urge to herd Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Hi, All, For various reasons we're not going to be getting another dog until at least one of the girls passes away. Last night, kind of out of the blue, DH said that he really misses having a dog follow him around. Buzz, who we lost in October, was really in love with DH. So, that leaves us with Samantha, who is 14, deaf, and sleeps unless she's eating or playing fetch, and Shoshone, probably 13 or so, mentally still really sharp and very, very quirky. I suggested that he make a greater effort to interact with Shoshone, and would love some suggestions or any input if anyone else has gone through this type of thing. Shonie can't run and play fetch anymore, the arthritis in her front legs and her spine are just too painful, and if she were to pinch a nerve, it would be the end of her. Terry already takes her for a brief walk three mornings a week, I take her and Sam together the rest of the time. I think I'm going to hire our trainer to come in and work with them at least once. One of those cases of if you pay an expert, you listen to them, while if your spouse says the same thing you don't even hear it, you know. That will help some, but I'd love you guys' input. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrancis Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 ...if you pay an expert, you listen to them, while if your spouse says the same thing you don't even hear it, you know. So true! Been there, done that What about hide and seek games with specific named toys and with DH himself? If Shoshone is still really sharp, then maybe this kind of thing would be really fun for both of them. Ailsa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooky Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 I've not really gone through this, but Odin was so fixated on me DH was having trouble getting him to obey, frustration levels, etc. Can your DH take Shonie to work or along when he does errands? Odin loves this and just the errand bit brings him and my DH together more. Also, my DH walks Odin but never trains him like I do - maybe have your DH teach her something new once a week? On my side, I hope Odin is still "my dog" when I get back today (YAY!!!!). I've left them for 2 weeks now and they've got to be closer than they were. But I'm pretty immature - I hope not SO close he's DH's dog now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted March 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the suggestions! Ooky, DH used to take Buzz with him every afternoon to visit the post office. We've talked about him doing this w/Shonie, I think it's a good idea and will bring it up again. As far as training a new trick for her, DH has a low tolerance for focused repetition, so I'll discuss that with the trainer. Ailsa, the hide and seek game is a good idea. We'll see what we can do with that. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.