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Blogs by Vena McGrath
Worries with Shaye 11/27/2006 12:15:50 PM
How to deal with a Golden Retriever who is being obstinate and is feeling neglected? For the last 12 months of Shaye's life, well the first really as he is only 1, he has spent a lot of time at home inside all day and night, with just loo visits outside and swims in the pool.
Shaye arrived here in November and until January he had someone home with him all day. Between February and June he was alone of a daytime while I went to work. Then my partner moved down here and as he didn't have work, he was home with Shaye. Now that Bryan has started work, we both go off of a morning and Bryan is first home around 4.00. So Shaye is alone for 8 hours a day, outside.
Now he is refusing to go outside, then when he does go out he refuses to come back inside. After 2 days of this I'm getting angry with him. This morning I managed to get him out by opening the pool gate. He can't resist the pool. But he is so clever that tomorrow the pool gate trick won't work. He is too heavy for me to lift and he just refuses to move or obey an order. Oh dear, me thinks we have created a monster.
Oh well children are a pain at times and all I can hope is that as the days go by he will learn that his place 5 days a week is outside. If he doesn't then he will have to stay outside all the time until he learns the rules. He won't eat all day until we get home and he has his dinner. I hate making him unhappy and withdrawn but there isn't another way around the problem.
