Last November, an adorable fluff ball joined my household.
My expectation was that he would be one of those adorably cute little creatures who could ride around in the car with me, come into the office, and sit in on my business card photo session. OK, so exploiting your pet is a little hokey - or is it?
I am unlikely to find out first hand - at least not any time soon.
Willie is a wonderful friend, but as a real estate partner, he has issues.
He humps everything.
He gets carsick
He chews cables and electrical cords.
He eats pillow stuffing and Italian leather (probably that's what makes him car sick).
He is really, really hyper active - the only way to get a clear photo was to have my sister hold onto him.
Basically, he channels the Labrador Retriever in my favorite doggy book, Marly & Me.
I do have an all time favorite friend and colleague who's got this dog thing down.
Wallace, seen below, is the perfect puppy. She poses for photos - she is not only on Mary Lynn White's business cards - Wallace poses for the annual calendar her human companion sends to clients each year. She is too short, not to mention polite, to hump legs. She comes to the office and takes a nap curled up on Mary Lynn's desk with one eye open. The lamp cords and computer cables are safe. Everyone loves Wallace, who Mary Lynn bills as her assistant.
And, I gotta say, Mary Lynn is listing and selling everything in sight. She's had a bunch of gazillion dollar months, and on the photo of the company's monthly top producer, the caption is "Wallace and White" with both in the photo.
Oh, gosh! Writing this post, it occurs to me that it's not just that Mary Lynn uses Wallace in all of her marketing, it's that she consistently markets to her neighborhood and especially to her center of influence - not to mention Wallace's center of influence (the doggies and humans they meet at the local dog park). Du-uh!
Some day, Willie Boy might grow out of his crazies. Or I might be able to convince his vet that I will stay out of any drugs he might prescribe to mellow him out. But, in the meantime, I need to follow Mary Lynn White's good example and develop some strategies of my own, even if I have to delay the beginning of Willie's career in real estate!
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Patricia, if Willie Boy hasn't been neutered, you may find it helpful. I've had a couple of hyperactive male dogs settle down after being neutered. But I sympathize with you totally: my young male Sheltie eats walls, the last roll of toilet paper, and his favorite, shoestrings. He must go though a pair of shoestrings a week, usually because I've forgotten to put my shoes up high out of his reach. And the same week we finished replacing the living room carpet with laminate, the cat started in on the TV room carpet. (Ouch, my knees are just not ready for another flooring project!)
And yes, consistency is incredibly important. In the advertising agency business, the magic formula is referred to as "reach and frequency."
Children's Benedryl is what I was told to give mine to help he get over the car sickness. It works to calm them down enough so that they don't get sick while going for a ride. It worked with mine, he didn't get sick in the car.
But I also gave it to my other dog, who doesn't get sick in the car, but is extremely high strung and gets nervous around other people, to the point of biting. So, before going to the dog-park, I tried giving him some Benedryl also. It didn't help! :( He was still freaked out and barking the whole time.
I think the best thing is just practice, and after they've done it enough times they will get over the anxiety.
Patricia I read this post and had to show you a pic of my youngest daughter and my principle brokers dog. My daughter had to babysit Webby, but as you can see, I don't think she minded to much.
With all due respect to the previous posters, obviously Willie needs a girl friend. I think you should get another dog. And then, perhaps they will have puppies, which will thoroughly enrich your life. You know what they say, "If one is good, two is better."
And drugging the dogs is just not the right approach. Get yourself some valium, or if your doctor won't go along, some Grey Goose. I find it cures whatever ails me.