A man, a woman and their dog
Ask Dog Lady
Reader: I’ve read in your column about husbands and wives who don’t see eye to eye about the dog, leading to fights and bad feelings. I want to tell you about my husband. We’re former college sweethearts and newlyweds. We got married in September.
Before we got married, I told him I wanted a dog. He told me he wanted to wait for a while. He also said he wanted a big dog like a German shepherd. In December, we went to a breeder and brought home a French bulldog. My husband wanted to call him Bronski. I wanted Beanie. We settled on Bebop. My husband asked me never to dress Bebop in outfits, but I did buy the dog a matching harness and leash in a nice yellow print. My husband’s buddies ribbed him about that.
All of this goes to say that I’ve never loved my husband more. He’s a wonderful dogfather to little Bebop. He trains him and protects the dog in the crazy cold weather. Bebop has added so much to our lives, although we had a lot going for us long before we got the dog.
Dog Lady: I wanted to tell you a good story about a man, a woman and a lucky dog. Your valentine made Dog Lady verklempt. You have everything any woman dreams of: A husband to treasure, and a French bulldog named Bebop in a chic harness and matching leash. Sweet.
Reader: As I write this, I am driven mad by the shrieks of a monkey. The monkey is a stuffed animal that emits high-pitched electronic wails when my dog bites down on it. This toy had been hidden way under the couch for months until my wife found it and gave it back to Huggy, our Jack Russell terrier. Before the monkey vanished, Huggy liked it, but not obsessively. He can’t let the toy go now. He runs around the house with the monkey in his mouth and whines when we don’t chase him. When he’s not running, he’s sitting with the monkey and biting down on it constantly to trigger the screech. As I said, the sound makes me nuts. I have tried taking the toy away. I hid the monkey once when Huggy was sleeping, and when he woke up, he whined so much I finally gave it back. This monkey business has been going on for five days. He does eat, goes for walks and sleeps. But as soon as he is finished with any of those, it’s back to the monkey. I am beginning to worry about this behavior. Should I take away the toy for good? My wife tells me it’s funny and I should deal with the noise.
Dog Lady: Of all the monkeys sitting on your back, in the realm of dog behavior this is a light burden. Dog Lady sides with your wife. Huggy’s monkey is a cute fixation. Deal with it.
Nonetheless, you should teach Huggy the “leave it” command. This is when the dog focuses on you and surrenders. “Leave it” (or “drop it”) is a basic lesson in Dog 101 because we need immediate control when our dogs bite down on anything. When Huggy runs around with his monkey, stop him, tell him to sit, and ask him to “leave it.” Hold out your hand for the saliva-sodden toy. Reward him with a treat.
Train him, but overall, ease up on Huggy. Terriers are all about passion. You should be grateful he’s not gnawing on your shoes, the table leg, or your leg. He’s a monkey junkie — not a doggy droid. Our pets feel. They think. They are consumed by interests — screaming monkeys, tennis balls, rump roasts, whatever. Our lives should be so simple.