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When we go to work in the morning, we leave Calvin and Theo in their own bedroom. They have blankets, crates, toys, water, pillows and soothing green walls to let them reach their inner zen while we're gone. *cough SPOILED cough*. For a little over a year, this suited them juuuuuust fine.
Then, in typical dachshund fashion, it simply would. not. do.
We started coming home to accidents. Pee puddles the size of the Pacific, if you must know. We weren't leaving them alone any longer than usual. They were still being walked just as often. Nothing had changed. Except something had.
The Rules of the Dachshund-Human Cohabitation Agreement had changed.
Whether we left them in there for eight hours or 90 minutes, we would end up scrubbing. So...we started leaving them out in the house if we'd run to the gym or movies. Everything would be fine. No mess, no destruction, no injuries.
From there, we did a trial run of leaving them both out, all day, while we went to work.
And wouldn't you know it that everything was fine!
Oh yes...the message was delivered loud and clear. They weren't sick. They weren't regressing in housebrokenness. They were just being dachshunds who knew what they wanted.
I feel bad not picking up on their point sooner. But on the other hand, neither has learned to 'roll over' despite MY best efforts LET'S JUST CALL IT EVEN.
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7 comments:
oh doxies. they sure know how to make a point, huh?
i really need to share some of my lovely stories. miss lu is coming up on 5 months old. oooooh how her personality is changing/forming.
I went through this when my Ammo was just a wee pup. He wanted nothing to do with his crate after several months of loving his little "den". Needless to say it sits in the basement getting no love now.
My owner sometimes thinks she can TELL me what to do, but being the Dogfather of Soul, Royal Potentate of Pooches, I usually employ behavioral training with techniques like those you mentioned. I am, after all, James Brown, the master of my domain.
I think that you overlooked one thing- while YOU thought that one bedroom would suffice, you forgot that it is no longer your home, but theirs. You just have the pleasure of paying the mortgage and the utilities, since work is beneath dachshunds. (We learned this lesson the hard way also). They share it with you, but they are the owners and you are their staff!!!
Just think how much less pee you would have had to clean up if you'd just realized this earlier. Mine haven't issued any such demand yet, but I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time.
Oh man, doxies sure are smarty-pants!
We jus started letting Dulcinea stay in our room which is attached to the master bathroom where she previously was. We had to pick up all the cables so she won't eat the during the day, but she is doing pretty good so far (fingers crossed!).
These are pups who know how to get what they want. Better hope they don't start fancying your SOUL!
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