OK - so the spray bottle I will try....If I had to guess on who's the alpha now - I wouldn't know what to say...it's so low key and normal in my house...maybe my 15 pound cat..? LOL... Charlotte has tried to approach her - but Faelyn gives her a nice decent meow and Char just sits down and stares at her like 'hmmmm how can I manage this one'?
Just the thought of a 2 pounder being alpha makes me chuckle - altho I know it's not funny and needs to be corrected NOW... I started to use a spray bottle on a kitten I rescued a long time ago - and HE LIKED IT...he was a wonderful kitty - lived 17 years and was my 'soul' kitty - but he LOVED water...used to sit in the window when it was raining - and if I hadn't shut the window yet - would just sit there and get soaked...loved the shower too. The spray bottle was his buddy...so I started to use an small can of just 'air' - whoa...he didn't like that...and learned quickly. SILLY ANIMALS... THANK YOU JOAN... "I wish my book of life was written in pencil … There are a few pages I would like to erase" "I wish my book of life was written in pencil … There are a few pages I would like to erase" ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan Croft" <joan_cr...@hotmail.com> To: Chihuahuas@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 2:55:51 PM Subject: RE: [Chihuahuas] Disciplining a baby I have used the squirt bottle with Dolly & Desi. I did it about three times and after that if they saw the spray bottle in my hand they would stop doing whatever they were doing wrong. It is harmless, and it does work. It sounds like Charlotte is vying with Timmy to be the Alpha Dog in the house. Little girls are very bossy! From: Chihuahuas@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Chihuahuas@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Lynda Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 11:15 AM To: Chihuahuas@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Chihuahuas] Disciplining a baby Hello everyone...as you know Miss Charlotte came home to live at the Crittershack on Wednesday night. She's doing great - It's been days now without an accident off the pee pads...sleeping good (and for 6 hours) in her crate (and she only cries a minute or two initially) - and her crate is 9 times out of 10 clean and dry the next morning. I LOVE the way she smells...I can't wait to get home and sniff that little puppy head. So...I have 2 other dogs - Liza doesn't know she's a dog and doesn't bother with other dogs. She's INCREDIBLY tolerant of Timmy my schnoodle and the cats (who love to lay over her for warmth). Timmy is High Energy...he's go go go until he falls asleep but gets along with Liza and the cats perfectly ...but Charlotte has taken to being what appears to be 'mean' to him - growling and lunging with her little 2 pound bark. I give a 'no' command and pull her back away - poor Timmy looks at me and wonders 'what did I do to deserve that'? Sometimes she's relentless in pursuing him this way. He's only growled at her twice but he's never been challenged so I'm not sure how far he will allow her to push until he strikes back..I don't want her to get hurt - he's only 14# but that's big enough. Liza and Timmy are free roaming and need little disciplining anymore. I'm very proud of them. A few people at the vet's office have suggested correcting Charlotte with a little squirt of water from a spritzer type bottle ... I've never had to correct a dog or cat in this way - so I'm reaching out to all of your for help. I have no real place for 'time out' - I gate her in the kitchen when I walk the other 2 outside - so I don't want to use that as a 'punishment' place and of course I'd never use her crate. HELP... Lynda