For over a year now I have been closely observing Jones to see if he has what it takes to be a very good dog. I must confess, I am cautiously optimistic about his chances. He is a slower learner than I expected.
Perhaps you are wondering where this is coming from. Well, in order to be fair to Jones, I have been keeping a log of his behavior. I recently sat down to review it and was somewhat surprised at both his progress, and, lack of progress, depending on what he’s doing.
Here are some highlights from the past year – I’ve included a graph at the end, which clearly shows Jones’ progress over the year:
May 2, 2022
Jones arrives home from Montana. He is loud, opinionated, refuses to eat any food other than his travel kibble and yells when he needs to potty outside. Grady thinks he is hilarious.
June 21, 2022
Jones has been here for over a month and Mom and I are exhausted but Grady finds Jones amusing. Jones continues to be loud when things don’t go as he’d like but he is now sleeping through the night. He is learning his basic life skills cues very quickly but sometimes refuses to comply (for example, doing a “sit” when Mom asks). When I asked him why, Jones said, “Sometimes I’m just not feeling it.” Also, Jones has “personal space” issues.
July 3, 2022
Jones is excited about July 4th. He does not understand that fireworks are frightening. And, another thing. When we go to training class, he barks in his crate the ENTIRE time. Mom gave him a snuffle mat but he finds the treats so quickly that it almost isn’t worth it to give it to him. Thanks to Jones, my ears are ringing. He still has “personal space” issues.
September 15, 2022
I think something is wrong with Jones’ hearing because when I try to tell him what the rules are, he acts like he doesn’t hear me. I tell him not to grab Mom’s shoe, the bedspread, my toys or the couch cushions but he does it anyway. Grady assures me Jones has excellent hearing and not to worry. Jones’ “personal space” issues have not improved.
October 3, 2022
Today, when Jones was outside, he got a stick and refused to give it to Mom! Instead, he just ran past her with the stick several times!! I have never seen such naughty behavior. To try and help Mom out, I have been picking up and chewing all the sticks I can find so Jones can’t have any. And, annoyingly enough, he still has “personal space” issues.
November 20, 2022
Jones announced that he has decided he likes Thanksgiving food (who doesn’t?). When Jones made this announcement, he promptly jumped on me without being invited to do so. He needs therapy for his ongoing “personal space” issues.
December 17, 2022
Jones made out his list for Santa and claimed that he was a good boy this year but I don’t necessarily agree. Sometimes he doesn’t come to Mom when she calls his name and he still pulls off the couch cushion. No change in his “personal space” issues.
February 14, 2023
Jones is doing better coming to Mom when he is called. He also likes his new food. He is still loud, opinionated and indifferent to the needs of others. When we were running in the yard together, Jones kept bumping into me even when I told him not to. I think he thought he was being funny. This is another example of Jones’ “personal space” issues.
April 2, 2023
Jones still likes to pull the cushion off of the back of the couch and jump on it. No matter how many times he gets in trouble for this, he continues to do it. It drives Mom nuts! He is doing better with his beginner agility work. He’s a little better giving me my personal space but that depends on how much he wants to show good impulse control. I really wish Mom would put him in therapy.
Dawson Earnest Huntley
President & CEO
Abolish The Crate Federation
