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A tired dog doesn't get into a lot of trouble. Talos, here, is a master at sleeping. But he's got some issues - like pulling on the leash.
But this isn't about Talos.
This is about you. Your dog. Your questions.
What problems would you like help with? What questions would you like answers to?
Leave a comment here on the blog and let me know what's on your mind. I'll look at all the suggestions, then start creating some posts to help answer your questions and solve your problems.
I hated "Marley and Me" because much of the chaos could have been prevented if Marley had been crated.
In an earlier blog post, I produced evidence of the damage Talos did today while I was away from the house. If a client complained because their dog ate a book while they were gone, I would definitely suggest a crate to avoid future disasters.
Talos has been crate trained. He likes crating. Trouble is, he's too big for his crate now! We have Labrador-sized crates, not Dane-sized. Talos is here temporarily - he's not going to be a permanent member of our house (much to my disappointment). The Dane crates are too big for the Labradors, so I'm trying to avoid buying a giant Dane crate that won't be used once Talos goes "off to college" in less than a year.
I made a couple of mistakes today.
Mistake #1: I was unprepared. Normally, if I've got to be gone more than four hours, I'll set the dogs up with a Kong-Time - a machine that dispenses four filled Kongs over either a four- or eight-hour period. It keeps the dogs busy, gives them something appropriate to chew. However, I didn't have 20 Kongs stuffed this morning, so I ran out the door and gave the dogs just one Kong each.
Mistake #2: I didn't dog-proof the room Talos was in. He's not normally a chewer or ripper-upper. I saw the books on the coffee table, but I pooh-poohed the idea that he'd bother them. In the past, he's always eaten the stuffed Kong, then taken a nice, long nap.
I know it was my fault the books got chewed. I take full responsibilty and Talos did not bear the brunt of my mistake. His destructiveness is not the norm, however if it becomes a problem, I'll go get a giant crate to ensure the house - and Talos - remain safe!
Yes, dogs are still teething at seven months. Just ask Talos. Those are travel books. From the library.
I was away from the house several hours and gave the dogs just one food-stuffed toy each. As I left the house, I glanced quickly at the books on the living room table, but thought to myself "Nah, those books have been there all week. He won't even notice them."
Boy was I wrong. Apparently the books provided Talos with a chewing opportunity that was much better than the toy I left him with. Totally my fault, I'll accept the blame for this: I should have had the books out of his reach.
Both Tango and Talos are confined to the living room where (I thought) there wasn't any trouble to be found. Lily's crated in the kitchen and Nemo has free run of the kitchen. For a big dog, Nemo's not a counter surfer or trouble maker. Lily is crated because she's both a counter surfer and a trouble maker!
Clearly, I'd left Talos for too long without providing him enough entertainment. And those books were nice and thick and really felt good on his gums...
Remember my post a few days ago about the local elementary school kids reading to Tango?
Here's an article from CNN about the impact the program is making across the United States.
I think it's fantastic to see dogs helping people, especially kids. Tango loves the attention he gets from the kids, the librarian, the principal, and the whispers (and squeals of delight!) when he passes the kids in the hall.
Tango listens intently, sometimes interrupting with a quick kiss, as the reader deliberately pronounces her words. Sometimes he's so relaxed he sleeps, other times he's on his back, legs reaching toward the ceiling, begging for a tummy rub.
We visit a local elementary school once a week and spend 20 minutes each with three readers who have been chosen to participate in the R.E.A.D. program.
We're on our third week and finally the kids are beginning to settle in and really enjoy the time with Tango.
The first week or two, the kids are shy. They read haltingly, sometimes embarrased if they don't know a word. Long about week three, they start noticing that Tango doesn't care if they struggle with pronounciation. He doesn't care if they have to ask for help. He doesn't care if they don't quite follow the punctuation.
Today, two of the kids who have been a little distant let down their guard. And I don't think they even noticed. Two of the kids sit on the floor with us, the other still prefers the more traditional setting: sitting at the desk in a chair. Whatever works for him works for Tango and I. We're flexible.
What a thrill it was for me to see a standoffish boy reach over as he was reading and gently feel Tango's fur. He never skipped a beat, never slowed down, never even looked over at Tango. He just kept right on reading. I don't know that he intentionally reached over. I think rather, his comfort level is reaching a level where he can read and do other things at the same time. Which is a real breakthrough if you ask me!
I didn't mention it, Tango didn't either. We just let the story unfold and let ourselves get lost in the story as the boy read it. These are kids who generally don't like to read because either they're not good at it, they have speech problems, or they're easily embarassed. With all three readers - kids who don't like to read - I'm the one telling them their time is up, they have to stop their story.
I'm not sure who gets the most out of it: Tango, the kids, or me.
