Owning a tall dog – think Irish Wolfhound, Great Dane, Greyhound, Bull Mastiff – has some unique challenges.
For example:
1. Putting human food on top of the refrigerator is NOT a solution.
2. Visitors get poked in the chest or higher rather than the crotch.
3. Forget plastic bags. Poop duty involves a shovel.
4. A leash walk can feel like the Iditarod if your dog sees a squirrel.
5. There is no room for you on the couch.
6. Vet, grooming, and food bills are proportional.
7. So is drool.
8. Unfortunately, so are life spans – in the wrong direction.
Training a tall dog is not much different from teaching a small or medium sized dog. You still need consistency, calm, patience and a bag of treats.
With tall dogs, though, the concept of PLACE is even more important.
When you sit down for a meal, your tall dog needs to be on his PLACE (his bed, a rug, an old blanket or towel) so that you can eat without a damp muzzle in your plate.
Visitors can easily be overwhelmed by your rambunctious tall dog unless she is on her PLACE when they arrive.
PLACE is where your dog goes to get enormous paws dried off after a walk in the rain, or for a brush down, or a nail clipping.
Oh, and meal preparation – human or canine – your tall dog is on her PLACE so you can fix dinner without ramming into her at every turn.
And finally, PLACE is where your tall dog lounges of an evening so you can enjoy the sofa in peace.
Happy holidays!
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