Nose to the ground! in QUOTIDIEN
- Feb. 3, 2014, 12:01 p.m.
- |
- Public
So - after freaking out the previously unfreakable cat, Beth began on her journey on the path to being schooled by a cat she clearly outweighs by 70 or so pounds. Caught now on the coffee table, Ziggy finally flattened his ears - looking like Toothless on 'How to Train Your Dragon', exposed his claws and began a series of serious nose-thwapping. At one point, a claw got caught in Beth's lip. I figured (wrongly) that this would be it for Beth. But I swear, that bitch smiled, dangled her tongue and wagged her tail even more!!!
The ruckus was such that at one point, I had to step in to save the dog AND my sanity. I acknowledge that I have a huge part in this persistent 'game' by repeating 'no!' and 'lay down' without making it stick. My throat was almost raw from the repetition. Finally, after having said 'NO CAT' for the umpteenth time, I grabbed Beth by both sides of her face, growled 'NO CAT', then forced her face to the ground. What followed was an entire 90 minutes of PEACE!
I'm not saying she's cured - but I now realize that her excitement over 'cat butt' holds a far greater impact on her actions than my feeble 'NO CAT' unless I make myself greater than her excitement. In other words, I am going to have to insist on my HEAD BITCH status much more firmly. It's what she understands.
School was called off due to inclement weather and road conditions. My driveway is coated in a 1/2" of ice. The cross road is partially covered with ice. Even some of the main roads still glisten!
Tomorrow, we're told we can expect anywhere from 6-10" of the white stuff. On top of the existing ice this should be interesting. It means my daughter will be home from school yet another day....or two. GAH!
The snow should start before noon and, we're told, will fall at 2" per hour. Tomorrow is the day we meet with the hand specialist for Anne-Marie, too. At 11:00am. No fear, people! I have NO FEAR! Remember? I'm head bitch! Yipe!
memelou ⋅ February 03, 2014
Head Bitch is a good title.
Pintador ⋅ February 03, 2014
I never forgot your "head bitch" episode w/ the Newfie...dammit, I can't remember his name now. You mentioned that when he was younger, he occasionally growled until the day he tried it on you after you attempted to move his bulk so you could vacuum around him. If memory serves me correctly, you straddled him and growled back, leaving him to quiver in his own pee puddle.
MJ's Page Pintador ⋅ February 03, 2014
Little Bear. What a good dog he was. He began losing his mind in his last years with us - and forgot, momentarily, who was boss. I did, man. I growled at him with such meaning, he rolled over, whimpered and peed himself like the little girl he really was.
My goal is never to break a dog. Nobody likes a broken dog. But there are times when it becomes imperative to assert your dominance or they take over.
Btw....Beth is going back on the leash, attached to me, until she gains a little more respect for the cats and my word as Goddess of the Home....or HEAD BITCH.
CPA2B ⋅ February 03, 2014
Dogs and cats, Oh MY!! They provide great entertainment until it starts to drive you crazy. I'd love to see a video of the cat schooling the big ole doggy sometime!! It sounds hilarious! Have a fantastic day. Big prayers for you and AM tomorrow...
Silent Echo/Quiet Storm ⋅ February 03, 2014
my daughter has to do something about chloe who has taken up go after her cat. she will stop when i say her name and no forcefully. but, i dont' want to have to say it. i don't what chloe to even think going after pearl is a thing to do. might have to grab her by the scruff and let her know who's boss and it ain't her! take care,
MJ's Page ⋅ February 03, 2014
Gray Tabby,
I managed to break Beth of her hatred of cats by imposing a home leash law. :) I kept a pocketful of high-value treats (bacon) and whenever we passed a cat without her hyper-focusing on them, I would treat her.
I would take her outside where the cats were sunning, and would keep her in down/stay by my side. Every time she would look at me ( with some encouragement at first), I would treat with a brief praise. When she became good at that, I would shorten the distance between us and the cat, and repeat.
The same applied when we were indoors.
As her interest decreased, she became less 'cat killer', and more curious. And as the outdoor cats became more accustomed to her presence, they began to indulge her curiosity. Ziggy, being our most confident cat, was the most permissive. He was instrumental in Beth abandoning her previous mindset.
Yesterday, there was an increase in Beth's excitability that had me considering a return to the leash law, but I came home from work today, and damned if Beth isn't behaving.