bite, eat, crate & SCREENDOORS!

["Lyn L. Nelson" <lnelson@mail.portup.com>]

Hi all,

I've been doing the "NO BITE"....and then sticking stuff in his mouth that
is okay to bite with praise to follow since Day One.  Doesn't work.....but,
I'll keep doing it.  I'm starting the hold him while he squiggles thing, but
must get my hair out of the way for this to really work.  Since the moment I
picked him up from Ilene, he's relished eating my hair!

Now on the other hand,  I must say his attraction to retrieving his
unbelievable.  He started with sticks in the motel grass right after I
picked him up & before we even headed home.  Surprisingly, he brings the
stuff back most of the time.  I told everyone last night that he's a true
retriever that likes to mouth things.  Lousy excuse, eh?

You're going to think I shouldn't give him the following item because it's
not a play toy and could be confused in the future.  I'm taking that risk -
crazy woman that I am.  His absolute FAVorite toy is a plastic 2 liter
bottle or a smaller one.  They're even better than Squeeky (who is his
crate-mate and the only one he knows by name), Blue Frog, Ducky, and his
nylabones.  Oh - I put Brown Bear away for now after the embarrassing
incident with him humping it in the middle of the floor when I had a house
full of company.  Their laughter just reinforced the whole scene - UGH!

I had to remind Monza to eat again today.  I don't like the counter surfing
thing either that he's done a couple of times, but at the same moment how am
I to get him excited about eating?  I literally have to get him interested
in the food by acting like an idiot about it; otherwise, he doesn't have the
drive to eat.

He's also resisting getting in the crate now.  He learned the old
throw-in-a-treat, go in and get the door closed behind you trick.  He either
sits or lays down a few feet away when he knows it's "kennel time."   When
I'm home, the crate's open for him to wander in and out of but that's a
rarity.  He can't associate it to when I leave him, either, because I've put
him in there a few times when I've been around the house.  I'm a little
anxious about feeding him in the crate especially since I'm gone for 4 hour
stretches during the work week.  Plus, food might not be that much of a
driver to him.  A friend of mine uses a special kind of treat for the kennel
only.  Maybe I should try that.....especially before he gets bigger?!

BIG WARNING to those of you with screen doors.......Monza learned how to
open and close the screen door.  He puts a very little amount of pressure on
the screen & walks along side of it on the tracks to open it very, very
quietly.  To get back into the house, he puts his paws horizontally on the
metal frame and pulls it open.  Ilene - did you teach him this?  HMmmmmmm?!!
I'm getting a hook & eye thingee tonight at the hardware store.

Back to work......

Lyn
& Monza (safe at home in the crate - I hope....unless, he's figured out how
to get that open, too)