Dog rules

[badandy519]

After coming across the "Dogs" thread tonight, I figured this somewhat the same but separate topic. I recently read a few articles online about dogs and what their owners let them do and don't do.

I was kind of surprised at the results as more than 50% of the people surveyed let their dogs on the furniture, sleep in the same bed, etc. Most of the pet owners I know don't allow that kind of thing, so I thought I was always in the minority.

I'll start with a few and anyone can reply to the same or add on any others.


I don't kennel my dog, she has free roam of the house while I'm gone and never gets into anything. I tried to kennel her at first and she hated it and busted out of it every time, even when I secured it with zip ties.

She's allowed on all of the furniture and sleeps in/at the foot of my bed. I'm not picky about that kind of thing.

I feed her 3 cups of dry food per day; about 1200 calories for a 50lb dog - but that's usually lasts her about a day and a half because she doesn't eat when I'm not home. The only people food she gets is meat once in awhile. I.E. if I grill chicken or steak or something, I'll share a bite or two.

We walk at least a mile per day, weather permitting.

(and yes, she has been known to enjoy a slight taste of beer once or twice in her life)

What say you?

 

[SharonaZamboni]

My former dog wasn't allowed on sofas, etc. when she was young. She did sleep on my kids' beds, though.
When Cam got old, we'd sometimes catch her on the sofa and decided that it was more comfortable for her arthritis, so it was okay with us. She had to be put down at 14, and shortly afterwards I got a new puppy.

New dog was a real PITA, and if he actually laid down for a nap, I didn't care where he slept. So he was allowed on furniture. Even the kitchen table. If he slept on my bed, I could sometimes get to sleep in until 6 am before he began his busy day of wreaking havoc.

I got divorced and remarried. My husband does not allow the dog on any furniture, but of course the dog will climb up on the sofa when Daddy's not home. I don't always correct this behavior. Good thing we don't have any kids together.

 

[d3track]

Our dog is treated like a family member for the most part. Pretty much even has her chair that she likes.
She does get kenneled though when we are gone for more than an hour, but it's more because our youngest has a tendency to leave toys out and we don't want to come home to a choking (or worse) dog.

 

[drainbamage]

Our dogs are allowed on the couch, but we try to keep them on a blanket to cut down on the fur everywhere. They'll try to sneak to the unprotected furniture if they think we aren't looking.

We crate both of them (separately) while we're at work, and while sleeping. I know some people disparage the idea of crating, but neither of ours seems to mind it. Dogs are nesting (denning?) animals. They like having a place of shelter. We put some towels in there so they aren't just laying on bare plastic. Our sheltie will go hang out in his crate voluntarily if he wants some "alone time".

 

[Auger]

We have a 140lb St. Bernard (Gus-Gus) and a 25lb mutt (Lucy). They have the same rules. No furniture, beds, anything like that. Other than that they pretty much have run of the house. We gate them out of the kitchen, just because half of it is under construction and there's a lot of food out...it has proven to be too much of a temptation at times.

When we go camping the dogs sleep with us on the air mattress. Having a 140lb dog flop down on top of me at 2am is really good motivation to never allow him on the bed at home.

Gus gets 4 cups of food per day, Lucy gets less than 1. They both sit and stay until food is down and I am out of the way, then they get the "ok" and start eating. Meanwhile Gus is creating a puddle of drool as he sits there watching me prepare his food.

 

[fj605]

Our boxer mix, Winnie, pretty much runs the show at our house. She stays in the backyard during the day unless its cold or rainy and goes to doggy day care twice a week. We got her a couple dog beds which keep her off the furniture. She does hop on our bed at night and burrows under the blankets. The last couple weeks she's curled up in her kennel on her own.

 

[Psylocide]

My border collie gets run of the house, couches, bed, what-have-you. We don't kennel him during the day since turned 1 year old... but when we take him places, he has to stay on the floor/off the furniture (for obvious reasons).

He knows this rule well, doesn't need to be told.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Well, since I remodeled 1/3 of my house around one of my elderly dogs (and the plan to have more elderly dogs) and built a deck so he could have a ramp, you can guess where I stand on the subject.

Of the 11 dogs (9 rescues, 2 surrenders from acquaintances) the ex wife and I have had over the years, two had to be crated when we were out of the house after the initial transition, one had to sequestered but always with one of the other dogs and the rest were left free to roam with doors closed to certain rooms to limit access.

All are ENCOURAGED on the sofa and there is nothing more relaxing than having my 15 year old Berenese Mountain dog's head in my lap and my Great Pyrenees mix under my other arm. At least two sleep in the bed every night and when my old guy wants to join the party I will lift his 95# frame up into the bed.

I am putting my Catahoula mix to sleep next Friday due to increasingly severe dementia so I am interviewing two senior Saint Bernards first of May that I might foster or adopt. Even adopting 1 would put my total fur tonnage over 300#'s!

