We've been posting many of our favorites this week, especially as we're fostering Big Bessie over our break (check out her updates on our Facebook page). This post has always been a favorite not just for the combination of training and home decor...but for the end photos of Hans Washington Mr. B. We learned embarrassment was another way to make him not chew things. Though my favorite part is Miss M's face when she sees him in the wig:
With all of our hardwood floors, I always liked having an
Ikea Rens Sheepskin rug or two next to my bed to keep things cozy. When I adopted Miss M I thought they would be multi-functional to look nice for me and be comfortable for her. Little did I realize Miss M was likely 'raised by wolves' before I got her; she didn't know how to sit still and would spend hours tearing around my tiny apartment. My life changed when she learned the commands "down" and "stay" and all of a sudden she would spend her days lounging on the rugs.
The rugs and
floor pillows are nice because they serve as a type of "base" for the dogs. The dogs understand 'their place' in the house so they aren't constantly pacing or trying to get on the furniture. When we had our guest dogs in the house, they all understood where they were supposed to lay:
At the same time, Mr. B didn't quite understand these were rugs and not giant fluffy chew toys. When we first adopted him, he ate huge chunks off the rug. Seeing
he doesn't like to be reprimanded, we decided to embarrass him when he chewed chunks off the rug. We made him a little toupee with the leftover bits and called him Hans:
But when he chewed a lot off we made him a full-out wig and he became Hans-Washington Mr. B. I think it scared Miss M more than it phased Mr B:
Or an a more traditional note, we use
Grannick's Bitter Apple Spray; it's harmless to dogs, but they absolutely hate the taste. You could spray this on the rug, or spray it on your hands it put it on their lip if they start chewing. I don't know if it was the embarrassment or the Bitter Apple Spray, but soon enough Mr. B learned to lay nicely on the rug without eating it:
7 comments:
I am ... speechless (from laughing). Mr. B. (aka Hans) in his Ikea toupee is hysterical!
Love this idea! Have you tried something other than the bitter apple spray? Believe it or not, our two actually LIKE it, and I've not found anything else that does the trick!
Those just might be the most hilarious pictures EVER. I was cracking up reading this...
That photo of Miss M staring in horror at Mr. B in his IKEA wig is hilarious!!! That should be in a book of funny dog photos or something. Speaking of which, have you heard of that book... something like "weird photos of people with their pets?" I heard of it in a blog post, and then had the opportunity to look at it recently when I saw it in the waiting area of my hair salon. It is TOO funny! I want to try to locate that book at the bookstore.
I'm about to convert the "dog room" aka Billy's time out space, treadmill and general junk holding area into a craft room. Which means some serious training is in order for down-stays in his place. I'll have to let him know how well Mr B & Miss M do with theirs.
You know how we feel about wigs here. Of course, we LOVE Hans Washington Mr B!!
All our floors are carpeted, but it really helps to have dog beds scattered around. Ace knows where his spots are, and he never tries to climb onto the couch.
Bitter Apple Spray has worked well for my dogs in the past to get them to stop chewing certain things.
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