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PAGE 12C PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 23. 2003
WINTRY-MIX — A person directing traffic at Jasper Middle School gets a taste of this
year’s winter misery with sleet and cold weather last Thursday which closed schools early.
School was also closed Friday with icy patches on some roads remaining through Sunday.
Some weather forecasts are calling for more of the same later this week.
(Photo by Damon Howell)
Ask Elwood
Wetting and Marking
First I want to apologize for the
abrupt ending of my last column -
but those “other” behaviors are del
icate topics that take finesse to dis
cuss.
I didn’t feel too good last week
so I had my personal assistant write
most of that column.
She don’t have much of a sense
of humor does she?
O.K. Let’s talk about those
embarrassing and aggravating
“other” behaviors that involve the
urinary tract: Submissive Wetting
and Territorial Marking.
First, I have to tell you that I
don’t have no first hand experience
with these.
Well, except for that territorial
thing and Fm actually pretty good
at not feeling like I have to claim
every corner as my own. That’s
because I have self-confidence,
self-esteem, and trust my pack
leader.
Course I can forget my manners,
just like that time I marked that fire
hydrant/cone looking thing at the
Therapy Dogs International Test.
But, dum, I was confused about
who owned that place - it had so
many different people and dog
smells that my brain quit working
and my instinct just took over.
But getting back to the topic -
both these here behaviors - Sub
missive Wetting and Territorial
Marking - are normal dog behav
iors.
And without getting into one of
them “Nature vs. Nurture” debates
Fm just gonna say that some dogs
are more inclined to these behaviors
than others.
Submissive wetting looks like
this: You come home from work,
school, whatever, your dog Rufus
comes running up to you, flops over
on his belly, curls up a little and
pees all over himself.
Or he’s fine until you lean over
to pet him and he flops over and
pees. You get the picture.
Well, rolling over and exposing
one’s belly is the way a dog signals
submission. It’s sort of like putting
your human hands on your head
and yelling, “Don’t shoot”.
The release of urine is uncon
trollable because it is hardwired
into what a bio-psychologist might
call a “full submissive response.”
So yelling at your dog is the
opposite of what you should do to
stop this behavior. Even leaning
over your dog is perceived as a
dominating and threatening gesture
- that’s why he pees when you lean
over to pet him.
What ya gotta do to eliminate
this - especially the peeing part
which I understand is real offensive
to you humans for some reason - is
ignore it.
Notice I said IGNORE. Not
jump away and yell “eeeuuu-
uwwww, gross” or some other
equally disturbing human utterance
reserved for things you find dis
tasteful.
You gotta start building rapport
and trust with your dog. Hollering
at him or screeching ain’t gonna
help. Sit down on the floor and
play with Rufus. Lay on your back
as an invitation to play. This kind
of dog play stuff helps build the
human canine bond.
Instead of leaning over Rufus to
pet him, try kneeling on the ground
and asking him to come over to
you.
Feed him a treat when you do
this. This way he learns that sitting
up is desirable behavior and even
tually he will forget that he ever
felt frightened.
What you want is to turn this
cringing, submissive, bowl of uri
nating jelly into an assertive, obe
dient, happy canine.
It’s done by rewarding your dog
when he is not “wetting” and
ignoring him when he “wets”.
It may take a little time. Like I
said, some dogs are just more pre
disposed to this behavior than oth
ers.
It’s not their fault; its not your
fault, it just is. So ignore it as
much as possible.
Territorial marking is also nor
mal doggie behavior. Especially in
non-neutered male dogs.
But female dogs and neutered
male dogs also mark.
All dogs mark their territory in
some way. The reason we do this is
to leave our scent on things that we
consider “ours”. It makes us feel
better. It makes a place home.
It scares off intruders. And it’s
fun to do!
OOPS! I think I’m going to
have to leave my comments on ter
ritorial marking till the next col
umn. My assistant and me are hav
ing some differences of opinion on
how to discuss this delicate subject.
Talk at Ya later;
Elwood
Elwood welcomes questions and
comments. You can reach him by
email at elwood@crazydogart.com
or c/o his assistant. Robin Torulra,
at 2073 Big Ridge Road, Talking
Rock. GA 30175. Robin teaches
Family Dog Manners at Pickens
Parks and Recreation and at Talk
to Your Dog Center - 706-334-
2624
Edgewood Estates
on Grandview Rood
Phase 1 sold out
Phase 3 sold out
Lots remaining in Phase 2
include
Lot 9,
level building site,
stream
3.85 acres
Lot 11,
3.002 at end of cul-
de-sac
Lot 13
That is Sharptop in the
background.
Nice winter view
3.55 acres
-
•WRfiL- Y.„.,
Lot 14
3.5 acres with
stream, great build
ing site
Lot 15
3.14 acres with nice
building site well off
of road.
Land priced at $17,500 per acre
Houses in area start at $240,000s
• covenants,
• underground utilities
Call any agent
at Century 21 Lindsey and Pauley
706-692-3533
A HELPING HAND
— The Rev. Frank Wilson
from the Episcopal Church
presents a check for $25,000
to Lonnie Waters and Rev.
Robert Self for the relief fund
to help victims of the
November 11 tornado. The
fund, established by Living
Word Church, will help those
hardest hit by the storm. The
$25,000 donation came from
the Episcopal Church’s
Emergency Relief and Devel
opment Fund.
Self who is directing the
fund said there are still 15
families with genuine needs,
ranging from foundation
repairs to roofing. He esti
mated another $50,000 is
needed.
A big problem were the
number of people who did
not have insurance and were
affected by the storm.
Donations can be sent to
Living Word Church, 215
Pioneer Ind. Blvd, Jasper, GA
30143. The donations need to
be marked “storm relief’ in
order to keep them separate
from the general church
funds. All donations are tax
deductible.
Call Self at 706-253-5965
for more information.
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1617 E. Church St., Jasper
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