Tall Men= A No Bark Gunther

I am happy to report that today while out Gunther had the opportunity to share his vocal conversation with several tall men while we were out having coffee. But, he didn't in fact it was like they didn't even exist. It was wonderful. It was a lot of work, in taking the time to read his body language, address the issue and keep him exposed to the what was bothering him, But, he did it. It was wonderful to go out and not worry about having to correct him in public or explain his actions.

We also went and got his weight. Big is 126 lbs. He has been going through some "stage" of growth for a few weeks now. This isn't the first time he has done this. It started about 3-4 weeks ago with getting up and wanting to run and play ALL day. He hardly slept except for nights. His appetite increased like all get out. I started feeding him 3 times a day smaller meals because he was so hungry, then things started to change. I noticed toward Tuesday of this week he was napping during the day and only wanted to play in the afternoon. His usual time, then his eating changed. He's almost not eating any meals except for breakfast. When he does this I start adjusting his meal sizes, and even today left about 1.5 cups of food in his bowl. By next week he will be back to normal. LOL. At least Gunther's normal.

Ok, I have had a few remarks and comments about my rant in my last post about dog self control. I find it interesting in the dog world just how sensitive dog owners can be. First off, I cannot apologise for what I wrote. I truly believe that no matter what kind of dog you have, helping that dog learn self control is a must. Dogs love to learn and they think it's play time. What is wrong with that? you are teaching your dog how you want him or her to behave in your home, and your dog is getting one-on-one attention, play and maybe treats. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

I mentioned that there were some exceptions, and that is because I was talking about a specific situation. When you are dealing with rescue dogs they need to learn trust, confidence and self control, but on a different level because they special circumstances. When you bring a pup home from the breeder you have nothing but time to start teaching good manners, you have a clean slate. A dog who hasn't been abandoned, who hasn't been physically abused, tormented, etc. So my thoughts were and are directed to those who purchase a puppy and then expect the pup to raise himself.

Something to think about. We all know people who's dogs have been in training, and didn't do well. This might bring some light to why. Have you ever tried to talk to someone who is out of control, their attention is everywhere except where it should be? Was the talk successful? More than likely you had to wait till they calmed down and you had their attention. Why wouldn't that same principle work for those dogs who weren't doing so well in training class? Doggie self control, it's a powerful thing.