Ohhh another thread idea! I'm on a roll.
What are some of the "dog ownership rules" that you always hear you're supposed to follow, yet you break?
I know most of you know Jackson as this well-trained dog, and he is, but I let him get away with a lot, too. I guess he deserves it.
1. Keep dog still.. no running/moving/jumping a week after spay/neuter.
- I didn't do this w/ Jackson and none of my family dogs ever waited that amount of time either. Jackson had about 3 days where I kept him still for the most part and then he was nearly back to his normal self and I kind of just let him be. At the time, my moms dog was still alive and they were back to playing- I couldn't keep them apart.
2. Do not switch foods right away! You don't want to shock their stomachs.
- Nope, don't really do this either... I just switch. Although he's always been on high quality foods his whole life so switching from one to the other has never been an issue for him. Even when we visit my grandma's house and her dogs Kibbles n Bits are out or whatever, I let him eat it. I figure it's like a treat to him, like I get McDonald's sometimes, or whatever. He eats healthy 95 percent of the time so I'm not worried about a once a every few months deal.
3. Never lets your dog sleep on the bed with you/play tug/etc..
- Yeah, right. This dog has been sleeping in my bed since I brought him home at 9 weeks old (in a crate for the first 4 weeks, but still IN my bed, lol). We play tug and I growl right along with him.
4. Don't let your dog walk ahead of you on walks
- I don't care about him walking ahead of me as long as he's
not pulling.
5. Never use a flexi!
OK, I really
don't like flexi's in general when they are not being used right and I would never recommend them to someone who is training a dog to walk on a leash or to someone who is going to allow their dog to go to the end and just pull and pull and pull... but I DO use a flexi in certain circumstances... like a big open space we're in, or a beach, or when we go camping, etc. So I think there should definitely be exceptions to the rule.
6. Don't give your dog junk food
- I share almost everything I eat with Jackson, but it's all small portions. Plus he's so picky he doesn't like half the things I eat anyways. French fries, he won't touch. Potato chips... won't touch. But if I'm eating Mac&Cheese, for example, I give him probably like a total of 5 noodles. Pizza, he always gets a bit of the crust or cheese.
7. Do not BABY or spoil your dog!
- I baby Jackson in a way. I mean, he's spoiled rotten and I do baby talk to him. But he does get to be a DOG first and foremost. I definitely don't care for the whole put your dog in purses, bags and strollers things. He is a doggy dog through and through and gets to get dirty, be outside all the time, run, play with other dogs, rough-house, not stay indoors 24/7.
8. Let your dog adjust for a week before bringing people over to meet him/her as a puppy.
- Yeah, didn't do this either! Although I really wish I would have because I think I did WAY too much within the first week and he's still really shy about people and I think the fact that I exposed him to so many people at first was a big shock to him as a new little puppy.
9. Don't encourage bad behavior.. no matter what.
- Ha... Jackson is a really bad beggar and I don't let him do it to other people but with me, I could care less if he's laying his head on my shoulder begging. I think it's cute. And he knows I'm ALWAYS going to give him a piece of what I'm eating.
10. Do not leave your dog alone with kids/other dogs alone.
- Don't follow this rule either. When we stay at my dads, all 3 dogs (JRT mix, Dachshund mix and Jackson stay out together) and EVERY pairing of dogs we've ever had has been left alone together when we leave. No problems. My 7 year old brother has been "alone" with Jackson (like with me in a different room or something) and I
totally trust him both Jackson and my brother to behave properly.
11. ALWAYS pick up your dogs poop.
- I'm not going to lie, I don't *always* pick up his poop. I always pick it up in the dog parks and public parks or any populated busy place of course. But if we're just in an area that nobody goes to... nope, I don't. I live on 3 acres of land with 90 acres of farmland behind us and I never pick up his poop at home. I guess the step-dad just runs it over with the tractor.
Soooo... there's all our confessions. I guess I just give Jackson all of these privileges because he IS such a great dog in general and always listens to me (ok, 95 percent of the time he listens to me!
) so I bend a lot of rules for him. If I had a more difficult dog, I don't think bending these rules would be happening. He's luckily a pretty bomb-proof solid dog.