Parents in Training

After Rob (George's brother) and Jana (our sister-in-law) visited us and brought their yorkie (Charlie) for the weekend, it was love at first sight. The next day, our friend Janet asked us if we wanted their Shar-pei named Bear. Bear belonged to their daughter, but she could no longer care for him as she was busy with college. We immediately made plans to meet him. It was love at first sight. We took him home and within 2 days I wanted to give him back. I didn't realize how much attention they require. If you don't spend time training them, they'll become the alpha dog and rule your home. George encouraged me to give it a week before deciding. Well once I thought about living without those cute wrinkles of his, I quickly changed my mind. I talked to one of my other friends who owns a Mastiff and Min pin to see how she does it. She encouraged us to watch "It's Me or The Dog" to learn the psychology behind dog training. The key is spending time everyday engaging him in some sort of exercise and training. He's great company while George is at work and he's great to run with. I always feel safe around him. One of the things we are working on with him is socializing with other dogs. He no longer barks at children and buses, but is socially awkward. I introduced him to my friend Jenna's Goldendoodle and lets just say I don't think she'll be inviting us back to the dog park any time soon. Sorry Jenna :)