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Chewing and Biting and Pooping . . . Oh My!
How to Handle Puppy Mishaps with Neighbors
From dragged away rain boots to puppy poop mishaps, when it comes to owning a new pet it’s easy to see why they sometimes bring out the Wicked Witch of the West in our neighbors. But when it comes to handling these puppy mishaps and the Wicked Witch next door, how can we keep the peace without finding ourselves being followed by that bright red smoke and those spooky flying monkeys?
Read on to find our super simple rules to puppy uh-oh etiquette. They’ll help you stay on your neighbor’s good side and avoid those dreaded words . . . “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too!”
The Garden Dig
You wake up one morning, sun shining, robe snuggly wrapped round your waist, on your way to fetch the paper . . . everything is peachy keen and then you spot it . . . the neighbor’s prize winning begonias strolled all across your yard! When it comes to the “garden dig” . . . it’s usually the worst of puppy mishaps. While it might not seem so bad to us, it can be unforgiving to someone who has spent lots of money and time to make their yard look splendid.
If your pup digs up a plant, the best thing to do is apologize to the neighbor in person. Bring along a plant to replace the old one. Offer to plant it yourself and insure your neighbor that you will be keeping a much better eye on puppy in the future.
Poopie Whoopsie
One of the most common of puppy mistakes is the “grass is greener” syndrome. Because pups have a natural instinct to mark their territory, they can often mistake the house next door as their stomping grounds. If you notice some wayward poop or see your puppy circling the neighbor’s yard, quickly remove him and clean up the mess with a plastic bag promptly.
Chewing and Biting Boo Boos
If your pup has gotten a playful hold on your leg in the past . . . you know that it can be rather annoying. Add that nuisance together with an unsuspecting neighbor’s ankle and you could have a bad situation on your hands. While puppy probably means no harm, people aren’t very tolerant of gnawing and biting.
If this is brought to your attention or if you simply suspect puppy might be a nibbler, keep him in close quarters. A neighbor without much patience might skip telling you all together and call Animal Control. This is a place no dog owner wants to find themselves. In some cases, you may not even know that your dog has been taken and in others you might be fortunate enough to find puppy but be left with hefty fines.
If this does happen, however, and you find that puppy has been nibbling knees or shoes simply apologize and explain that you understand the seriousness of these annoying habits. Go on to say that you will be keeping puppy indoors or in his own special space away from their yard. If puppy has destroyed a shoe or something else left on the porch with his nibbling, simply replace the item with a heartfelt apology.
When it comes to puppy troubles, with a little etiquette and the right amount of patience you can keep the peace with neighbors, develop friendships along the way . . . and maybe even discover that the Wicked Witch next door has taken a liking to Toto too. |