We've now had Bennett "the beagle" in our home for the last month, or so. And, boy, has it been a long learning curve. It's day-by-day and we're getting to a better schedule (helps with the housetraining A LOT), which is working. But it's been a struggle. Also, dogs are not very smart. I don't know about these people who write about dogs being intuitive and intelligent. No. They're idiots. At least, mine is. In a cute, lovable, village-idiot kind of way.
Here's the breakdown:
Good: He loves me and follows me around like a love-sick puppy. This is amusing when I spend an hour on Saturday putting things away, roaming the house -- up and down, back and forth. Not so amusing when he nearly trips me going down the stairs.
Bad: He is petrified of Dave. It's day by day, but, generally, he runs the other direction. This is especially annoying because he won't come back into the house if Dave's at the door. So, I'm called in after every pee break.
Good: The girls love him. They poke him and put hats on him and blankets. And he never barks or snaps at him. He tries to dodge them, and hides from them, but he's not a threat.
Bad: He likes to pull the hair off their toys. Only one Barbie has been harmed thus far, and not a very popular one, but it's something we'll need to watch for in the future.
Good: I work from home on Fridays, so I enjoy the company of having someone to "talk to." In the past, I just sounded like a crazy person. Also, he sleeps ALL day -- which, I guess, is what he's used to. So often, I'm talking to a sleeping dog. But that's better than nothing.
Bad: He's taken over our dining room/living room as "his" space. So he eats his snacks and chews his bones in there. Many of his accidents take place in there, too. So the carpet is getting yucky. In just a month there are a few "crusty" spots. Time to learn how my carpet shampoo-er works. Ugh.
Bad: And he smells. Do all dogs stink? Is that a thing? We gotta figure out how to remediate that this weekend.
Good: He's quiet, is nice to visitors and will do just about anything for a treat (from me, not Dave). So, there's a good chance training him will go well.
Anyway, looking forward to the next month, as we continue to get used to this little animal in our lives.
Here's the breakdown:
Good: He loves me and follows me around like a love-sick puppy. This is amusing when I spend an hour on Saturday putting things away, roaming the house -- up and down, back and forth. Not so amusing when he nearly trips me going down the stairs.
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| It's a Tough Life |
Good: The girls love him. They poke him and put hats on him and blankets. And he never barks or snaps at him. He tries to dodge them, and hides from them, but he's not a threat.
Bad: He likes to pull the hair off their toys. Only one Barbie has been harmed thus far, and not a very popular one, but it's something we'll need to watch for in the future.
Good: I work from home on Fridays, so I enjoy the company of having someone to "talk to." In the past, I just sounded like a crazy person. Also, he sleeps ALL day -- which, I guess, is what he's used to. So often, I'm talking to a sleeping dog. But that's better than nothing.
Bad: He's taken over our dining room/living room as "his" space. So he eats his snacks and chews his bones in there. Many of his accidents take place in there, too. So the carpet is getting yucky. In just a month there are a few "crusty" spots. Time to learn how my carpet shampoo-er works. Ugh.
Bad: And he smells. Do all dogs stink? Is that a thing? We gotta figure out how to remediate that this weekend.
Good: He's quiet, is nice to visitors and will do just about anything for a treat (from me, not Dave). So, there's a good chance training him will go well.
Anyway, looking forward to the next month, as we continue to get used to this little animal in our lives.
That's a good idea. I should start using cookbooks more often!!
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