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  Johnnynull 8 years ago

  @Sigg3 Thanks kindly!
  
  That's really something. We're so litigious, people often don't help someone in immediate trouble.
  
  In America, a man walking down the street is creepy. A man walking with a dog is cute and admirable. A man walking with a young child is likely a pedophile.

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  Sigg3 8 years ago

  @Johnnynull This might be a bit late, but congratulations! :D
  
  Another thing that's easier with children (at least here in Norway), is that you can bring your kid everywhere, bystanders will take care of him/her in case of emergency and smiles all around. Contrast with a dog, who is not allowed nearly anywhere, often considered dirty or dangerous, and is at higher risk of being dognapped by people who abuse them in illegal dog fights (at least where we live) with little/no help from police :$

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  Johnnynull 8 years ago

  @Sigg3 We've a seven year old boy and a one year old girl. We're familiar with bodily functions. 😉

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  Sigg3 8 years ago

  @Johnnynull I didn't really find the housebreaking annoying, it just meant the apartment smelled like pine tree all the time due to the spray detergent we used:) However, I don't miss the puppy-biting (nibbling).
  
  Now I have a kid, so imagine housebreaking stretching out over 3-6 years..........!
  
  @Joe Don't get me wrong, our dog is far from perfect. I just find that dog psychology helps me comprehend what the dog is able to fathom and also pick up on possibilities of misunderstandings a priori.

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  Johnnynull 8 years ago

  @Joe Ayup.
  @Joe and @Sigg3 I'd never get a puppy again. Two words: House. Breaking.

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  Sigg3 8 years ago

  @Joe puppy courses are not for week-olds but before sexual maturity ;)
  
  We got the active pup and he requires more attention than his litter peers. But fun personality!
  
  The point is just that a) dogs learn efficiently through positive reinforcement (unlike humans who often learn through failure), and b) it's an uphill struggle to keep un-learning established behavior.
  
  It's great to have your brother's help, especially in recognizing what behavior you do not want in _your_ dog :)

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  Joe 8 years ago

  @sigg3 we can't do anything at the moment as they're to little. Not sure about puppy classes though. My family have had gun dogs my whole like. Their training worked really well for my brothers Lab you would think he's a guide dog. Plus I personally like there little naughty side :) That's the best part of a small dog.

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  Sigg3 8 years ago

  @Joe @Sarah Have you read any dog psychology literature? Some defining traits are visible in the litter; the most active pups are more well-fed and dominant, while the very shy ones are typically more patient since they submit and wait. (You can test this by calling on them when they're all sleeping, and see which order they arrive in.)
  
  I also must stress the huge pay off of positive reinforcement puppy courses. First, it teaches you interacting, and second, it's a base for later training.

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  Joe 8 years ago

  @johnnynull are you doing that martial art you shared a few weeks ago??

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  Johnnynull 8 years ago

  Things are good, thanks. Bloodied my knuckles going at the heavy bag without bag gloves. Made knuckle push-ups uncomfortable. How are you?

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  Sarah 8 years ago

  our little tan puppy 😀 it's so difficult. I love them all....although I suspect 4 puppies would be an absolute nightmare (though a cute one!) this is them today!! already grown I think!!

  

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