Louie has a critical message to teach

lovingspoonfulllovingspoonfull
in General

Preface: This ended up being a rant but I decided to post it anyway. Louie reminded me why I don’t get along with some people. 😎🤷‍♂️

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I recently spent quite a bit of time with a 12 year old bichon frise named Louie. He’s a mostly chill good natured dog whose family cares for him. He’s healthy.

He’s absolutely adorable when he’s playing, rolling around on his back pawing the air, or happily munching on his squeak toys.

He just has this one character trait that makes it hard to enjoy spending time with him. This one area where he is obsessively and hopelessly single minded.

It’s food. Yeah, I know. Shocking for anyone that’s raised dogs. 😇

There’s nothing wrong with his enjoyment of food. It’s essential for his health. The quality of the food he’s provided adds a special enjoyment to his day.

But when food is present he loses all chill. He barks at you. He whines. He nips and bites to get you to hurry up and feed him. He drools. He gets mad and pouts if you don’t give it to him. He acts as if he’s dying if he doesn’t get it. He starts having massive anxiety and gets desperate. You have to put him in another room or he will lose his mind while you eat.

He doesn’t understand why you don’t just give it to him. All of it. Now. He won’t leave the kitchen. He aggressively hounds you as you eat yours. He snarfs his then goes looking for more.

He in that moment can’t see past his desire to meet that need. He’s willing to do anything including attack.

He’s exhausting. I spent so much time trying to teach him to rein himself in I started to dislike him. And his family for letting it go this far.

Louie is a dog. This is fixable but frustrating. But what’s worse? I know people like this. Get exposed to them far too often.

We don’t have the right to expect others to regulate ourselves.

  1. Thoughts?20 votes
    1. Good story. Made me think.
      55.00%
    2. Did somebody say food?
      15.00%
    3. Umm… it’s just a dog dude.
      15.00%
    4. Meh. Too preachy.
        5.00%
    5. I don’t get it.
      10.00%
    6. TL;DR
        0.00%

Comments

  • AutumnGratitudeAutumnGratitude
    edited September 19

    Indeed made me think 🤔

    You seem to be in desperate need of a 🐕 trainer, or unfortunately, as he ages, if this mindset of his is not amended by a very excellent dog trainer with specific knowledge and experience in this particular problem, your beautiful dog's food problem could escalate and I fear he could eventually attack a child eating on his walk...

    Having said that, unless I am mistaken, the teaching if the story is, a dog 🐕 is innocent if he misbehaving, as it is rightly ✅️ our ( humans ') job to train and help him, however, adult human beings we need to regulate ourselves to keep everyone around us safe and healthy too 💕🧸✨️

    I hope you and all situations in your life is all good 🦋 look after your good self, love to the puppy 🙏🫂

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel
    edited September 19

    As an owner of two Bichons you have to nip that behavior in the bud early. They are adorable and they know how to manipulate. They were the dogs of the royalty in France and then they became premier circus dogs. They crave attention and rewards and food is that. I have a brother and sister Bichons and the sister decided I was hers and hers alone so she obeys pretty well although she is addicted to peanut butter. The brother chose my son who lives with me. My son loves the dog but does not work with him at all on training (this is changing). He doesn’t bite or nip but violates personal space. But since he is three now my son has struggled to train him. My girl is a perfectly behaved angel that listens and knows her boundaries. She is a happy well-adjusted pooch. Here she is:

  • AutumnGratitudeAutumnGratitude

    Adorable 🐕🐶💖

  • natasya148natasya148

    I think you’re telling my story there… 😆

    Well I do get hangry when I don’t have food. I am also willing to bark and nip for it. 🙂‍↕️

  • sillysassysillysassy

    @lovingspoonfull
    My brain/heart going in another direction this morning… maybe this isn’t what you were thinking but you alluded to it in your last statement.

    I know people like this. Get exposed to them far too often. We don’t have the right to expect others to regulate ourselves.

    I think what you’re referencing to Louie and his food is similar to the way people get so extreme with desires or expectations.
    There’s an urgency created because of the hope that the ONE thing will give them all the happiness they can imagine.
    It feels “out of balance” because they’re willing to sacrifice every other possible joyful experience for this one thing.

    I certainly experience that in the cuddle world. There are so many possible ways for people to find joy in connection, in conversation, in relatability, but there are some that are so hellbent on a specific type of cuddle or a specific type of experience, or a specific appearance, that they believe will bring them that high level of joy.

    In this Cuddle World I have seen people march right past other great opportunities because of their singular focus. I’ve seen people hurt people because of their singular focus. It’s tough to watch.

    The second part of your statement is interesting to me because I do believe everyone is doing the best they can. Louie has been trained to think a certain way, and he is going about life exactly as he has been taught. Looking in from the outside, you can see something different for him, but he is doing exactly what he was taught to do. What I find so interesting, is that’s how it is with people. It’s not our job to change their mind. They are all doing the best they can. There are some that have a desire to be open and ask if there’s possibly anything that they could be missing or information that they don’t know already and they are curious about whether or not there might be a different way to approach things. But for the people who don’t have any openness to learn, it’s silly to let them ruin our day. Or make us act a different way. They get to search for joy and happiness however that looks even if it might be shortsighted. We all have our own experience and option to choose our path to joy I suppose.

    Gobbling up the food. Being uncharacteristically angry and mean to those around them. Impatient. Demanding. This rings true when you feel like there’s never enough food. Or love. Or cuddles. Or acceptance.

    At least… I see that is true in a lot of people.

    Thanks for sharing your story and space to go off track with meandering thoughts. 😊

  • CuddlesWithCatCuddlesWithCat

    I forget how desperate dogs can act over food. Maybe a trainer would be the best choice honestly. Someone who is experienced with behavioural stuff!

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