Gitdog being a pain.

elsien

He's sulking because I won't let him on the chair - he needs to learn its invite only.
So he's working the room, and in the last couple of minutes has run off with the wood from the woodpile, knocked the fire guard over, run off with the knitting, demolished the papers, nicked my mobile phone and legged it with my new shoes.
And is completely ignoring my settle command.
He's obviously learned in a previous life that people cave in for a quiet evening. I suspect I'm in for a long night. Wish me luck.

Tiglath

I wondered last week how he got his name - now I know. Good luck.

rising_from_the_ashes

Good luck - I've never even bothered with trying to keep the furniture a "no go" or invite only area (TBH I don't know how you win that one as, as soon as you go out, they're probably on there anyway?) .... I choose my battles carefully!

meritaten

hi elsien! I hate when they do that!

can I suggest you get him his own chair? could be a freebie from freecycle or a cast off from a rellie or friend, but it would make life easier for both you and gitdog?

I wouldn't see it as 'giving in' - but a practical solution!

elsien

When I go out he's in his crate. And the settee is a total no go, it's the chair (or rather my lap) that's negotiable. Otherwise he'd be climbing all over me like a rash, and I can't be doing with it.
And there goes the handbag again. And the fire iron. Sigh.

Edit - he's got the window seat, but it's me he wants to be on, probably because I stroke him without realising I'm doing it.
And it's not just the furniture, its a similar performance whenever he doesn't get his own way. It's just tonight had been particularly spectacular.

meritaten

but Elsien - dogs don't DO negotiations - letting them do it once is issueing an 'open invitation'! you let him do it before so now he thinks you don't love him.

I think its either he is allowed or he isn't - otherwise you are just confusing him!

Paradigm

elsien wrote: »

it's the chair (or rather my lap) that's negotiable. Otherwise he'd be climbing all over me like a rash, and I can't be doing with it.
And there goes the handbag again. And the fire iron. Sigh.

Edit - he's got the window seat, but it's me he wants to be on, probably because I stroke him without realising I'm doing it.
And it's not just the furniture, its a similar performance whenever he doesn't get his own way. It's just tonight had been particularly spectacular.

Stop being a grump, let him on... you know you want too

meritaten

can you train him to 'go cwtch' on HIS seat? (cwtch is a term used here and can mean a hug or cuddle, to go hide or to hide something). used a lot with dogs to mean 'go away and don't bother me for a while'! similar to 'Crate' command................ok ok stop laughing, it was just a thought! perhaps one for the future when he is perfectly behaved! next year or the year after...........................

perhaps for now cuddles should take place down on the floor? then he will know when you are in your chair he should wait for a specific command? such as 'Cuddletime'? but, you will have to discipline yourself not to cuddle him on the chair for a good long time!

I am not being harsh els, just trying to see things from Gits viewpoint, he is very very early in his training and you have to be drawing lines for him. you cant just let him up for a cuddle then expect him to know not to jump up for one when he feels like it. until he is better behaved and less excitable then perhaps cuddling on your chair should be a no-no? or you go and sit in the exclusion zone when you don't want him on your lap?

elsien

Paradigm wrote: »

Stop being a grump, let him on... you know you want too

Not while he's being a demanding little sod! He can wait till (if) he settles.
We have a temporary respite from annoyingness while he sits staring and psyching me out. Which is even harder to ignore as I'm trying hard not to laugh at him.

chookmom

Oh, your post took me back and made me smile.
My 'gitdog' grew up and reformed in the end

meritaten

I do understand how you feel elsien - my springer was a nightmare until she suddenly grew up - but she was trainable (due to being a glutton who would do anything for food), even though in the early days she was just like gitdog! her hobbies were: gardening - preferably with my indoor plants, but she was quite keen on uprooting the established and newly planted ones in garden.
Knitting - she loved turning Knitting into Macram!! wouldn't have minded so much if she had used the wool balls - but she preferred half completed pieces to make her macram! arrangements around the table, chair legs.
Books - she too loved books! loved to settle down with a good book I hadn't read and chew on it - until it was a papier mache sculpture.
Cookery! now mixing cakes is usually done in a bowl on the worktop - not with the all-in-one meggy method! you just get everything out of the cupboard and mix it on the kitchen floor! (soon learned to only keep tinned foods in the lower cupboards).
sounding familiar??????????? I did love her though - for her gentle nature and she was sooooo affectionate! and she made us all laugh!