Seriously. I am not sure a dog could put up with more than Scrubs does. This morning he was just lying by the sliding glass door, praying, along with me, that the rain would finally stop. (We had a sunny day yesterday and now, it's back with a vengeance.) I was wrapping some gifts to send home to South Florida in the kitchen and when I looked over at him, I realized that the boys had brought him some company. And good ol' Scrubs just lets them do whatever they want.I have really been convicted about how I speak to Scrubs. Yesterday when I was putting on Isaac's shoes and Scrubs tried to stick his nose in one of the shoes, Isaac surprised me by practically yelling, "No no, Bubby!" Is that what I sound like when I talk to Scrubs? I know it is.
Guilty as charged.
When Keenan came to stay with us for those few days, he often reminded me what a good listener Scrubs is. And it is true. I just got an email from my sister-in-law Katie. They are fostering a dog and want to know some of our training techniques for Scrubs since he seems like he listens to us so well! Are you serious?!?
I have to remember that this is a dog that sits outside the kitchen with the gate open while we eat, waiting for permission to come in and eat. A dog who doesn't go outside even if I leave the door open unless given permission. This is a dog that I play Frisbee with in the front yard without worrying about him running off. This is a dog that will sit and stay on command, roll over, shake. Yes, he is stubborn. And yes he has selective listening abilities. But he honestly is very well trained and a very good dog. Just looking at the picture I included on this post reminds me why I love this pup. Everyday he is chased, grabbed, poked, prodded, and loved on with an abundance of cars and toys. And he takes it all with no discussions.
Oh and did I mention that he cleans up after the boys eat every single time without complaint? What a great vacuum cleaner.
Love you Scrubs. Thanks for being our Isaac and Elijah's"best friend."
P.S. After writing this post, I realized that Scrubs was eating one of Isaac's Curious George stickers. Scrubbbbyyyyy!
4 comments:
So does this mean you'll share some of your training techniques?? My pup is a stinker and I'd love to know how you got him to be so well behaved!
My husband and I are expecting our first child any day now, and since we found out I was pregnant, we've been trying to speak politely to our dog. I think it is good practice being patient and I know if I don't mind what I say, I'll hear my child echoing my mean voice yelling at the dog.
you do apparently have a well-trained dalmatian! i had two for many years, and it's never more apparent than when you see how other dogs act. one of our dalmatians died last spring and we just recently rescued another one... he's a good, good dog, but it's very apparent that he doesn't understand me they way my other one does. i didn't realize how easy i had it with my two pretty well-trained dogs until i was challenged with an untrained dog, but it's hard to remember just how good they are when they decide to be destructo-dog, even for just a few short minutes!
you already know this: you have a GOOD dog. he is also a smart dog... and he wouldn't be so smart without a little curiosity. curiosity will have negative outcomes once in a while, and the rest of the time his antics will be so darn cute you can't stand it! and dalmatians are just clowns anyway.
so just remember: you have a good dog who is not perfect. his expressions of love are a bit different than you would like, and sometimes he's going to do something very irritating or even destructive. but you have a GOOD dog, and sometimes good dogs should be allowed to sneak a little kiss once in a while, cause he just can't help it. =)
I'll share some techniques soon!
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