newell@usiv03.DEC (05/01/85)
I have a year 16 month old Pekingese with a wonderful temperment and fairly good body lines (he's pet quality). He is kept in the garage with our other dog a 13 year old TerrierX, when we are gone during the day and at night while we sleep. The problem is he has gotten into the habit of walking under the two cars in the garage and coating his back with automobile oil. I don't know if he is doing this because it feels good or if it is just a short cut from one side of the garage to the other. Nevertheless, it's a problem and I would like to find a solution short of leaving both cars outside. It's very frustrating to bathe the dog only to discover he is coated with oil the next day. It's also a problem because we like to have him in the house when we are home but hesitate to because of the possibility of him getting the oil on the carpet or furniture. Is there maybe something that could be sprinkled under the cars that would discourage him from using that route? I might mention he is not the easiest dog to train. The Terrier is very bright and if we had this problem with her we would be able to train her to not walk under the cars. I would appreciate any suggestions that might keep my Peke clean. Jodi. DEC Irvine,CA
cushner@ttidcb.UUCP (Jeffrey Cushner) (05/03/85)
>From: newell@usiv03.DEC > >I have a year 16 month old Pekingese with a wonderful temperment >and fairly good body lines (he's pet quality). He is kept in the >garage with our other dog a 13 year old TerrierX, when we are >gone during the day and at night while we sleep. The problem is >he has gotten into the habit of walking under the two cars in the >garage and coating his back with automobile oil. I don't know if >he is doing this because it feels good or if it is just a short >cut from one side of the garage to the other. > >Nevertheless, it's a problem and I would like to find a solution >short of leaving both cars outside. It's very frustrating to >bathe the dog only to discover he is coated with oil the next >day. It's also a problem because we like to have him in the >house when we are home but hesitate to because of the possibility >of him getting the oil on the carpet or furniture. > >Is there maybe something that could be sprinkled under the cars >that would discourage him from using that route? I might mention >he is not the easiest dog to train. The Terrier is very bright >and if we had this problem with her we would be able to train her >to not walk under the cars. > >I would appreciate any suggestions that might keep my Peke clean. > >Jodi. DEC Irvine,CA Maybe he's reminding you that it's time for an oil and filter change {^: But seriously Jodi, it's probably caused by one of two reasons: 1. Security Most dogs, at night, like to crawl under the lowest object around and get themselves as tight as they can. It's the same reason that dogs like crates and doghouses so much. It's part of the denning instinct. My own dog would crawl under the bed until it was *painful* for her to do it. She would crawl under and moan for about 10 minutes until she fell asleep and then would groan in the morning trying to get out again. (Now she can only stick her head in, being full grown, but it remains her nightime security spot. You might think of getting him used to a small crate or doghouse placed in a corner of the garage without the cars in there until he gets used to it. 2. Rolling Instinct Many dogs roll in some foul smelling substance for, as of yet unproven, reasons. I tend to believe they do this to hide their own scent for hunting or defensive reasons. It *could* be that your dog is trying to disguise his odor so he won't be *discovered* at night. Of the two, I think that 1. is your reason. BTW, why don't you let the dogs sleep in your bedroom at night? -- ============================================================================== Jeff Cushner @ Citicorp-TTI Santa Monica CA 90405 (213) 450-9111 x2273 {vortex,philabs}!ttidca!ttidcb!cushner