JaneB,
LOL @ your bulldog. My neighbors have a bulldog and they said they were going to drop it off at some kind of training camp for a week but the administrators said "not to be rude, but you're going to be wasting your time." LOL He said beyond sit, stay, and lay, there wasn't too much else you can teach a bulldog. I don't know how true that is but it cracks me up to think about it. That's cute that your girls go inside the crate during the day to take a nap. Maybe the reason Kosmo doesn't do it during the day is because when I am home, he's with me. He's MAJORLY spoiled so he gets to cuddle up next to me and lay on me on the couch whenever he wants to.
Mary,
I give Kosmo a charlee bear when I leave too, but he recently started barking with the treat in his mouth! I was kind of afraid he would choke on it. I also don't know how good it is, but you're not the only one! I actually goat him in there with them sometimes.
Nicki,
Ok I must say - you're dog is absolutely gorgeous! I'm in love with the ringlets, they melt my heart.
Now that you mention it, the vet actually had said something at one point in time about me throwing him in there a few minutes before I leave. I should do that again. I hate it though because from the time I throw him in until the time I'm actually out the door, he drives me nuts!
Maxxs_Mummy,
I didn't think you were criticizing me and I can completely see your side as to why you let the dogs have the kitchen. I am going to let Kos roam freely.. just someday, lol. Right now he's in the terrible puppy phases and I have to keep an eye on him at ALL times. Believe it or not the other day he actually went into the bathroom, hopped up to the toilet paper roll holder, grabbed onto the toilet paper, and DRUG it through the house! I was upstairs drying my hair. By the time I got back down half of the roll was in pieces all over my floor! :sl*p: I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw the mess - it was my fault he did it because I left him unsupervised. When he's finished teething I will rope off the foyer, and then for his first bday present I'll test him to see if he'll be ok throughout the whole house in the day.
We also have leather couches with a polyurethane coating "just in case." Kos has gone on the floor a few times, but I am pretty quick to get it right away because like I said before, he lives most of his life in supervision. LOL @ the bedding color. You know I have actually noticed little tiny particles of DIRT in my bedding from Kosmo's paws from when I take him out and it's wet outside right before bed time. We have paws all over our cream sheets too, but I can't sleep without my cuddle bum!
Karlin -
Hey, that's a good idea - freezing kongs. Nobody has ever suggested anything like that to me before. The best suggestion I got was to dip his rope toy in a tub of water with a bullion cube dissolved in it. I did it once - but it ended up melting and making a mess. It was fun for a few minutes though.
I have a spongebob squarepants shower radio somewhere in the basement. Maybe I'll find it again and turn it on for Kosmo. I guess I can see where that might keep him a little more calm while I am gone. I've never heard of such a thing though.
Good times for Kosmo are comin!
Kosmo is crated for an extended period of time right now, but that will decrese in September when I start University. My longest class day will be 5 hours so I will have lots more time here. The time I am gone is also one of my main resons for another dog though. As I mentioned up there I am waiting for him to finish teething completely (he's loosing his canines now!) and then I am going to get a gate to fence off our foyer in the front of the house. The crate will fit in there and it's all tiles so it's ok if there are accidents. I will leave him free to roam when he grows up and matures more. Right now he'd end up committing suicide if I left him in the house alone. Earlier today he was chewing the carpet on the stairs! Can you believe it? The carpet! :roll: I am gone for 8 hours during the day which is the precise reason that I refuse to crate Kosmo during the night. He stayed in his crate for 2 nights when we got him and then I decided to let him sleep in the bed. It was hard on me physically because I got up every 2 hours to let him out in the beginning, but I am young so my body can take it, lol.
To be honest with you I didn't have the time to properly crate train him, as I had no choice but to crate him during the day when I was gone, so he probably knows he goes there and then I am gone "forever." I have been trying to work with him on building up a tolerence to the crate though for the last 2 weeks because I just feel awful for him. Tonight he actually went in there to take a nap while I was doing the dishes.
As long as he can physically SEE me, he seems to do a lot better. He's always been like that.
It's good to point out not to leave things in the crate while I am gone. I only leave Kosmo with his kong and a few nylabones, like you suggested. Some nylabones are very soft though I have found so I even limit those. I am extremely fussy with his toys. If I told you how many times I've had to stick my finger in his mouth and down his throat to retrieve things that he thinks he should have you'de probably be amazed. The only stuffed toy he has now is made of nylon and is deemed "indestructable," lol. I've had good luck with it so far, but he only gets that when I can watch him too.
Thanks guys for all of your ideas - I will definately try them and hopefully we can work through these issues. I just feel bad for the little booger.
hehe