Canine conservator-ship is a complicated task in this the year of 2021. At my house, I’ve been wondering when this little Tasmanian devil will calm down and be a reasonable pet. I guess others have been wondering that, too. Everyone needs to understand the job that Oliver has been trained to do. So many tasks he does so well, but, meeting others is not his strong suit. He is not happy with those that intrude on his solitary little life.
Oliver is a standard, chocolate, cream based, tan piebald wire-haired dachshund. No. He isn’t a 12 pound red or black and tan smooth doxie that everyone sees. Oliver weighs 25 pounds. He is as strong as a lab with short legs. He’s as stubborn as they come. Fierce and crazy at times. He’s not been an easy dog to raise. Trust me. We have been together 2 1/2 years. Of all the dogs I have raised, included my English mastiffs, Oliver has been the toughest of all. He is extremely smart, and the off-putting green human-ish eyes don’t help.
Most days, Oliver is just as cute as they come. Just like the puppy picture of him at 8 weeks. He wakes and wants potty time and breakfast within a short window of time. Don’t we all? He expects two treats. Not one or three. He has a hard time being still while I get those and can jump higher than the kitchen counter to check out what could possibly take so long. Ace suggested that Oliver needs to learn the word “Sit”, or otherwise be considered untrained. I think differently on that. However, Oliver is learning “Sit”, slowly, as hard as it is for him.
Oliver knows at least 100 words or phrases. He is constantly watching and listening to things I ask him to do. In the morning, after breakfast, he knows we work for at least an hour at the computer. Not wanting to face boredom, he brings a bone with him and leads the way to the studio, where he chews for awhile and then sleeps. He is my writing muse in doggie form, laying at my feet while I type word after word. The minute I reach for the power button when finished, he knows our work is done for the morning. With that, he is ready for a puppy time out in his crate while I make my own breakfast and get ready for my day.
Oliver knows me. He knows what things will get under my skin and periodically likes to mess with me. He knows when I am sad or not feeling well. He also knows when I am ready to leave on a short or long trip, or when company is coming. He knows our routine. He knows when I need a good laugh, or when I need a little irritation to get my blood pressure up.
Thievery is in his blood. He steals socks. Papers. Glasses. Shoes. Slippers. Anything on the floor. Dropped coins. Pens. Pencils. Well, you get the idea. He sits and waits for the opportune time and then, he strikes. Like the wind, he is gone, laughing his little doggy laugh as he chews and runs at the same time. Devious little thief.
In our living situation, there hasn’t been a need for the words “down”, “sit”, “stay”, or “come”, because there are other words he knows for these actions. “Bed”, “Wait”, and “Gentle” are some he’s really good with. He is a silly, silly little boy dog who has a very independent and strong will. Funny, a reflection of me in numerous ways.
The thing that doesn’t get better with time is the hatred of the doorbell, or misunderstanding of his place when company is involved. I don’t have people coming over on a daily basis. When they do come, it is sheer puppy-pandemonium. As a tiny puppy, he didn’t like strangers one bit. He would hide in the corner and often soil himself, becoming so scared. Being so adorable, everyone wants to swoop down on him, instead of just ignoring him until he can give a sniff and calm down. So, it’s a mixture of problems all rolled into one.
Oliver loves to travel. He loves RV-ing. He loves his people and he does like being good. He is just devious when others are around. Like a two year old.
Many people disagree with crate training. However, consider the following. Would you allow your two year old to run around the house when they didn’t have your full attention? Or in the case of the leash, would you allow the child to run into the street on a whim? Perhaps some puppy parents are relaxed about those things, I’m not. Oliver eats everything that is not nailed down. There are plenty of dangerous things in the house that would land us in the Vet Emergency Room. Crates and leashes are important when you have a dog that hasn’t fully matured mentally. In Oliver’s case, he may never mature fully. Lucky me.
We’ve been spending quality time outside, and I do notice subtle changes. He likes to settle next to me when I am pulling weeds or fixing an emitter. He likes to see me when I’m in the hot tub, just to be sure I’m okay. He likes to sleep next to me when I write, and spends less and less time chewing on the bones he loves so much. He really likes watching everything I do, and I swear, if he only had thumbs, he would do most better than me.
Oliver may never get used to intruders. Come to think of it, I’m happy with my own quarantine status. He may never understand strange words that others insist all dogs should know. He knows how to communicate with me, and that works in our little world. He speaks the same language as T & K, the ladies at Doggy Camp, and Sam, his beloved groomer. Adding in Ace, his little world of people is complete. For Oliver, that’s the amount of people he can handle.
Do I worry about his antics? Every day. Do I try new training techniques??? Multiple times a day. Are things getting better???? Ever so slowly they are, but, with Oliver, he’ll follow his own path, and allow me to come along for the ride. In this situation, it’s not possible to dominate this huge little dog, and besides, his antics keep me on my toes.
Every dog has special jobs to do. Some have jobs that don’t involve being a friend to everyone in the world or walking perfectly on a leash. Some have jobs that involve more words than “sit” or “stay”. Some have jobs that involve thinking on many levels, while problem solving. Whatever their job entails, God got it right when he gave us our best friends. Be gentle with their owners. We’re all doing the best we can.