Re: ....Questions.....

[Ilene Cook <asorosgd@ameritech.net>]

Chimpette@aol.com wrote:
  We play with them as much as we can but somehow I still
> feel guilty about leaving them  in the creates.  That was the big dilemma
> before we got the first one.  

OK<
 Here is my advice! Both you and Peggy expressed that you couldn't get
past the guilt. That is my advice. Dump the guilt. Get rid of it. Your
guilt makes for a very mis behaved dog! They eat it up and feed on it. 
 When I did that field training thing, I was fortunate enough to meet
with one of this countries renown animal behaviorist. I had to ask.
"What do you think is the biggest cause of behavior problems?" His
reply: 
85% was due to the owners. The other 15% was due to breeding or other
causes. 
 You have to stop and think. What would this animal be doing if you were
home. Chances are it would spend at least 75% of the time sleeping. The
other 25% of the time, if it is a puppy, it will be chewing up your
house, or messing all over it. SO, now I have actually made you feel a
little better. You now only have 25% of the guilt to get rid of. 
 Doggie Day Care's, in my mind are the biggest rip off artists in this
country. They prey on your guilt, and take your money. Do you really
think that your dog goes there and runs and plays all day with other
dogs? Not if it were owned by me. All that it would take to take to
start a mass dog war is one fight to start. Then all dogs would join in,
and no one would be able to separate them all in time to avoid injuries
to at least some, and chance themselves getting bit by dogs that are not
theirs. No way does this happen. You are paying someone else to crate
your dog for you. Period. Maybe they are taken out for playtime and or a
walk, but no way is this a glorified doggie day camp. 
 MY opinion may seem strong. As a breeder I want my puppies to also go
to loving homes that care and worry about them. But, you are not going
to have a well behaved animal if you can't get rid of the guilt. Your
puppies are going to be adorable when they come home. They are going to
have the sweetest expressions in the world. They are going to do wrong,
and you HAVE to correct them, no matter how cute they are. I am not
saying to hit them, I am saying to correct them. You have to set limits,
and stick to them. If you don't, your puppy is going to run you, your
house, and your life. At eight weeks old, they are very smart. They are
also absorbing and trying to find their place this world. When you as
the owner, spoil and pamper and do not set limits, you TEACH your dog
bad behavior. That's it in a nutshell. 
 Now, do I love my dogs? Do my dogs love me?? Yes, yes, yes! But, they
are trained from when they are puppies, know their limits, and I NEVER
feel guilty about them being crated. Does this mean that I just leave
them in a crate all the time. Heck no! Whenever I am home, they are out
of a crate except at bedtime. And, just because they are out, I do not
let them do whatever they want because I "feel" guilty that they were
crated all day. 
I have though, traveled to shows far away with my dogs, because I know
that the dog handler is going to crate them for the whole weekend. This
I do feel bad about. I do not allow that. So, I go and keep them with
me. 
 The perfect situation for a young pup, is if you can find someone to
come over mid day and let the pup out for a peepee and a drink or some
food. Also, when I have dogs crated, I make the extra effort to go right
home from work. Even if I need desperately to make a stop or two. I go
back out later to get what I needed, or just do not go at all. I am
always invited to after work dinners or bar hops. I have just never
gone. I have a responsibility waiting to be let out, so I do that
instead. So, this is just another piece of advice from mean'ol auntie
Ilene. 

                                    Ilene