 

[SnakeRidge]

We've got three dogs, small Pug mix (Sweetie Pie), a Beagle (Mia) and a Rott (Sammich AKA Rex Begonia). The Pug and the Beagle used to have the run of the house since they couldn't reach the counter. Though the Beagle once got the fridge open so she could eat a turkey and also once got and ate a bag of potatoes. When the Rott came into the house, the kitchen became a war zone. They get crated now (I crate trained the Beagle when she was little) while we're gone. They don't seem to mind. They get a carrot when they go in and they get to go hang out in the yard when they come out. All three of them will pile in there sometimes when we're home. They have their own couch, but prefer their beds or the crate. Mia will sleep with us sometimes, but the three of them usually just pile together on the couch at night.

Sam has also forced us to change the way we fed Sweets and Mia. He is very food defensive (not aggressive, he just loves his chow). They all have to sit and hold a stay until given permission. They do not get scraps, except in their bowls with the same stay requirements. If I make a sandwich for lunch, Mia gets the last corner. It's just something I've done since she was a pup and she still finds me every time. They all love vegetables and will eat broccoli stems, asparagus stems, carrots, apple cores, heads of cabbage, collard stems, you name it.

 

[drainbamage]

My border collie gets run of the house, couches, bed, what-have-you. We don't kennel him during the day since turned 1 year old... but when we take him places, he has to stay on the floor/off the furniture (for obvious reasons).

He knows this rule well, doesn't need to be told.

Our dogs are polar opposites when it comes to being trustworthy unattended.

The sheltie (the older one), we could leave unattended inside all day and aside from barking at every noise he hears outside, he won't bother a thing. Hell, he'll usually lay in his crate anyway. Outside, he'll go wandering and probably try to herd children.

The mutt (the younger one) can't be trusted indoors. She goes looking for trouble. If left outside, she passes out in the sunniest spot she can find, like a cat.

 

[BadWolfBrewing]

We have a big retired racing greyhound, who are famous for being couch potatoes. He has absolutely no interest in getting up on furniture though. We had an old futon we were going to let him use, but when finally coerced up there with food he was terrified until we let him off of it.

He gets free reign of the house when we are gone or asleep, he doesn't get into anything. Usually he sleeps in my office next to the bedroom. We got pretty lucky with him, I can't imagine there's an easier dog out there than him. For the most part, he is just a slightly animate piece of furniture.

 

[beernutz]

Our two cockapoos, who are brother and sister, have full run of the house though we do kennel them at night, mostly because they will bark at outside walkers or cars in the cul-de-sac at all hours if we don't. I've let them sleep in our bed but they like to snuggle up right next to you which is both constricting and hot.

They really feel they are members of the family with all the rights and privileges therein. If the suitcases come out they both immediately head to the door to the garage believing they are coming along. If you are watching TV or reading on the couch it is expected that you will stretch your legs out so that they can lay on them. If food is out they expect their share. About the only hard and fast rule for them is no alcohol.

 

[JoshuaW]

Our dogs have it pretty good. We got the new puppy at Thanksgiving, and we tried to crate train him at first, but that didnt really work. He got to anxious in there, and eventually broke his nose on the bars! So, they sleep in the bed with us and have full run of the house.

They are tiny (papillons) so we dont have to worry about counters and things with them, just making sure we dont leave things out on end tables. They take every opportunity we give them, so if you leave it out, they will eat it! This is especially nerve racking for us, because we lost one of ours recently after he ate an entire bulk bag of Greenies and died of an intestinal blockage. Prior to that he had a run in with a bag of chocolate, just days before our wedding.

Our dogs are members of the family to us, and we try not to create to many "rules" for them. Since we wont have kids, they are like our children. My mother in law will even take them for a weekend at her house.

 

[badandy519]

Our dogs are allowed on the couch, but we try to keep them on a blanket to cut down on the fur everywhere. They'll try to sneak to the unprotected furniture if they think we aren't looking.

We crate both of them (separately) while we're at work, and while sleeping. I know some people disparage the idea of crating, but neither of ours seems to mind it. Dogs are nesting (denning?) animals. They like having a place of shelter. We put some towels in there so they aren't just laying on bare plastic. Our sheltie will go hang out in his crate voluntarily if he wants some "alone time".

I don't think there's anything wrong with kennelling/crating in the least. The dog I grew up with slept in hers for about the first 10 years and didn't mind it at all. After she got older, my parents started letting her stay out of it at night. I tried to kennel this one at first and it worked for about the first 3 days. She would even go in there on her own if the door was open. As soon as I left the house though, different story.

After she busted out of it a few times, I figured it was easier to just let it work itself out instead of her getting hurt or stuck trying to break out. Thankfully it only cost me one $20 laptop cord, but that was way back when I first got her.

 

[Singletrack]

I could not believe how well-behaved my dog was when I first got her. I decided to test her, so I left a small hamburger on the edge of a coffee table. It was easily within her reach and in the same room where she was snoozing. I then left for a couple hours. When I returned, the hamburger was untouched. So I fed it to her.

If she wanted to get on the furniture, I wouldn't stop her. But somehow she knows I don't want that, so she doesn't even try.

She always walks off leash and responds to hand signals to know where to walk, when to stop, etc. I don't know how to train a dog, she just does it.

Sometimes I feel guilty that she isn't helping a blind person navigate the world. She is that smart and good.

Dog rules? Yeah, she rules.