I've tried shaking the pennies in a bottle, but it has absolutely no effect on Pookie and Boo Boo's behavior, and it makes such a terrible racket, I worry it will destroy my hearing.
I've also tried the spray bottle filled with water on Pookie several times, but he's a tough little guy and never really regarded it as punishment. So I ended up with a pathetically wet dog and no change in behavior.
I've tried the "time out" technique a few times where you put the dogs inside their crates for a few minutes. But Pookie, who I crate trained as a puppy, doesn't regard this as punishment and uses his time out to take a nap.
And darling Boo Boo, who probably spent too much time inside a crate when she was at the breeder's, gets stressed out when she spends even thirty seconds in her crate. So I never use "time out" any more.
Whenever the babies have been bad, I look them in the eye and shake my finger at them. Then I say in a stern voice "Bad, dog, bad dog" or "You are a very bad dog." Boo Boo usually rolls over on her back and assumes the submissive posture for a tummy rub, telling me she knows she was naughty.
Pookie generally crouches down and lowers his head to tell me he's sorry. Then I pick up my bad little babies, give them a hug and tell them I love them. |