Min Pin Behavior

Tuna is not my first dog. She is my second. My first was an impulse buy that weighed 10 pounds less than I did when he was 9 months old. For the betterment of everyone, especially my beloved "first," we found him a happy, healthy home fully equipped with a huge yard, stay at home dad, and a pool he could swim in year round.

My heart was broken. I was devastated and felt like a betrayer though I knew we did the right thing.

Several months later, I awoke from a dream exclaiming I just met the void that would fill that place in my heart. Yes, a red, female, miniature pincher with un-cropped ears.

If you own a breed that typically has cropped ears, you know they are HARD to find before they get cropped. But I had to have her. This little dream of mine had to become a reality.

I had the worst day. It was the kind of day that resets the standard. To console me, my better half took me out to dinner. After we placed our orders and I finish ranting, I receive a card. Not just any card, but a "Congratulations on your new Daughter" card. Ummm, do you have something to tell me?

I open the card to find a note. Carefully written by "Tuna" herself was a self-introduction and a list of her...expectations (her own bed, clothes, toys, chews, etc). You get the idea. She had even provided a few samples of the things she liked (purple collar with a bow, and a black and white stuffed dog) in a little white box you normally get with Chinese takeout.

Though it wouldn't surprise me now, the box was not previously used, but clean and new. First impressions last a lifetime, you know.

She was 4 weeks old at the time, so we had exactly 4 weeks to prepare for her arrival. I breathed a sigh of relief over my initial panic of the card, and completely forgot my bad day. I blazed through my dinner and rushed home to count down the days on the calendar.

4 weeks have past, and Tuna is on her way RIGHT NOW!!! Shortly before her arrival, her escort calls to make sure I do not get a sneak peek before Tuna gets a chance to introduce herself. As I'm lying through my teeth, er, I mean promising, I hear this...this....howling. WHAT is that, I ask. Oh, just your new dog. She's been howling like that for an hour. Tee hee! I mean, oh, I'm sorry.

This should have been my first clue. On with the story. Tuna arrives at last. The door opens, and I see nothing. Suddenly, this fat little football - with legs - comes fearlessly walking around the corner. I melt into a puddle, and could cry at the culmination of a dream come true.

Tuna's acting strange. What is she doing? Why is she scooching backwards behind the wall? Clueless as could be, my cat walks by. Tuna - who's been home 20 minutes - leaps onto his back! I thought we were going to have to peel him off the ceiling.

Tuna's personality has been a fully fledged acknowledgment since, quite literally, Day One.

Though now almost 6, this dog is still puppy-like in every way. She is also stubborn, mouthy, and can be a bully. Admittedly, my discipline in the beginning was...pathetic. I couldn't bring myself to discipline her due to her restorative effect on my heart. We have been paying for that mistake ever since. We have made a solid effort to curb her less-than desirable behavior, but Tuna is a challenge.

Luckily, through consistency and diligence (and alot of hard work), we manage to keep Tuna's behavior under control. In a home with multiple dogs and the cat who now thinks he's a dog, consistent discipline can be tough.

Though this lens IS (mostly) all about Tuna, I can't let this opportunity slip by without strongly recommending Secrets to Dog Training (formerly SitStayFetch).

Many dog training books out there are full of information we already know. Our dogs misbehave because their anxious, bored, inconsistently or improperly disciplined. We KNOW that! These books have the same redundancy as taking your car to the shop. The clever "analysis" reveals that, yep, your car is in need of repair. Duh!

Secrets to Dog Training is different. It tells you how. Real, tangible methods that WORK. Leave the theories and analysis to others. If you have a "Tuna" at home, "Secrets to Dog Training" is worth your time.

I love to watch shows like "Dog Whisperer" and "It's Me or the Dog." I laugh at how bad those dogs are, and how pathetic the owners are. Then I feel bad, because I remember the days when my dogs behaved like the ones featured, and I was the "pathetic" owner.

The need for serious training occurred when we moved from our house to an apartment. Suddenly, behavior that might have been ok at home would not be ok in an apartment (specifically barking).

I found the website Secrets to Dog Training and bought the book. In 6 days, I had different dogs. The book promises, and delivers, a fast and effective 6 day course to change your dogs behavior. Our home is happy and peaceful (I'm not yelling anymore) and we aren't a nuisance to our neighbors.