Willy - AHEM!!! Behavior issues, lol
Willy has been here over 2 months. ** nodding** WOW that went quickly!
I haven't shared much about this boy, so now, let me fill you in on this wee devil.
I have said right along he is SMART. And he has NO TRAINING. So what happens? He gets himself into all sorts of trouble, some funny, some not so.
- from day 1, Willy knows how to open the windows in the car. Front passenger seat, on my lap, or in the back (where he is SUPPOSED TO STAY!) doesn't matter. Thank goodness for child locks! I have to keep the windows locked whenever he is in the car. Needless to say, Dad gets in and can't open his window! **Laughing**
- Willy has NO house manners. Yesterday morning for the first time, he hopped up into Dad's lap while we were at the table eating breakfast. Willy proceeded to eat from Dad's plate. Dad falls into the "old people syndrome," which has Willy in so much trouble; Dad just let him do it. So I had to get up, tell Willy "OFF!" and tap his rear end. This earned me a low growl, snarl with all teeth bared, and an air snap! ** nono ** So with Dad's help we get him down and I had to put him in the family room and close the gate.
- the low growl, snarl with all teeth and air snap are rather routine for Willy. ** noway ** NOT ALLOWED! We have made progress on this in certain circumstances, in some situations. But obviously, not ALL settings. (See above)
- Willy was apparently allowed to do what he wanted in the house. This makes for some amusing and frustrating "games." Tissues are not safe. Doesn't matter if they are in Dad's clothes pocket - Willy can snuffle around and dig those out. Clothes in the laundry hamper? No problem, Willy just dumps the whole hamper over so he can rout around and get those tissues.
- NO used tissues around? Willy hops up on the coffee table, so he can reach the tissue box on the end table, and pulls out 2, 3, 5, or a WAD. Once he has the tissues, he shreds them, eating bits (yes, even the used ones ** vomit ** ) but mostly just leaving a mess.
- Willy has a sock fetish. This boy LOVES socks! They are on your feet? NO PROBLEM, he will tickle your toes as he pulls it off! Once Willy has a sock, well, on arrival that was HIS SOCK and don't you DARE try to even touch it. We have made progress on this and the tissues. He "may" DROP IT on command; he will definitely leave it if I say, "TREAT?" Off he dashes to the fridge for a bit of hot dog. He learned THAT quickly! ** Laughing ** At this point, Dad can pick up whatever (sock, tissue bits) or I can attempt to get back and pick the item up myself. But now, it is a game and Willy tries to beat me back to the item so he can snag it again! He KNOWS how to get treats, you see!
- I posted about Willy selecting his own tomato. Since then, he has joined me when I was picking the scarlet runner beans; he picked his own, opened the pods and ate the beans! Dad says Willy got more beans that he (Dad) did this year, lol.
- Willy is a cuddler; WAY more than any of the others here. On arrival, he would settle in your lap and . . . that was that. You were stuck until he had to move. Oh, you could attempt an "escape," but that would result in the low growl etc (see above). We have made great progress on this, and now Willy WILL GET DOWN when you tell him OFF! He does a bit of grumbling and muttering under his breath which is hilarious to hear. But it is not that low deadly serious growl that sends chills up your spine. HOW did we do this? Well, Willy got dumped a few times when the foot rest on the recliner was lowered, by either Dad or me. So he learned he better move when we say OFF! and he is on the chair with us. Yes, we can be rather sneaky in getting our way.
- Willy wants to be on MY SIDE OF THE BED. Now, in general this would not be an issue. But the tissue box is on the night table on my side of the bed. Hence he can NOT STAY there! This also was not an easy shift on his arrival (low growl etc the whole routine). For weeks now, I simply say "Willy SHIFT!" and he rolls over to the other side of the bed. Yes, the only way he "appears" to know how to get over there is to ROLL over there! **Laugh**
- Willy has learned that in the morning, he gets out of bed and MUST go outside and pee before he gets his breakfast treat. **thumbs up** Even though the other pups have been up 10 minutes, been outside, come in, and now enjoying their treats, he is not allowed to munch until he goes out and does "busies" first. Of course, I better meet him at the door with his treat, or the racket he sets up is enough to waken anyone asleep on the entire block! "I fulfilled my part of the bargain, now you have to, Mum!" I am not allowed to slack off in my duties, no sir-ee!
- Willy loves to unroll the bathroom toilet paper. And shred it. We "solved" this by removing the rolls from the holders and putting them up on the toilet tank for now.
- all the bathroom and bedrooms waste baskets have also been removed to high ground, as he searches for tissues in all of them.
- Willy is not used to brushing, and actually snatched and chewed up the brushes I used when he first arrived here. I quickly learned NOT to use my favorite ones with him! We have reached a truce now, that I am allowed 5 strokes but NOT on his legs. Stop !! I have all brand new ones on my favorites brushes.
I have tried and tried to teach him "sit." It bothers him, because his motto seems to be: You are NOT the boss of me! So, I have enrolled Willy in obedience classes, as he really needs to learn he is NOT the leader. This will make it much easier for him to be adopted out. And if he were to stay here, we benefit as well. So either way, it seemed time to get him in class.
I really thought I was done with classes. After taking my 3 through them, I learned so much. Then with Tasha, I knew she needed the class room setting and yes it was fantastic how much she changed. But Willy, he should not need a class setting; he just won't give in that he can't be boss. I am amazed to be taking these classes over again!
This is what happens when you let the wee one become a tyrant! Hmmm Yes, we have made HUGE progress in 2 months; until yesterday morning, he hadn't done the low growl routine in weeks, and I truly thought we were passed that; silly me!
