Bowflex Owners Keep Dogs Imprisoned

Well, I'm back, and there are two traumatic items to note.

My friends have a bowflex. It was dusty and the poles weren't connected
to anything. 'Nuff said.

But worse than that, my friends have a bizarre doggy-jail thing going
on. They own two dogs, but keep them penned (inside in small pens) and
only move them on a leash (including in the house). These are not
active people and they mostly stand in the yard for their dogs to pee.

Their two dogs are kept separated as they say they don't play well
together. They've never trained their dogs and they won't come, they
jump on everything, and have no communication skills other than
understanding treats. Their dogs get the best of veterinarian care and
they make them gourmet home-made meals, but they treat the dogs almost
exactly the same way their treat their birds - kept wild in cages as
cherished living statues.

I'm allowed to bring my well-trained yellow Lab with me when I visit.
In past visits we've been required to keep her crated in the basement or
our bedroom so their dogs don't get agitated by the presence of a
strange dog. My dog is NOT allowed to play with their dogs, and must be
on a leash in their house at all times. This time she was allowed to be
in a pen in our common room, which worked great for her. She just lay
within sight of us and was okay in between romps. My friends commented
several times how well-behaved she was, meaning, she didn't start
barking uncontrollably every time someone moved or a door opened, like
her dogs do, or dribble pee on the carpet, like their dogs do.

They live in the woods, near logging trails. I run on their logging
trails with my dog, but they don't. I know their trails better than
they do.

This week-end my friends caught on that I don't have my dog leashed in
their yard when I'm outside romping her. (They don't really get the
concept of romping, as their Lab is never allowed off-leash so never
plays fetch or frisbee, etc.) They were quite severe with me about how
my dog might run off after some animal. They honestly can't believe
that my dog would come if I called her. Come, hell, my dog doesn't want
to leave my side!

This really has me scratching my head. My sister's border collies
compete nationwide in sheep dog trials. My dog's favorite playmate is a
seeing eye dog (with whom we have dog playdates.) My brother-in-law's
dog is a trained Doberman attack dog. Ela is a slouch compared to these
trained-to-perfection dogs. So maybe I just hang out in elite dog
crowds, but does this seem normal to you?

These are really nice, smart, well-meaning people. They think they're
being wonderful to their dogs, and think I'm being abusive to mine by
letting her off-leash, feeding her dry (Cohen-approved) kibble, and
letting her have raw hide bones. They've had dogs longer than me, and
going back 20 years I recall that every one of them was an ill-mannered
lout that would jump on you and stick their nose in your crouch.

This week-end they said they were thinking of getting a border collie
because "they're loyal." Uh oh. Is there something I could do? I
model good dog communication, but they're sure that my dog just happens
to be on extraordinarily good behavior or that maybe she's incredibly
passive - they just don't get the concept that you can train a dog. Is
there anyway to convince entirely sedentary people who expect their dogs
to stay in crates or pens all day, that don't work with them or train
them, that that a border collie might be a bad idea?

Dally

P.S. And while I'm at it, how can I tell them to get rid of the bowflex
and get a power cage instead?

"Dally" <Dally RemoveThis @myself.com> wrote in message
news:41rh0pF1fsmqeU1@individual.net...
> Well, I'm back, and there are two traumatic items to note.
>
> My friends have a bowflex. It was dusty and the poles weren't connected
> to anything. 'Nuff said.
>
> But worse than that, my friends have a bizarre doggy-jail thing going on.
> They own two dogs, but keep them penned (inside in small pens) and only
> move them on a leash (including in the house). These are not active
> people and they mostly stand in the yard for their dogs to pee.
>
> Their two dogs are kept separated as they say they don't play well
> together. They've never trained their dogs and they won't come, they jump
> on everything, and have no communication skills other than understanding
> treats. Their dogs get the best of veterinarian care and they make them
> gourmet home-made meals, but they treat the dogs almost exactly the same
> way their treat their birds - kept wild in cages as cherished living
> statues.
>
> I'm allowed to bring my well-trained yellow Lab with me when I visit. In
> past visits we've been required to keep her crated in the basement or our
> bedroom so their dogs don't get agitated by the presence of a strange dog.
> My dog is NOT allowed to play with their dogs, and must be on a leash in
> their house at all times. This time she was allowed to be in a pen in our
> common room, which worked great for her. She just lay within sight of us
> and was okay in between romps. My friends commented several times how
> well-behaved she was, meaning, she didn't start barking uncontrollably
> every time someone moved or a door opened, like her dogs do, or dribble
> pee on the carpet, like their dogs do.
>
> They live in the woods, near logging trails. I run on their logging
> trails with my dog, but they don't. I know their trails better than they
> do.
>
> This week-end my friends caught on that I don't have my dog leashed in
> their yard when I'm outside romping her. (They don't really get the
> concept of romping, as their Lab is never allowed off-leash so never plays
> fetch or frisbee, etc.) They were quite severe with me about how my dog
> might run off after some animal. They honestly can't believe that my dog
> would come if I called her. Come, hell, my dog doesn't want to leave my
> side!
>
> This really has me scratching my head. My sister's border collies compete
> nationwide in sheep dog trials. My dog's favorite playmate is a seeing
> eye dog (with whom we have dog playdates.) My brother-in-law's dog is a
> trained Doberman attack dog. Ela is a slouch compared to these
> trained-to-perfection dogs. So maybe I just hang out in elite dog crowds,
> but does this seem normal to you?
>
> These are really nice, smart, well-meaning people. They think they're
> being wonderful to their dogs, and think I'm being abusive to mine by
> letting her off-leash, feeding her dry (Cohen-approved) kibble, and
> letting her have raw hide bones. They've had dogs longer than me, and
> going back 20 years I recall that every one of them was an ill-mannered
> lout that would jump on you and stick their nose in your crouch.
>
> This week-end they said they were thinking of getting a border collie
> because "they're loyal." Uh oh. Is there something I could do? I model
> good dog communication, but they're sure that my dog just happens to be on
> extraordinarily good behavior or that maybe she's incredibly passive -
> they just don't get the concept that you can train a dog. Is there anyway
> to convince entirely sedentary people who expect their dogs to stay in
> crates or pens all day, that don't work with them or train them, that that
> a border collie might be a bad idea?
>
> Dally
>
> P.S. And while I'm at it, how can I tell them to get rid of the bowflex
> and get a power cage instead?


If there is a case that cries out for euthanasia, this is it.

For the dog owners, of course.