Dal & Mad's Mom Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Maddie spends most of her time in the house with us as it's her choice and the other 3 are in and out all day. Which means Maddie usually gets a piece of whatever I'm eating. when I'm handing out leftovers I find myself working really hard not to cheat anyone out of something good. I also feel rotten if someone is slow to eat whatever they get and someone else takes it. I'm not even sure I'm this fair with my kids. Ps I also admit to sending Maddie outside to treat the other dogs.lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrayburn Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 I am too! If someone gets a piece or a lick, then everyone does. I'm not sure what the point really is when three dogs split licking the soymilk out of my cereal bowl in the morning. Hardly seems worth the effort for all of us at that point. Sometimes the dog who rides shotgun in the car (I know its bad okay I do but it happens anyway!) gets something that the ones in the crates don't get. When that happens, I wind up looking back to make sure the other dogs don't see it. Oh well. And everyone gets size appropriate treats - biggest for Ben, middlest for Nell, littlest for Pip the Porkchop. Lisa (who now feels rather neurotic) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 I wouldn't go so far as to say I feel "guilty", but if everyone doesn't get a piece of whatever it is I'm doling out, I feel kind of bad. Now, if a dog is outside when I'm giving stuff out, I don't feel bad, but the worst is when there is a dog or two in the kitchen with me and I give them something and then another dog happens in just in time to see them get something, but there's none left! I do try to be fair and will usually break everything into four pieces. Because Speedy gets stiff lying around, I will even take something to him instead of making him move if I know he's not up. But it happens. It's not always fair and sometimes I just have to say, "sorry, next time" to one or more of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Gee, I can't remember the last time one of my dogs missed out on a chance to get a treat. If I'm treating one, the other two show up almost instantaneously. But then my dogs never go outside without some person trooping along after them. Also, no one is slow to eat around my house, the dogs fall on any food as if starved, so no problem there. On top of that, I almost never share my food with the dogs at home, though I will sometimes toss a small scrap to them at work. I should probably feel guilty that Quinn (his lordship) gets home cooked meals while the other dogs get kibble, but everyone is getting food that meets their needs and makes them the picture of health. And the other two are so busy falling on their food like starving creatures, they don't seem to notice Quinn's food is extra special. Plus I really don't want to cook for three dogs. So all in all, I'm quite guilt free on this subject at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal & Mad's Mom Posted January 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 I really noticed it today as It was time to clean out the left overs and there was a little steak, a piece of meatloaf, perogies, and wimpies. Who got what meat? esp since I was dishing it out as I found it. yes I'm a nutt some days.lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 I feel horrible towards Kyla sometimes (she used to be my mum's dog, but my mum died last year, so she's all mine now). I had been chasing a dream, a mountain dream of high airy ridges and stark icy places full of light, because I knew that I could go there with Kessie. We were getting closer to it. Now a lot of "dream" mountains have fallen off my list because Kyla doesn't like climbing and her feet get cold. Of course I love her more than enough to make up for it all, but the thought still exists, and I feel like she can sense it sometimes. When I feel like that, I just want to bundle her up and carry her around, but of course she wouldn't really like that . My food guilt is getting better! I'm getting used to the fact that one of them will always be disgusted with me. I just have to divide the "disgusted" time as evenly as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurae Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Sandra, Sophie and Craig cannot go with me everywhere I hike. But that's fine; they can stay home the rare times I do tougher/longer hikes with Taz. I feel a little bad that they can't come, so I might take them for a special shorter hike instead and I usually bring them home ice cream. They don't know what they're missing (I think they're very happy to be getting a treat), and I don't have to resent them at all for preventing me from doing something I enjoy. Can you leave Kyla home for the big dream mountain treks and do something else special for her instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Can you leave Kyla home for the big dream mountain treks and do something else special for her instead? I couldn't leave either of the dogs home alone and take the other one, but we've found some nice friends (a woman a little older than me and her ten-year-old daughter) whose dog we sometimes look after. Maybe they could take Kyla for a day if I really feel she wouldn't be happy with us? For now, I have to get off my own butt first and get back into shape. But yes, that would be a possibilty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurae Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 It's hard to leave one at home, I agree. I was forced to toughen up on that when I started taking Taz to stockdog events (lessons, clinics, trials, workdays). Back then, Sophie and Taz were the only two I had, but I had no choice but to leave Sophie home alone sometimes because she barks and is destructive in my vehicle (eats seatbelts, cam straps, etc.) when she is around other dogs working stock. It doesn't matter if she is out of sight range of the action—she knows it's going on without her and she cannot stand that. It is no fun for any of us then (especially Sophie, who is horribly frustrated), so Sophie stays home. She's not psyched about that, but again I try to get her a special treat if she has to be left behind. I wish I could find someone to stay with her during those times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 You're tougher than me then . I tried stock work lessons with Kessie for a while and failed because we were both too soft. I always felt that I would really like to try it with Kyla (I can direct her easily with body pressure, no hard feelings at all). But I just couldn't make Kessie watch that, so we'll never know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Ah yes, the dogs vying to go to training. On Sunday afternoon Dean goes to Agility. Maddie wants to go. She can't. On Tuesday Maddie or Dean go with me to teach CU. Speedy wants to go. He can't. On Wednesday Speedy goes to Freestyle practice. Sometimes Dean goes, but sometimes he can't. Then Speedy goes to Freestyle classon Wednesday night. Maddie and Dean want to go. They can't. On Thursday Maddie goes to Agility. Dean wants to go. He can't. Trial days are the worst. It never fails that the ones who are not going give me the "eyes"! They all want to go. They can't all go. Good old Sammie knows when he is going and when he is not. The other dogs do not go where he goes. They don't want to go because they don't know where he goes. When I'm taking a dog to training class, Sammie knows he's not going and he doesn't try. The three dogs I train always want to go to class, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 Sandra, you have it all worked out! Hike with Kessie, stockwork with Kyla. I only do stockwork with Nick because, well, Lu isn't a collie. And she's afraid of sheep. She seems perfectly happy to sleep in the car while Nick & I work sheep. Nick hates staying home when I take Lu for walks on her own, but that's too bad, and thus far he hasn't held any grudges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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