How Do You Greet Your Doodle?

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Recently, Jane (Jane, Guinness & Murphy) wrote a discussion about "Our Energy."  She talked about how her DH would get her dogs so excited before taking them for a walk that they did not listen. All through her discussion, I was thinking about when I return home and saying to myself, "I do that...yep, that too...uh oh, I do that." My husband has long said that I contribute to the "excitement" level in our house.  Several times he has said that he thinks loud noises are contributing to the dog's energy levels.  The last time he said it, I had to stop singing long enough to ask him what were the loud noises he kept mentioning and all he said was, "I wonder."  Now, I have read tons of dog training books and I know what I am not supposed to be doing, but I just can't help myself.

 

We are homebodies, my DH and I, and most of the time when I travel, I start wishing I had Dorothy's red shoes that I could click together and get back home faster. One of the first things you see when you walk in my house is a large sign that reads It is good to be home.  My dogs are a big part of this feeling and here is the way I see it. My DH and I are in our 50's. Fudge and Vern might be the last dogs we have....our kids are grown and I don't have to set any examples. When I walk through the door, I am happy to see my dogs and I guess sometimes I do sing loudly or dance a bit, but Fudge and Vern are really the only audience I have that appreciates my dance moves and my renditions of Play that Funky Music White Dog or Sugar, Sugar, Fudgie Wudgie.

 

Truthfully, is there anyone else in your life that greets you as warmly as your dog does? When you come home, how do you greet your dog??

 

Waiting and Watching for Visitors:

 

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Laurie, first a person would have to LEAVE THE HOUSE so they could return to be greeted, LOL.  I'm a home body and proud to admit it.  I really do not make a big deal of leaving and returning home.  Sometimes all of them are crated or we take turns, big dogs one day and small ones out or vice versa.  But after 15-20 minutes of getting home if I haven't talked to Clover and Mae they start talking.  Clover is much more polite than Mae, she just barks a couple of times.  Mae on the other hand gets sassy and tells me off.  Once everyone quiets I sit down and invite them over, tongues and noses is all I see.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  If by chance there is a foster dog in the house everyone gets individual hugs instead of group hugs at first.  I found within a few days most fosters want to join in with group hugs.  Since I make the rules group hugs are invited several times a day and not just for greetings. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Tina, I am surprised you hugs those dogs at all after they try and throw snakes on you :) I might hold a grudge...LOL! My two like the group hugs too.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Well Clover and Apollo did have to have bathes and chews to clean their teeth.  I have to admit it does take me a day or two.  It probably sounds crazy but I'm even afraid there might be left overs somewhere, yuck!

[Carol and Banjo]

Banjo is crated when we aren't home.  Since day one upon returning home I come inside put my things away and then say "hello little Banjo" and let him out and without a lot of ecstatic greetings we have a cuddle-fest.   I've purposely tried not to make a big deal out of coming home (although inside I'm bursting with joy to see him again!).   It's so cute to see him sitting calmly in his crate waiting for me to put my things away.   But once the door open his tail goes a-waggin and he just can't kiss me enough or get enough belly rubs!     There are so many reasons I'm thrilled to have Banjo in my life and one of them is that no matter what kind of day it's been.....coming home is always a joyful, happy time!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Who wouldn't want to come home to that adorable Banjo :)

[Kate C Pappas]

I walk in and ignore them for about 3 minutes. I put away my purse, keys, maybe change clothes etc. They're usually NUTS when I come home which is why I don't reward that behavior with a greeting. When they're calm, I pet each of them separately while talking to them calmly.

When I leave and it will be several hours, they are crated. All I have to do is say "Kong" and they each run to their crates. I taught them that the ONLY place they get a stuffed Kong is in the crate. I don't make a big deal about leaving either. I lock the crate and leave.

LOL! I just realized that we have quite a vocabulary of words we have to spell around them.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Kate, It sounds like you do a good job too when you come home and your dogs can spell...LOL!

[Camilla and Darwin]

I greet Darwin pretty calmly most of the time. I try to keep the energy low when I uncrate him, to avoid behaviors like barking, jumping, etc. He doesn't ever do those things, so it seems to work for us. 

 

However, DH and I have this thing sometimes (not when we have just gotten home) where we like to get Darwin so excited that he gets zoomies. So we'll baby talk, and hype him up until he gets so excited that he runs around like a crazy man. This "hyping up" involves a lot of squeaky high voices. LOL. He's usually so mellow that we like seeing him a little bit crazy sometimes.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Camilla, I knew you would greet properly....LOL. You are probably so busy putting your Vera bag in just the right spot, you don't even notice Darwin :) "Not now, Darwin, I am hanging up my purse."  However, I am relieved to know that Darwin gets some attention, even if it involves a crazy married couple speaking in high voices. I am going to find my DH right now and tell him I am not the only one :)

[Camilla and Darwin]

Yes, we are quite crazy. I think we were before Darwin, but he certainly hasn't helped matters. :-)

[Adina P]

Looking back, when it was just Rosco (he was still crated then and 7 months or younger) he was soooo mellow.  He'd usually be asleep and I'd open the crate door, he'd casually strrrreeeetch and then come wiggling out.  But that was it.  It was not the knock you over type greeting.  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Gordie, in his anxiety, is just nuts when we come home. His nervous energy incites the doodles to get over exited. They all grab toys.