If you’re new here, Matilda is my 5lb Chihuahua and the cow is my 30lb…well, her DNA test says she’s a Chow Chow, German Shepherd, Jack Russell, Cocker Spaniel.
There are many things that Matilda can get away with that Cow can’t.
Setting rules and boundaries for your dog is very personal. The rules can be changed according to your needs.
Some people like that their dog always walks to the left, smells only with permission, and eats only with permission.
Some of us have looser rules, but we may be stricter in other areas, and some of us have different rules for multiple dogs in the house. So this is me.
Here are some examples of Matilda’s “puppy privilege.”
1. Matilda shits indoors.
We live in an apartment so we take a leash out for walks about 4 to 5 times a day. The cow was always pooping outside, and she never had an accident indoors except when she was sick. I don’t think I ever actually trained her formally.
Matilda, on the other hand, had a hard time family training and had numerous accidents at a young age. By the age of one, she was very good at going out, and with the help of the potty bell, she had learned to communicate with me.
But in cold or stormy weather, or in the middle of the night, she occasionally had an accident.
If you’ve potty trained large and small dogs, you’ve probably noticed how different they are. Small dogs like Matilda seem to have trouble controlling their bladder and bowels.
These days, Matilda sets up an indoor potty next to the litter box in my bedroom. She rarely uses it, it’s summer and it’s been clean for weeks. Her pee has almost no smell. I clean up as soon as I see it, then sanitize and deodorize the reusable bedpan.
It worked for us, but I don’t blame anyone who might think it’s disgusting. Some people hate the idea of letting their dog relax indoors as a puppy. That’s okay too.
To us, that means Matilda never had an accident, even if she couldn’t take it.
If you walk your dog regularly, most dogs, like Matilda, love to be outside. They prefer to go out and sniff and tag rather than go in, but it doesn’t hurt to have backups.
2. My puppy can jump on me.
It is widely considered “poor dog behavior” for a dog to jump on you with its front paws.
I don’t let cows do that. I was in pain when her nails ran across my skin.
Conversely, if Cow needs my attention, I encourage Cow to touch me with her nose.
For Matilda, jumping on me was one of the few ways she could get my attention without hurting me. So it is allowed.
Without a potty bell, Matilda can let me know she needs to get out, and jumping up is one of the ways. She can also tell me when she’s hungry, when she wants to be picked up, or when the cows bother her.
3. Matilda slept in my bed.
Small dogs have a harder time maintaining their body temperature because, proportionally, they have a larger surface area than larger dogs.
Many of them prefer to be captive dogs. Instinctively, they feel as if they must be touching you all the time.
The cow has slept in my bed many times, but she is a very active sleeper. She ran, kicked, and even barked in her sleep.
Plus, I think she’s safer in the living room where she can bark if there’s an intruder. For some, she might be old enough to act as a deterrent.
Cows don’t seem to mind sleeping in crates in the living room. I had an old quilt in there so it was super comfortable and probably smelled like she was sleeping next to me.
At the end of the day…
Setting rules and boundaries is all about making life with your dog as safe, comfortable and enjoyable as possible. It doesn’t matter what other people do to their dogs, or your house rules don’t seem to be consistent. Dogs don’t keep points, they just love their family unconditionally.
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As a dog mom to Matilda and Cow, she spends most of her time walking long distances and practicing new tricks, trying to make the most of a small portion of her bed most nights.
You’ll also find her baking bread and homemade pizza, laughing, painting and shopping.
