[nagdu] Do's and Don't's

[Buddy Brannan]

On May 30, 2009, at 5:39 PM, Nicole B. Torcolini wrote:

>    Just out of curiosity, what do people think of the various do's  
> and don't's that some people use, like dogs on tie downs, dogs on  
> furniture, dogs in beds, etc?

I think most of them make good sense, but everyone has to know his own  
dog well enough to know when something may be appropriate. My take on  
rules in general is that it's as important to know why a rule exists  
as it is to have the rule in the first place, so that you then know  
when you can (or even should) break a particular rule.

For instance, putting dogs on a tie down or a crate when they're out  
of your immediate control is probably a good idea, if for no other  
reason than limiting the scope of trouble a dog can get into when  
you're not around. When I had Karl, I often didn't leave him on tie  
down or in a crate at night, because at night, he never got up or got  
into trouble. That is, for the first couple years. You see, I didn't  
understand another reason for that particular rule, until the morning  
I did. While Karl continued to stay out of trouble, on the morning in  
question, I stepped out of the shower, out the bathroom door, and into  
a cold, squishy pile of doggie diarrhea. After that, Karl (and later,  
Chet) were confined to a crate or tie down at night or when I left  
them alone. Not because I thought they'd get into mischief, although  
that's always a possibility, but because I didn't want to step into  
any more nasty surprises.

Many people let their dogs on their furniture. I do not. Occasionally  
I'll hold Chet in my lap in a rocking chair or sofa, but generally  
they're mine, and never on his prompting. Some people say their dogs  
know the difference between getting on the furniture at home and not  
getting on the furniture elsewhere; even that their dogs know they can  
sleep in the bed at home but not elsewhere. I'm not convinced that  
dogs have that level of discernment. AT least, neither of mine have  
had. So, no furniture, and no sleeping in the bed with me. Remember  
when you're away from home at a hotel, you're responsible for  
extraordinary damage or what not, and it's probably best if your dog  
doesn't crash on the hotel beds, if for no other than CYA reasons.