Rescue Journal

i was laying on the bed, as fletch slept with his chin on my shoulder

Carol  ·  Jan. 15, 2013

and i was thinking...do you know know how many forlorn pupppies there are in the world?

they are taken from the warmth and security of physically sleeping close with mom and sibs..and what?

the unlucky find themselves shut alone in a cold garage or a backyard pen..and the lucky find themselves sleeping alone and being responsibly "crate trained."

what a way to treat any kind of any type of baby.

lock them in and isolate them..not the way they were born to live.

why are we so controlling? why do we have to manage every second of every day including when and where and how they are sleeping? why can't they decide where they would like to sleep..we think that is going to truly harm them?
there is so much sacred cow, bullshit myth in the K9 world about how to raise a good dog. you actually can teach them manners without locking them up..they can actually grow up to be happy and emotionally complete little souls if you let them grow with some choice and some thinking space...they can actually grow into a real dog instead of a well trained four footed, human make work project.

i am glad that fletcher is here..that he can fall asleep content and close to the person he knows really loves him.

he is learning stuff without forcing anything on him..he no longer bites me..the humping is getting better and he sits nicely for his breakfast and dinner. he has already learned the rules of the bed and how to politely share space and affection. and he has learned that from actually living it..not being shoved off somewhere alone to hope it seeps in by magic or osmosis.

i know diddly squat about training dogs..but i know ahelluvlot about how to let them be happy.

god must just shake his head at us...we have to pull the strings of every living thing or we are not happy.

Comments

Janey

I tried night crate training for a pup years back. It lasted until pup woke up and cried. Who on earth can stand that? And who can resist sleeping with a wee pup? Needless to say they all sleep with us :)

Maryk

My dog is crate trained - she knows that no one is allowed to bother her when she's in there. She knows she can hide her most valuable toys & bones in there and no one will take them. She knows that when it gets moved into the van she's going on a fun road trip.

I wish she knew where we put the door for safe-keeping....

Emma

Lynne - I can tell you that Joey (now Tux) is doing really well and everybody loves him just the way he is. He loves Lisa's kids and her other animals and has settled in well. His responds to his new name and did so right from the start. Maybe he always wanted to be called Tux!!!

Wendy Scott

Thanks Carol for Ewok's update. I am glad to hear she is happy and I hope she has a bed buddy.

Carol

lynne nothing new lately..i am assuming all is still going well.

wendy..ewok is fine, she is cheerful and happy. she was chewing on a stuffie last night.

lol naomi...a truly happy dog gets to eat other animals poop...i just don't get why they all like to. thank god i wasn't born a dog...blech..i like my treats not previously used!

naomi

true, true, that all being said, my "trained" dog sleeps n my bed, eats horse and duck crap all the fricken time, chases my cats up the stairs and pretty much does what he wants so i think he has fun too lol. I have never had a puppy so i know nothing about crate training, all my dogs were adopted as adults or seniors. :)

cheryl and stef

we did have one in a crate but the crate door was open and it was his choice as to when he wanted to use it. it became his quiet space when he had enough of the other dogs and cats in the house. Most of the time he was curled up under the covers in bed with us on the couch or chewing on my shoes LOL

erin

hey, does brent have any specific jobs for the weekend? maybe we could ask him to please fletcher-proof the yard? primarily the fence. so many pokey wires just waiting for an unsuspecting puppy that doesnt friggin clot when he bleeds.

Bunny Horne

Morning all, Saints is marginally in first place - YAY - in the pet shelter challenge. Don't forget to vote.

Allison

I agree. I have never crated any of my dogs. Of course, when they first came as puppies, they had a few accidents during the nights but learned quickly -- I sometimes would get up in the wee hours of the morning to take them out to pee until their bladders developed enough so they could hold it in til morning. Other than that, they slept on dogs beds or on the bed with me. I have one now who sleeps on the bed, the other 2 prefer memory foam dog beds on the floor as they hate when I toss and turn at night!

Bridget

i don't think i'd ever feel comfortable without my dog or cat with me in bed or on the couch. it's meant to be that way. YES, dogs can be crated because they like having their"caves" and supposedly it works... but there, they usually have other members of their pack, or when the mom needs to whelp and protect her babies in the very early infancy.
why have a dog if you don't want them with you?
our Charlie would sleep on my parents' bed, but it's not big enough with them, the two small dogs and the cat, AND him. i keep telling them, get a king-sized!
even then... it might not be big enough. our Charlie's a big boy!

Carol

learning is fine and stimulates growth and manners and safety are important..i like learning new things sometimes too and i want to be safe in my world. but i don't think being "trained" to be quiet, stay put and lay down and sleep alone in a crate is any dogs idea of fun or growth provoking. they just accept it because they were trained that they have to accept it..they don't have a choice...it is part of living with humans.

and yes some dogs do like crates..the boob is sound asleep in one right now...but the door is open, he can get up and leave whenever he wants to. and yes sometimes crates are necessary...like when mya arrived and was poorly socialized and slashing the other dogs..but as time went on..she learned patience and acceptence and better dog manners by actually being WITH the other dogs and needed the crate less and less.

i cringe when folks brag their new pup is crate trained...oh yay, how nice for the poor dog.

i think we should be helping our dogs learn and forget about training. learning helps creatures grow..training just confines their souls and their minds into our neat little "well trained" dog boxes...hey world..look at who we made, the human perfect dog...boy ain't we grand.

naomi

but some dogs LOVE training. One of mine just lives for it. Well, maybe he lives for the treats involved in it... lol