# Could you please keep yer mitts off my new puppy? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610 "2003-08-25T22:05:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/41 "2003-08-26T19:09:26Z")
I have a somewhat opposite problem with my Golden Retriever, Bubba.(Like you couldn’t guess) He thinks that all humans were put on this earth to pet him. When we’re out walking he gets more than his share of attention. Its when people WON’T pet him that he shows visible signs of disapointment. The only time he looks really distressed is when the person shoves their face right up against his and expects to be licked. While he’s very laid back he has a quirk about the fact that he WILL NOT lick people. He turns his head sideways and I swear he _ **frowns** _ if Shitty Mrs. Happyface tries to smooch with him. Bubba ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/42 "2003-08-26T19:18:03Z")
Actually, shoving your face into a strange dogs sounds like a really good way to get your face bit off. People are so dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/43 "2003-08-26T19:44:04Z")
people ARE dumb. And I agree, CrazyCatLady - there’s a difference between the gentle, no-eye-contact offering than the: “HERE SNIFF MY HAND Ooooooh AREN’T YOU A NICE DOGGY!” thing. Uuuugh. People be dumb. In general. I still get a lot of people petting the service pups when they’re out and about, with their coats, clearly in training and/or working. GAAAAAH. I’ve had to fight with one woman last week in downtown Minneapolis about her not petting the dog - she asked, I said no, she’s working… and she kept insisting… I said no, she’s working, needs to concentrate… so she says, “can I at least try?” GAAAAAH. Clueless. I think I like dogs better than most people (excluding lno, cuz I like him a lot. A whooooole lot) (All together now, awwwwwww…) ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/44 "2003-08-26T20:27:37Z")
There was even one woman who assulted my puppy becasue she wanted to smell his “puppy breath”. I mean **EW**! ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/45 "2003-08-26T21:13:29Z")
But they _do_ have that puppy smell…and their little hearts beat so fast…can’t…resist…puppy… I’m impossible, I know ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/46 "2003-08-27T00:13:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*There was even one woman who assulted my puppy becasue she wanted to smell his “puppy breath”. > > I mean **EW**! \*\* Puppy breath is not ew! It’s _cute_ Now old dog breath…that’s just yeccchh ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/47 "2003-08-27T00:30:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BubbaDog \* > \*\*I have a somewhat opposite problem with my Golden Retriever, Bubba.(Like you couldn’t guess) > > He thinks that all humans were put on this earth to pet him. When we’re out walking he gets more than his share of attention. Its when people WON’T pet him that he shows visible signs of disapointment.\*\* I thought my brother’s dogs were the only ones who did this. I dog-sat for a week, and I swear, when I took them on walks, they would see someone outside, get these HUGE smiles on their faces (people with goldens and huskies know EXACTLY the smiles I’m talking about) and strain at the leashes because they so want to get to these people to be pet. And kids. They love kids. The problem is, they’re twice the size of the kids and they want to jump. That’s always fun. Luckily, the kids know the dogs and they know to stay back until the dogs get it out of their system. Ava ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/48 "2003-08-27T01:32:19Z")
Hmm…brand new puppy here as well. But unlike the OP, we both enjoy the attention. Well _she_ does, because as much as I like to remind the Pretty Petters® that _I’m_ the one that’s already housebroken, I might as well be invisible 😉 Here, take a look at us and you’ll see why: [**Silky and Red**](http://69.49.228.188/images/p1010018.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/49 "2003-08-27T01:45:06Z")
Red: Too cute! What kind of puppy is that? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/50 "2003-08-27T06:07:59Z")
Red: My WAG - a dachshund? ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/51 "2003-08-27T06:48:51Z")
She’s all Doberman Pinscher. All 9 weeks of her that is. And she’s definately keeping all of her appendages intact. Topic for another thread, but I don’t understand the “aesthetic mutilations” concept. Personally, I think all dogs are perfect as is. 'cept for the Chihuahua of course. :::shudder::: ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/52 "2003-08-27T12:06:05Z")
We have that problem with our 8 year old Lab-and-god-knows-what-else. When we walk him in the park, everybody comes up to him (and bear in mind this is an 80 pound black and white-tipped dog with great big teeth) and puts their face _right in his face!_ It kinda freaks us out, but thank Og he is the mellowest dog on the planet. Maybe his sweet disposition just radiates from him-people even try to convince their kids to kiss him! Oddly enough, it may be regional-when we lived in Mississippi, many people (especially black people) were absolutely terrified by him, even crossing the street when we walked him, even though he had the same sweet disposition. Up here in the northwest, he is embraced by all colors and creeds. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/53 "2003-08-27T12:30:15Z")
