Living (Happily) with Dogs – An Introduction

Sometimes these problems can be corrected with formal training. Train a dog enough to sit and stay and you could lock him in a unmoving position for hours. But for those of us who do not have time for obedience class or those who find that even with training, their dog can’t resist the taste of old shoes, there are a few other things we dog owners can do to make living with dogs easier on both of us.

As a life-long dog owner, veteran of at least a dozen obedience classes, SPCA volunteer,  and dog writer I have just begun to figure out how to live happily with dogs. A lot of it is human adjustments, from my experience. I don’t mean for these adjustments to necessarily take place formal training but they can help keep life sane.

How do we live (happily) with our dogs and keep them from bad behaviors? The main I’ve discovered is that living with dogs is different than living without dogs. With three Pit Bulls to our name, we have less space, more hair, more slobber, and an unfair amount of muddy footprints. We have an unending number of blankets to be washed, barking doorbells, and, yes, even dog fights. We also have a very neurotic cat. But, as any dog lover knows, it’s worth it.

No matter how well-trained your dog is, there’s always a chance for an “off-day,”  the day you come home late from work to find your priceless briefcase shredded, along with those documents the boss needed so much. This is a lesson – it is far better not to have a priceless, irreplaceable anything anything around your dog, for then Fido becomes replaceable. And we must remember that if Junior had started a bon-fire with the briefcase instead, you couldn’t drive him to the country for a one-way trip.

But what if you just have to have one-of-a-kind knickknacks around? It’s simple – you can give them their own room and get in the habit of closing the door behind you. In fact, whenever you leave your dog alone, close the doors to all the other rooms. That way his space can easily be bare and he won’t get into trouble. The other option is to crate your dog when you leave but keep in mind that the general consensus is no longer than six hours in a crate at a time.

If you don’t want to create a drawing room of treasures, or you live in a loft, the trick is to get things out of your dog’s reach. Put up shelves or buy some book shelves and store away. Of course, your Bichon will probably be daunted by the coffee table but you’ll need higher spaces for a Dane or a wily Pit Bull.

Going back to your dog’s space – it’s important that your dog have a constant space he can call his own – crate, any room with an area cordoned off for him (baby gates work well), the bathroom with the dorr closed. Keep a bed, toys, and water there. Make it a safe place for him and never send him when correcting him. Identifying your dog’s area will help him understand your boundaries. This will help you keep your patience when you’re trying to cook dinner for eight. Send him to his space with a new bone before he trips you and the soufflé gets ruined.

When you choose your dogs toys, avoid things that look like human items, such as shoes.  Your dog will have a hard time determining between the old sneaker you gave him and your new dress shoes.  If you have a multiple dog household, assign certain toys to certain dogs. Every dog should also have his own blanket, also his own bowl. Dogs need a sense of ownership, too.

The main thing is to avoid a disaster before it can happen. This doesn’t mean Fido has won a battle. This is realistic and means you will have piece of mind.