Dear Dog

[Trek420]

Also, please be patient while I'm busy picking the berries.

Some dogs like berries. Perhaps Stella can be trained to "wait" for the chance of a berry treat?

[skhill]

Some dogs like berries. Perhaps Stella can be trained to "wait" for the chance of a berry treat?

I've offered her some; she sniffs them and then goes back to looking for those dastardly squirrels!

[Trek420]

I've offered her some; she sniffs them and then goes back to looking for those dastardly squirrels!

Ok, so that's not what she'll "work for". Oh well.

The trick may be find what she will "work for", hide in pocket, ask for the "wait" and quick with praise and high value reward.

You might even be able to use squirrels as a treat! No, not that way.

You always have "life rewards". My mutt had an odd fascination with storm grates. So if she wants to dash and sniff one or I just know she will that she has to do something for me; a quick sit, "watch me", wait ... sumthin' then a "good dog!" and she's off to the grate with what she wants to do as the reward.

With timing it's your walk and her training. We found that to be fun on both ends of the leash.

[tulip]

Dear Dog,

You are not a Squirreldog, you are a Sheepdog. Was it really necessary to catch that squirrel, flip him up in the air a few times, and watch him quiver and writhe in fear and pain? Ugh, that's what cats do, not dogs. At least you didn't bring this one into the house as a gift.

Your friend,
Tulip

[skhill]

Dear dog,

If you tried really hard, could you maybe get all the follicles that were planning on shedding hairs today to expel them all at once, while you're outside?

[countrygirl]

My dear beloved Doberman,

The UPS guys and all who wander up to our house are not afraid of sweet little you, who could resist your goofy smile and cute pointy ears at half mast? They are, however, afraid of being goosed by your giant nose that goes in places it never ever should! Regulars to our house now fan their hands behind their butts in a futile attempt to keep you at bay. And I really appreciate the continuous goose from the hall to the kitchen table while those guys installing the stove were chatting with me. I'd like to pinch your nose hard sometime but you would look so stricken and hurt, so we do our best to be just a little faster than your advancing nose.

Love,
The girl you adore (it's mutual).

[Tri Girl]

Dear Dog,

My house is 90% tile. There is only carpet in the hallway.
I understand that accidents happen and that you defecating in two places last night was probably beyond your control, and that when I let you out at 3am you probably didn't need to go. I'm sure you REALLY didn't want to do it.
Do me a favor tho, will ya buddy? Could you PLEASE just do it on the tile instead of the one swatch of carpet in the house.

Thank you,
Mommy (NOT your inside pooper scooper)

[skhill]

Dear Dog,

My house is 90% tile. There is only carpet in the hallway.
I understand that accidents happen and that you defecating in two places last night was probably beyond your control, and that when I let you out at 3am you probably didn't need to go. I'm sure you REALLY didn't want to do it.
Do me a favor tho, will ya buddy? Could you PLEASE just do it on the tile instead of the one swatch of carpet in the house.

Thank you,
Mommy (NOT your inside pooper scooper)

Same here! I'm just glad that my dog has settled on the really ugly rug in the spare bedroom as her emergency spot...

Dear Dog,
I'm willing to take you for a pretty decently long walk in the rain. I'm not willing to cuddle with you when we get home and you are soaked. And is my bed really the best place to curl up for a post-walk nap while you are so wet?

[TsPoet]

Dear Dog.
I love you!

[Tri Girl]

Dear Dog,
Thanks for FINALLY giving me a kiss (a lick) after owning you for a year. Your first 6 years on this planet must have been very sad and lonely and frightening, but you are slowly coming around. I'm so glad you chose me at the pound.
Love,
Your BFF until the end

Dear Dog.
I love you!

awwww

[Tri Girl]

She is the SWEETEST, most docile dog. She was surrendered to the pound with heartworms and seizures. They treated her for heartworms, and after a year of trying to control her seizures without phenobarbitol, we recently put her on it and her seizures have stopped. I just love her. I cried when she gave me her first kiss. She just walked up to me with her head down, looked me in the eyes, licked my mouth, then walked away.
Her teeth are worn down to nubbins, and the tip of her tail was broken when we adopted her. She still won't eat a biscuit from me- she just gently takes it and sets it down on the floor and walks away. Like she doesn't want to be rude. Maybe some day I'll get her to eat a treat out of my hand.

Sorry- Kona-dog hijack over. And yeah- that's the sad little look she gave me when she poo'd in the house.

[skhill]

Dear dog,

You know, when you kill the mole you just magnificently caught, it's not going to "play" with you anymore. Once it's dead, it'll just lay there. And don't look at me like that-- I can't resurrect it. Like I can't turn off the rain or adjust the temperature outside... You can still count on me for belly rubs and feeding, though.

But thank you for being so willing to *not* bring your treasure home with us.

[grey]

Dear dog,

You know, when you kill the mole you just magnificently caught, it's not going to "play" with you anymore. Once it's dead, it'll just lay there. And don't look at me like that-- I can't resurrect it. Like I can't turn off the rain or adjust the temperature outside... You can still count on me for belly rubs and feeding, though.

But thank you for being so willing to *not* bring your treasure home with us.

My dog barks at it, like that will make it get up and "play" again.

[skhill]

Dear dog,
New rule: no digging in the cemetary. Not even to enlarge the back door to the groundhog housing complex. Hopefully everyone was buried deep enough that you wouldn't disturb anything, but we're not risking it. Especially since it's old enough that most burials were in wood coffins, with no concrete vaults.

[snapdragen]

Dear Chloe,

Only you would manage to get a urinary tract infection - with FOUR different forms of bacteria. Let's hope the month long course of antibiotics does the trick.