You may actually have _The Cutest Puppy._ Look for three wise Saint Bernards bearing treats. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/54 "2003-08-27T13:20:38Z")
I’d just like to point out that this is _waaaaaay_ better than all those cat threads. But maybe that’s just my personal bias showing through … ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/55 "2003-08-27T13:44:46Z")
“And they called it puppy love Oh, I guess they’ll never know How a young heart really feels And why they love her so…” Thank You! Thank You Very Much! We’ll be at Al’s Bowl O’ Rama all week… ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/56 "2003-08-27T15:01:56Z")
All my dogs know “sit, lie down, food, treats, dinner, inside, outside,” and “walk.” Don’t joke around with that last one. This includes the not puppy anymore (sniff!). She had her first yesterday… (Sob!) Just kidding. I hate puppies about half the time, the half of the time I’m repairing or throwing away damaged things they choose in lieu of the 40 dog toys with which I surrounded them. I don’t miss cleaning up three or four peeing accidents a day, that’s for sure. The older dogs both know “stay, come, paw, other paw, roll over, mom, dad” and “sit pretty” – to name a few. Sit pretty is just the natural beagle begging position. I don’t make the German shepherd do sit pretty because she has interpreted it to mean jump up and put her paws on your shoulders and give you a big kiss. Her nails hurt. The German shepherd understands pointing, “stop,” “get her” – which means chase the ‘puppy’ down in the yard and playfully pounce all 80 of her careful pounds on the now 22 pound dog. Sometimes that one is helpful, because the young beagle is too shifty to be caught unless she lets me. She does let me about 99% of the time now. Which, for a beagle, seems to be about as good as it ever gets. Furthermore, like any good herding dog, the shepherd waits at intersections on our walks and looks back for my suggestions, which she rarely, if ever, vetos. I can say “park,” “home,” or “water” and she will go to those particular places. She always checks back for pointed instructions now as well. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/57 "2003-08-27T15:28:33Z")
Question on training, **Beagle**. At what age can one reasonably expect a puppy to learn most of those commands? Five, six months? More? And yes, I realize they all have different personalities, but I am asking about some sort of average. It’s been over twelve years since my last pooch (a GS, BTW), and I am a bit fuzzy on what to expect from my new puppy. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/58 "2003-08-27T16:02:42Z")
I think they can learn “sit” almost immediately. You gently push their butts down while you say it. Reward. Repeat. Rewards can be food, toys, or attention. Only using food is a bad idea. “Lie down” is a natural transition from “sit” – just push the front end down to match the back. You can go to “roll over” from lie down. You can go to “paw” from sit. Etc… Too much training equals unhappy dog. Do it about ten minutes every day. Always go back over the old tricks before you try anything new. Don’t introduce new tricks too quickly. To make your dog understand words, use the same words over and over like a human parrot, but only in the correct contexts. Don’t mess with their heads. Don’t use long sentences, though dogs will pick through the slop for the key words. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/59 "2003-08-27T16:27:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RedFury \* > Topic for another thread, but I don’t understand the “aesthetic mutilations” concept. Personally, I think all dogs are perfect as is. 'cept for the Chihuahua of course. You know, in most European countries, docking the tail is now illegal. Of course, some wackos still have ‘accidents’ and slam the car door on the puppy’s tail, forcing a visit to the vet and then a docking. However, I had never heard about de-clawing of cats and neutering dogs until I came to the US. For me, that’s totally barbaric. If a person can’t handle a pet being its natural, evolved self, get other pets (Fish tank? Though I find that appalling too.). Better yet, get a ‘Mr. Potato Head.’ ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610/60 "2003-08-27T16:43:31Z")
One very important thing, use hand signals _and_ verbal cues for everything. It seems to speed up the training process. One final observation, just in case someone out there has the most frustrating dog in the universe: Don’t yell at or punish your dog for screwing up in training – ever. They are easily distracted and few dogs are perfect. If they come to associate training with yelling or punishment you can forget training, IMO. OTOH, I’m not saying that you should let your dog be dominant over you or anything stupid like that. If they growl at you, it’s muzzle grabbing time. Followed by about a two minute pin on the ground where you sootingly say something like “no biting.” If the dog growls, keep it down until it stops. You want to be the nice and lenient-- but iron-fisted and tyrranical about some things – ‘alpha’ at all times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-please-keep-yer-mitts-off-my-new-puppy/197610.md?page=4)