[PyrNet-L] RE:BEHAVIOR, CARE:3 Sticky Wickets

[judith diamond <pyrenees@gwi.net>]

Computer trouble.I am sending a couple of post's that were sent and
didn't go through. Thanks!

>
>
> Hi Judith,
>
> Since you haven't had much of a response, I thought that I'd give you
> my
> opinions on your "Sticky Wickets" <g>>                       Karen,
> I am sooooo glad that you did. That was kind of you.  I was beginning
> to feel left out.    BTW, I love your < snips>. I hadn't seen them
> before. They make reading the reply much easier.  I am going to try
> them here too.
>
> <<# 1 Sticky wicket:  <snip>
>
> You've answered this yourself.  You are giving her the impression that

> this
> behavior is acceptable, so she continues to do it.
>
> <<I felt like I was becoming sea sick, so, after telling Lexi, how
> very
> proud that I was of her, I made her get off. >>
>
> Do you want her to stop this behavior or is this acceptable to you?
> < That's it exactly!  On this one I have ambivelent feeling's.  On one

> hand, it was quite a clever trick that Lexi figured out for herself. I

> *do* want to encourage her to continue to be Mommy's little 'wiz kid'.

> On the other hand, I realize that I was renforcing her disobedient
> behavior.  I found myself leaning toward's encouraging the positive
> side of this sticky wicket.  How's this, perhaps I could train and
> encourage the rock & rolling behavior with my swivel chair, only when
> I command her to do so, what do you think?
>
> <snip> Most days I play with
> her for an hour or so. We play tag, tug o' war, hide & seek, I throw
> she
> catches. We chase each other all over
> the house. Who is chasing who, depends upon who has the toy. >>
>
> I'd stop this game playing with Lexi.   <snip> Lexi needs to know that

> you can do
> this ONLY when you say it's okay, and only on occasion.  Not every
> day,
> whenever SHE wants to.     <  I want to do it with her every day.
> <BG>. I don't have to. Ok, I definately can do this 'only' when I want

> to. I don't have to want to so much. I could use a break anyway. <g>.
>
> <<  <Snip>  She frequently turns to me for entertainment.
> >>
>
> Have you considered that since you're now playing with Lexi more and
> more,
> that Jonah is feeling left out and is unsure of his position?  Since
> you now
> are *bestowing* all of this time with Lexi, are you giving the same
> amount
> of time to Jonah?      God yes! Jonah, is 'The One', even more than
> any other of my pyrs The one .that I have waited for for almost half a

> life time. Tess & Nana, my first two pyrenees, were in a      'small'
> way, preparation for me to be to be a male pyreness Mommy. I adore the

> girls with a passion, make no mistake. Especially Lexington. But, for
> me there is nothing on earth quite as fabulous as parenting a pyr boy.

> With all their clown shennanigan's and insistance upon so many mush
> ball cuddles. He is a Mommy's boy. Besides, isn't it normal for the
> son to love the mom more? <g>. My breeder suggested that I should not
> start with a boy.  Tess had a  litter, I kept Nana. I decided that I
> needed to wait longer for a male pyr. I wasn't yet, satisfied
> completely that I was a good enough pyr parent to raise a possibly,
> intact male.  Karen, this is just a long way around to let you know
> that I go to great lengths to divide my time equally, so that no one
> feels left out. I have to anyway or suffer the consequences of my
> guilt. I felt even greater pangs of that kind of guilt, when Nana was
> alive and we had a 3 pyr family. I think that four Pyrs would be much
> better than three. And perhaps, six or eight or ten would be the best.

> <VBG>.
>
> <<For the first time I feel inadequate as a Pyrenees parent. <snip>
>
> Don't think of yourself as being inadequate.  You're just not used to
> pack
> behavior.   < I can understand why you would thik that. >  Having two
> dogs is much different than having
> one.
> And Jonah and
> Lexi need to understand where they stand in your pack.  Since Jonah
> was with
> you first (I'm guessing), he should have first priority because he is
> the
> oldest.  With my two dogs, Shelly (who I got first) is always fed
> first,
> always goes out the door first, gets her treat first, etc.  <snip>
> Jonah was here before Lexi.. He joined our pyr family on Nov. 5th,'95.

> Tess, my first pyr,  since  Nov.1984, ( with 3 legs at the time, due
> to sarcoma) was here, along with her daughter, Nana, ( both now
> deceased.)  I breed Tess once, in the last part of September, 1986.
> Tess bore 5 healthy puppies, 5 girls & 2 boy's. Two others were
> stillborne. Nana was the runt and the one I had to keep.  Tess was
> alway's the Alpha.  Even with her illness she still could intimidate
> Nana & Jonah. When she went on to Rainbow Bridge Jonah became the
> dominant one,( as soon as he was big enough in size to tell Nana a
> thing or two.)  From that day to this, I do feed him first. Etc. He
> gets all the first's around here. Still, from what I have read here on

> the list, the dark day will come, when Lexi, the bitch takes over.
> <g>. When that does occur, will I then have to start treating Lexi as
> the pyr Alpha leader?
>
> <<Sticky wicket # 2:  Jonah, the past 3 month's is exhibiting behavior

> of
> being hand shy. Out of nowhere this
> has come. It seems that when my husband Lee, or I have something in
> our hand
> he will lower his head, and or turn away his head. He will also, bring

> his
> shoulder's down a bit.  <snip> Perhaps what doesn't at all fit,( at
> least
> with my amount of knowledge), is that he is a vocal, brave and
> protective
> guardian. When he thinks me or his territory is being threatened,  he
> is a
> very courageous pyr. I know,  as well as I have ever known anything,
> that if
> necessary, Jonah would give his life for mine. I don't get it.   Does
> anyone?   >>
>
> I'm not real sure about this.  Could it be because he's unsure of his
> position in the pack?  Anyone have comments on this?      < Please?>
>
> <<Sticky wicket # 3:
>
>  <snip>.  When Jonah & Lexi are outside and decide that
> it's time to go in they throw their weight onto the sliding glass
> doors to get Mommy's
> attention.   <snip>
>
> Does your sliding door have a screen on it?  It might be too cold for
> you to
> do this, but I'd get a squirt gun/water bottle that will shoot from a
> distance and leve the door partially open, screen door closed.  When
> they
> jump up on the screen, shoot them with some water.      <  Try not to
> let them see
> you do this.  And (if you can) do NOT let them in until YOU say so.
> They
> know exactly what to expect from you and what buttons to push to get
> you to
> do what they want (kind of like kids <g>).    >  Well Karen, it is
> snowing right now <G>. Jonah & Lexi are in Pyr heaven because they
> have everything except The Mountains. But, soon I will try your idea.
> It is a really good one. Meanwhile, I could barricade the doors like
> you suggested.  Jonah is also shy & afraid of some sounds loud or not.

> Even though I heavily exposed him to odd sound's as a pup. You gave me

> an idea. Please tell me if it fits. Maybe I could use his noise sound
> fear to my advantage, when he jumps on the glass I could get a fog
> horn or something. I could use that until the weather warms up. Or
> would this be a derrogatory thing to do?    <  The only other thing
> that I can
> suggest is to block access to the door so that they can't jump on it.
> <snip>
>
> I hope that this helps.   You have, a lot! Thank you much.  Judith
>
> Karen Reiter