training dogs

Training Dogs

I have always had dogs, of different shapes, colours, sizes, and breeds. Each one has been more out of control and uncivilized than the one before.

"Dogs develop the personality of the owner "said one relative to me rudely after a particularly harrowing experience.

We had a miniature pomeranian who looked so cute and tiny that people wanted to pet her. She waited till their face or hands were really close and then she pounced and bit. She held on with tenacity and it was difficult to pry her loose. She refused to obey any commands and disdainfully turned her head and walked away if told to "sit, stand" or "stay". She was however afraid of heights. If we placed her on the window sill, she was too scared to move and stayed there till lifted down again. She also had a habit of hiding behind the fridge and coming out snapping at peoples ankles. She hid in my husband's shoe and destroyed his foot when he tried to put on the shoe (he didn't see her)

She died after 14 years and then we got a Tibetan terrier. He followed me around the house all the time and hated everyone else. He was very possessive and jealous. I was talking to a friend. Out of nowhere he jumped on his hand and tore his watch to shreds. My son's friend all 95 kilos and 6 ft  2 inches of him was chased around the house by the dog. He jumped on the washing machine to escape. The machine collapsed but I managed to grab the dog in time.

Slowly we found it difficult to get electricians or plumbers to repair things. No one wanted to come to our house. I used to send him to my parent's house when I travelled. My mother wondered why people stopped dropping in to their house!

After he died I decided to get a dog that lived outside, a giant black lab. He was very gentle and knew only one command "sit." As he grew older, he didn't bother to sit if he did not think it was important enough. He also indiscriminately jumped up on people (out of love) but very few people understood that. Since I was younger I could handle him.

Once while walking him on a lonely village road, a man stopped his motorbike and made kissing noises at me. As I ignored him he started to sing Tamil love songs. I had no option but to return on the same road. He was waiting. As I neared, he started singing again and making obscene gestures. I dropped the leash. The black lab jumped on him and tried to lick his face. Black dog,  white teeth red tongue, it was too much for the roadside Romeo. He uttered some guttural sounds and fled on the bike.

When the black lab died, I got a fawn coloured lab. He has a cute and friendly face and loves everybody. I wasn't taking any chances. I have poor balance after my accident and the puppy was huge at three months itself.

I hired a trainer. He obeyed the trainers every command "sit ,"stay," heel, down".

He jumped on me every chance he got. He pulled off scarves and lungis. I had to hide from him behind the screen door. He loved my husband. The minute he set eyes on him, he would lie down to have his tummy scratched. He is disobedient four days a week when there is no training.

I guess you always get the pet whose vibes soon match that of the rest of the family!

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