the training

You teach people how to treat you and no one can take advantage of you without your permission...

I don't have children, but now that i have an adolescent dog, i am beginning to understand these principles even more.  I had to go to Broken Arrow for a class on Monday and Tuesday night, leaving Matt to his own devices on dinner.  He went to Braums, sharing his dinner with Buckley.  Yesterday Matt and I were having a very nutritious lunch of Christmas cookies and Buckley would stand on his hind legs to beg Matt for a cookie.  I put mine on the counter and had zero issue.  This morning he is in the bedroom trying to get ready for work, before putting on his socks, he uses them to play with Buckley.  Now he is trying to actually put on his socks, Buckley isn't finished playing. 

Fred trained Matt years ago when he first moved in, he would feed the cats a sixth of a can of wet food in the morning and a sixth of a can at night.  It was something i started years ago when i had Tutor and he had lost one of his teeth and had issues eating.  Fred would wake Matt up in the morning by either sitting on the dresser looming over him, running across the headboard, or if he had fallen asleep on the couch, she would box his nose.  Of course, Matt would get up and feed the cat.  In essence rewarding the cat for bad behavior. 

Buckley is still having issues coming into the house when you let him out.  I tried to lure him in with cheese and lined up biljac treats while trying to keep paisley from eating them and the cat running out the door.  Matt was so aggravated last night with him that he went outside with his leash to catch him, i walked up to the door, Buckley came running and he came right in for me.  This morning, i was running late for a meeting and they were jonesing to out, so i took the gamble and thankfully they came right in....it dawned on me, i was being trained.  Buckley received nothing other than a good boy for coming in, but lots of treats to lure him in when he was being bad.  I got the treats out this morning and rewarded his good behavior.

This is why i was hesitant to get another dog, i knew how lucky i was when i got paisely, she never chewed on the furniture...just the cable running into the house once or twice, making me break my toe when i saw here and was trying to get to the door, hitting the coffee table.  She rode in the car very well, she was easy to put on a collar and leash.