Life with Tom - a vignette

[smg01]

Tom is a little bigger than my last dog. Big enough that he can rear up on his hind legs with his front paws on the counter or table. From there, he can nose around for anything edible/chewable within mouth's reach. This leads to many repetitions of the following exchange.

Me: "Tom, off!" *shoves dog away from table or counter*
Tom: "Okay." *not at all abashed*

30 seconds later

Me: "Tom! Off!"
Tom: "What? Still?"

30 seconds later

Me: "Tom! Off!
Tom: "All right. I wasn't really interested in that anyway."

Repeat scene a few hours later.

He was also being quite clever yesterday about nudging his bully stick beside the couch. He'd start out with the chewie, then cleverly switch to some part of the slipcover. I did wise up enough to spray some bitter stuff on the slipcover ties. That seemed to help reinforce the "no. leave it" instructions.

Comments

[raithen.livejournal.com]

*snerk*

Indy sends her love and I send my empathy ;)

[lawgeekgurl.livejournal.com]

counter surfer! I never tried a spray water bottle with a doggie before (only with kitties) but maybe it would work? Dunno. Coco would stop where she stood, next to a table or the couch or a box or whatever, turn her head sideways, and start chewing on whatever was nearest to hand. Monster.

[paksenarrion2.livejournal.com]

Roarke (my cat) loves to get up on the counters and the dining room table. I have cured him of the counter tops (by spraying bitter apple and letting him jump up-the first time he did that and licked his paws off he gave me that offended face and stalked off to sulk in the bedroom but he never got up on the counters again).

I can't break him of the dining room table habit though and he does the same thing Tom did. He'll jump up, I grab him and put him on the floor and ten seconds later he jumps back up. It isn't every day and not always when I am eating either. I think I will put my laptop away and spray the table top and wait for him to jump up.

[meeby.livejournal.com]

this is me. noooooot saying anything.
except a recommendation of setting a sort of DMZ for the edge of all counters. trust me.

[suzannemarie.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of spraying the counter. I'll have to give that a try.

[suzannemarie.livejournal.com]

Apparently finkies really dislike water to the face. There may be a spray bottle or water pistol in Tom's future.

[suzannemarie.livejournal.com]

He doesn't give up easily. It is pretty funny.

[suzannemarie.livejournal.com]

Yes, adorable as he is, the counter thing cannot continue indefinitely.

Constant vigilance is tiring...

[raithen.livejournal.com]

did I tell you how Indy "helped" mom while I was up north.... Mom had just brought her and Cassie in, and was taking her boots off. there was a pound of ground meat in a pan on the stove, ready for mom to precook for supper after she brought the dogs in.



well, yes. Of COURSE Indy helped herself ;). Full pound of meat, gone in 60 seconds ;)

She also helped Mom, though, because Dad figured this was a GREAT reason to take mom to the exquisite local French Bistro for a scrumptious fine dining experience. SO in the end, everyone was happy (well, except perhaps for Cassie, who is the Good CHild and thus misses out on ALL the fun while the prodigal gets the fatted calf....)

[suzannemarie.livejournal.com]

Heeeee!

Poor Cassie.

[rgreeneyes.livejournal.com]

I've got a Lab mix that is 8 years old. The other day my son didn't get his plate off the counter quickly enough. he comes over to me and says "Mom something isn't right here." His chicken and stuffing were missing and the green beans weren't touched. I looked at him and said, " You ddin't eat this?" He told me he didn't. I immediately yelled at the dog. lol