Sounds like you are doing lots & lots right -- hope you can find a container for your escape artist! Joan
Larry and Karen Emerson wrote: > Joan, > > We did leave Finnegan for short periods of time, building up to longer > period of times, until we were leaving him for the day and he was doing > wonderfully. He did do great for quite a few days, then BOOM, that was > enough of that. I find it interesting that everything he tore up and messed > up was MINE, and he is a big Mama's boy. > > He does get plenty of exercise. We walk, play fetch, he chases the cats > constantly, and he loves to wrestle [I love to hear him talk as he wrestles, > it is almost as if he is begging you to 'bring it on!'] My husband will > tussle with him and 'rough house' and Finn acts like he can't get enough of > that. Mom equals cuddles and loving time...Dad equals rough play and > protection if scared! > > I also do leave him with toys, food that is hidden in kongs, and an > occasional new toy, or toy I have put up for a while. > > To all you wonderful people who wrote about the cage, I did not buy a new > cage, but have gotten a brass snap [as suggested] and am giving that a go > today. If he gets that off that cage door, I am going on the road with him, > changing his name to Houdini, and going to make a million. > > He knows what he did was wrong. I can tell that because he hides from me > before I even get in the door. He isn't punished severley. He does get a > 'who did this?' with an angry [not screaming - but firm] voice, and the > occasional 'look what you did, bad boy' as I show him something he tore up. > > Y'all keep your fingers crossed that the snap works. I was truly hoping > that he could run the house while we were out, but I s'pose not. > > We'll figure it out. > > Anyway, he is my Finnmonster, forever, come what may! [he really does give > the most sad, 'I'm sorry, Mom' faces afterward. > > Karen and Finnegan [who is going to be sooo bummed when he can't get out of > that cage today!] > Pinckney, MI > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Joan N Robinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 9:41 PM > Subject: Re: [CKCS-L] He's doing it again > > >> This pup obviously is not getting enough exercise - before being left to >> 'occupy himself' for a while -- >> The ol' adage " a tired pup is a good pup" comes to mind - >> I would definitely put him somewhere he could not get out of and/or >> where he couldn't harm anything - >> I would run him / play with him / make sure he was good & well exercised >> - and then put him in the crate / pen - with a buster cube and/or kong >> to occupy him - >> I might start with leaving him for only a short time - and then give him >> lots of praise & reward for behaving well -- >> Then build up to leaving, coming in to check on him, leave again - >> Gradually you'll be able to leave him for longer & longer -- but do be >> sure to keep him confined - until you are SURE he is going to behave -- >> it may be a LONG time before he is dependable loose in the home -- >> >> Best of luck! >> Joan >> >> >> Larry and Karen Emerson wrote: >> >>> Well, I suppose I will go out tonight and purchase a Varikennel in the >> > hopes > >>> that it will keep the FinnMonster in his cage. >>> >>> We had cut him some slack, as he had been being good as gold in the >> > house > >>> while we were at work. We gave him free run of it while we were out on >>> short jaunts, and then worked him up to longer periods of time out. >> > Finally > >>> he got the whole house, all day to himself [and his cat buddies]. >>> >>> Well, the stinker truly abused that priviledge. He was good for a solid >>> week. Friday when I came in he had eaten a big hole in my winter hat >>> [shredded it everywhere] and had destroyed a throw rug. >>> >>> I thought, perhaps he had a bad day, let him run the house on Monday... >>> >>> Came home to a 2 inch novel shredded, another rug shredded, teddies from >> > my > >>> teddy bear collection all over the house [he had to climb/jump to get >>> those], the edge of a plastic ice scraper chewed off, and my couch >> > pillows > >>> everywhere. >>> >>> SO... >>> >>> needless to say, back into the cage he went. Few of you may remember >> > that > >>> he can break out of his cage, quite easily. It is no fluke, he knows >>> perfectly well how to do it with paws and nose. To keep this from >>> happening, I closed the latch and took wire garbage bag ties to hold the >>> latch down. Well, here we go...the Finnmonster chewed through the wire >>> ties, and was free in the house to ruin the new rug I bought to replace >> > the > >>> shredded one, and my teddies again. >>> >>> Bad to the bone right now. Is it seperation anxiety, [he is 11 months >> > old, > >>> is it an age - maturity - thing?],the love of destruction, or paybacks >> > for > >>> leaving him??? >>> >>> Tonight he gets a new cage, or a system to latch the exsisting one that >> > is > >>> inpenetrable! >>> >>> Good thing he is cute, cuddly and 90% of the time adorable. So, I am >> > off to > >>> clean the confetti [from the book] off the carpet and hope someone can >> > clue > >>> me in on this behaviour! >>> >>> By the way, this dog has tons of chews, toys and playthings available at >> > all > >>> times... >>> >>> Karen and Finn 'the destructor' >>> >>> ========================================================= >>> "Magic Commands": >>> to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: >>> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL >>> to start it up gain click here: >>> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL >>> >>> E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. >>> Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html >>> >>> All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author. >>> >>> >> ========================================================= >> "Magic Commands": >> to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: >> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL >> to start it up gain click here: >> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL >> >> E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. >> Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html >> >> All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author. >> > > ========================================================= > "Magic Commands": > to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL > to start it up gain click here: > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL > > E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. > Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html > > All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author. > > ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
