lizblackdog | Who are these men of lust, greed, and glory? (Reply)

I've been thinking over the implications of the argument I had with Spike at Xmas and I realised I'd been harming our relationship by tricking him into giving up his toys. I still can't allow him to have toys in the house. It's too small a space and too full of complicated relationships and it always ends in either a fight with a jealous Squish or a complaint from my downstairs neighbour. So letting him hang onto it (as I did when he was an only dog at Grimmauld Place) isn't an option, but it has to be done in a way that doesn't erode his trust in me.

So these are the new rules, in effect for about a week so far: I don't ever lie to him or try and obscure the facts. If I ask him to put the ball down or bring it closer it's always to throw again.

Corollary: When he starts snatching and playing keep-away we leash up and go home immediately. If he doesn't drop the ball when I leash him (he often does) then we just walk round doing nothing fun until he does drop it. Then he gets praise and sausage.

It's making a noticeable difference already. I love my quick thinky boy!

P.S.