Saturday, October 23, 2010

Designing for Dogs

Lately I've started thinking about how to best accommodate our little Maggy the Wonder Pup (or Magpie as she is also called) in the new house. Living in temporary quarters has made it far too easy to let things slide as far as house rules and manners. All of us have gotten a little sloppy, but no one so much as Maggy who is still too young to have even acquired any manners.

How and where Maggy will fit in at the new house. Where will she sleep? Where will we keep her food? Will we have the discipline to always bring her in and out through the mudroom? (That's what it's designed it for, right?) Not having much experience with dogs, I turn to you, dear readers, for some advice.

  •  Can you teach a dog that it is okay to sit on some sofas, but not all?
  • Can you break a dog of the habit of sleeping on your bed once you've allowed it?
  • What is the best place to feed a dog--in the kitchen? On a back porch?
  • What tips do you have for having a dog AND a clean house--are they mutually exclusive?

Complicating matters is the fact that we must help the two cats stake out their own territory in the new digs. Elderly Mischka has an oil and water relationship with Maggy, while Max tolerates her and even manages to play with her from time to time. Each will need his or her own space.

So far, in the three short months we have had her, Maggy is ruling the roost--being the baby and all. But it really hasn't been fair to Max and Mischka, and I'm hoping that moving into the new house might just be the opportunity to start anew. Any tips?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Cheryl - I don't have any dog advice....being a cat owner only but that sure is a very cute photo of Maggy.

Cheryl said...

MTH says she looks like Winston Churchhill with a cigar! Well, sort of...