This one is a story that stands all on its own. I’ve been meaning to write it since mid June. Well, here it is now.
When I left training, I was a touch sad that Tansy wouldn’t have a crate waiting for her at home, especially since I saw how much she loved her school one. But I figured she’d get used to the tie-downs and I’d get her some awesome poofy beds.
And I did. And all was well. She would sleep in her poofy bed of choice, and seemed to love them both.
Then one day, when my computer threatened to keel over, I had called for a computer guy to come look at it. When he arrived, I tied Tansy down as I had done every other time someone came to the door. After Trix’s exuberant greetings, and knowing how nutso Tansy is about people in general, containment was the name of the game. I let him in, and I could tell Tansy really thought he was the most awesome thing ever, but I wasn’t worried. She was tied down, all was good.
…
Hahahahahaha!
She gave a good yank and was contained by the tie-down. But Tansy was not to be denied. She backed up and gave it her all, and pulled the whole kit and caboodle right out of the wall.
Suddenly I heard quite mobile jingle jingles, followed by a trailing tinga linga ling that could only be the tie-down and bolt! Oh, my, god? My dog, with sheer force, has just removed a tie-down that was put in the wall using power tools!
Needless to say she was swiftly leashed and kept with me for the duration of the computer guy’s visit, and thankfully the only reason for her exuberance was to kiss the everloving jeebers out of him, and he lliked dogs, but after that, I decided she was getting a crate, and soon.
My folks were coming, and couldn’t believe this. Lots of people say dad must have just screwed it into the drywall, but my dad is a very handy man and I can’t imagine him not putting it into something sttrong. But maybe he weighed the options of the place I wanted vs how strong a hold he could give it into the wall there vs how strong he thought the dog would be, and thought it could hold it, even though it wasn’t the strongest piece of wall you could pick. I don’t know. All I know is it came out. I also know that Tansy gave a pretty good attempt of pulling the stake to which she was tied at Brad’s house clear out of the ground. So, she’s a strooong dooog.
Dad debated getting pieces of steel or weights or something and tying her to those, but I thought it was just simpler to get a crate. Plus she liked the things anyway. So the next week, I went on a hunt for a crate.
I brought it home, all happy. Tanseroo would have her crate. But Tansy didn’t seem happy with it. She would go in if asked, but she wouldn’t stay there willingly, and if you shut the door, she would whine.
I tried putting beds I had in there, but none of them would fit. That wasn’t good enough, she would whine too.
I tried feeding her in there. Nope. She would eat and then leave. I tried treating her and putting toys in there. Nope. Then I wondered if maybe she would like it if I got a mat that definitely fit the dimensions of the crate.
So, back to the store I went and got a crate mat. As soon as I got that in there, it was like love at first sight. Ever since, she will go in there and sleep whenever. It’s the reaction like the one she would do at school.
I have a silly princess dog. But I have a silly princess dog who can be contained if need be. We all win.
