consistency and rewards/praise.
13. If you suspect that a loved one has swallowed an earring, you will rush them to the doctor.
14. Strong bonds are built through a healthy balance of giving and receiving.
15. Socializing with others helps us to behave in a civilized manner.
16. Sometimes you like the window to be down when you sit in the backseat of a car.
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