I'm pushed up against a wall at the moment. We come to the conclusion that we can't seem to break Lulu from stealing food. We have had her for about a month and no matter how many times we scold her she goes right back to stealing food, and even now its got worse off peoples plates, off the counters, and now out of our cabinets when were asleep. The people before us obviously forgot to mention that she has only ate human food and doesn't look like she has ever ate dog food cuz if we don't put somethin like chicken grease or somethin on it she refuses to eat and we can't have that with the fact the babies are still nursing.
I know I was taught theres alot of things dogs and cats can't eat cuz its not good for them and i still refuse to feed them some of those things for there health. I worry when we give her a lil bit of chicken grease sometimes while she's nursing if it may hurt the babies, granted i've never heard chicken grease bein bad for a dog. I wanted to keep her with the 2 pups we're keeping but I don't know my friend who's comin up Sat. wants to see the puppies she was gonna get and she said if I'm interested and Lulu's a good natured dog towards her she may very well take her. I hate to do that to her because her first owner decided she wasn't important enough then the 2nd pawned her off to us and then we would be doin the same thing again.
It breaks my heart but she won't let me close to her because I have always talked real loud being my hearing isn't all that great and because of that she hardly comes near me and gets scared and runs to the other room. I know we would have to keep her til the puppies are weaned but I'm at wits end I know with my friend if she chose to take her she would have a good home cuz she too beleives in giving a dog food from the table which is what Lulu is already brought up on. Now don't get me wrong I somtimes give my pets a treat everyonce in awhile but not off my plate while i'm eating...and with these puppies we're keepin they won't be brought up that way I'm just afraid if we keep her she will pass that on to her puppies as well.
I don't want to make her stay out all the time with the heat these days and our real bad problem with misquitos... and bein I don't get out much even outside I would never see her and almost like we don't have a dog and I don't want to put her through that either. I don't want anyone to think that if my friend don't take her that I would take her to the pound THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! What does everyone else think? I'm sorry for pouring my heart out I just can't take much more. What would you do?
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Comments: 10
It sounds to me like you should have your friend take her and then you can keep 2 puppies and train them right from the beginning.
i agree as Karen said
Sounds like you have your hands full. Don't know what to tell you. Hope it works out okay for both you and the doggies.
!) doggies are never, ever allowed in the eating area. Feed them just before you sit down to eat yourself. Mix some human food or milk in with their food in an area far away from your eating area, like the laundry room. When an animal gets hungry enough, they'll eat, especially if they are nursing. A good meal morning and night is ideal, with an occasional doggie treat, like a milk bone, in between. Make sure their water bowl is full of fresh water.
2) doggies are not allowed in kitchens, ever. If you have a door to the kitchen, close it. If not, get a doggie gate (you'll need it for the pups anyway) and close off the kitchen. If you have an open kitchen, use the gate to pen off a certain part of a room and keep them there at night, and when you go out. Consistency will train your dogs to these rules.
3) By being softhearted, you are not helping your pets. Giving them unbridled freedom does nothing to train mamma or her pups, and will lead to worse behavior. Dogs, like their predecessor, the wolf, are pack animals, with an alpha member who sets the rules. In your case, select the one person mama responds to the most. That person is the alpha who will set the rules. Everyone else supports the alpha. Everyone pets and loves the dogs, but the alpha does the training. Again, be consistent, never strike or threaten, and be sure to praise them when they do what they should do. They'll come around, and be much happier dogs. too.
I never had to with my pets either, Linda, but I don't think you or I had pets wiyh anxiety separation disorders. These special pets need the stability and security that training brings. I have known several people who have gotten animals from the pound that had this type of behavior. It can be harmful or even fatal to the dog who could find and ingest something poisonous.
oh my good luck
You can give her to your friend or you can train her. Sounds like she needs training to me. She must have not goiten very much training before.
I think you have been given some very good advice or what to do if you decide to keep her and train her. Some dogs take longer to adjust in a new area or home.
As for her being scared of you, that can happen with new pets sometimes. The cat we got from the shelter was afraid of us for a couple of weeks. He's much better with us now, but we still can't pick him up and he won't give us kisses or let us get too close to give him kisses. My hubby had a cat that took a year to come out of hiding and open up to them because he had been raised differently and was used to being pampered (he was a show cat) and wasn't getting that. So it could just be that.