jannermd
08-14-2005, 05:42 PM
I just joined today so am new at this - for example I don't even know who this post is going to - Janet?
Anyway I have an 8 y.o. rescue Sammy named Beau - I have had him for a little over 2 years. The reason he was posted for rescue was because he barked when he was left alone all day - duh! We have worked through that one without too much trouble - he is almost never left alone and when he is it is with our 7 y.o. black lab female (they are great buddies and a handsome pair). We have a departure routine that they both know and trust and he is quite good about not barking (we have spies who report to us :) .
Beau loves to lie in corners and often participates in family activities by staying in the corner and telling us his thoughts and God knows what he is yappering about. At first it is fairly soft and rather cute but if you don't go interact with him directly or make him come over and be with everyone else it escalates to a neighbor-annoying level. We have tried various things to get him to quiet down. The only really consistent thing that works is to yell at him "SHUT-UP" which is more than likely just as neighor-annoying as his loud yappering. Sometimes telling him to "Settle" - a general command for our dogs to settle down and be quiet, we're in charge here and your request for attention or whatever else you want is not going to be honored right now - is effective, but other times not. It almost feels like he has to have the last word - which is actually OK with me if he will limit his last word to one word :) .
Beau is my 5th Sammy and I, like Janet, pretty much believe "training Sammy's" IS an oxymoron. Any suggestions for something nicer than "Shut-up" for this situation?
Thanks for listening.
Jan Young
Alameda, CA
Anyway I have an 8 y.o. rescue Sammy named Beau - I have had him for a little over 2 years. The reason he was posted for rescue was because he barked when he was left alone all day - duh! We have worked through that one without too much trouble - he is almost never left alone and when he is it is with our 7 y.o. black lab female (they are great buddies and a handsome pair). We have a departure routine that they both know and trust and he is quite good about not barking (we have spies who report to us :) .
Beau loves to lie in corners and often participates in family activities by staying in the corner and telling us his thoughts and God knows what he is yappering about. At first it is fairly soft and rather cute but if you don't go interact with him directly or make him come over and be with everyone else it escalates to a neighbor-annoying level. We have tried various things to get him to quiet down. The only really consistent thing that works is to yell at him "SHUT-UP" which is more than likely just as neighor-annoying as his loud yappering. Sometimes telling him to "Settle" - a general command for our dogs to settle down and be quiet, we're in charge here and your request for attention or whatever else you want is not going to be honored right now - is effective, but other times not. It almost feels like he has to have the last word - which is actually OK with me if he will limit his last word to one word :) .
Beau is my 5th Sammy and I, like Janet, pretty much believe "training Sammy's" IS an oxymoron. Any suggestions for something nicer than "Shut-up" for this situation?
Thanks for listening.
Jan Young
Alameda, CA