Diesel and Kaylee have a love-hate relationship.
Diesel is a 10 month old Chocolate Lab. Kaylee is a 9 year old girl whose precisely made bed with its Hannah Montana quilt and pillow shams has been “redecorated” one too many times by Diesel.
I always ask my clients for a wish list – an itemized description of the behaviors they want their dog to stop doing. Here is Kaylee’s wish list for Diesel:
1. He jumps on me and my friends. Make him stop, please. Everybody is afraid of him.
2. He steals my dolls, my hairbrush, my flip flops and my underwear. I hate when he does that. And he won’t give them back. I have to chase him and grab stuff away from him.
3. He peed on my door. Just once, but it was gross.
4. Mom says I have to walk him because I get home from school before everyone else. But he pulls me so much on the leash that I can’t. He just drags me where HE wants to go.
5. He runs through the house and gets on the couch, the chairs and my bed. He makes a mess and then I have to make my bed all over again. And there’s hair and drool and stuff on it. Bad dog, Diesel!
To which Diesel would reply:
1. You and your friends make such squeaky sounds when you see me that I get so excited. Don’t you like it when I jump up and lick your faces?
2. You have so many things in your room that smell and taste like you. Let’s play keep-away!
3. Don’t close your door when I want to come in and hang out with you. I guess you know now that it’s very disappointing.
4. Yay! We’re outside! I love being outside! Hey! See that kid up ahead? Let’s catch up. C’mon, hurry!
5. Puppy fit! Ah, there’s nothing like tearing through my house. Look how everyone is paying attention to me. Life is good.
What can be done to help Kaylee and Diesel? Here is what we know:
A. Kaylee is too young to be responsible for Diesel – inside the house or outside the house.
B. Kaylee’s parents need to get some training for Diesel.
C. Dogs, like kids, need rules and supervision to learn to make good decisions.
Apply A, B and C and someday, Kaylee and Diesel will be excellent friends.
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