So Henry is not allowed on the furniture, except by special invitation.
Ever since I rearranged the furniture between various rooms in the house, he seems to think he can jump on the couch – knocking pillows off and jumping from here to there and back again – and then he jumps down and goes to his approved Henry spots.
I have kind of turned a blind eye to that since it seems harmless and he is having so much fun jumping from the ottoman to the couch and then over to the chair. And the ottoman is on wheels, so if he jumps just right he get to go for a ride.
Once he has frolicked a bit he either goes to one of his dog beds or his special chair (my rocking swivel wicker chair from the porch which no longer rocked or swiveled because the metal piece broke, so it’s now Henry’s short wicker chair).
But today I looked up from the computer and saw this:
Totally against the rules!
My little Henry stayed there, very quietly, for at least a couple of hours.
Henry is 10 years old, and he damn well knows what the rules are.
What do you think? Should I change the rules on account of cuteness, or enforce them?
Open thread.
War for Ukraine Day 1,222: Russia Continues to Bombard Civilian Ukrainian Targets; Ukraine Counterattacks Into Russian Occupied Luhansk & Donetsk
Bupalos
I think this is kind of a frivolous thing.
Your dog shouldn’t be allowed to degrade your valuable things, unless your dog is a more valuable thing to you than the things that others consider valuable, considering they have no attachment to your dog.
I guess that didn’t answer the question
But it took me 52 years to transition from the point where ‘of course our animal pets are just better humans’ to the point where I see Americans’ infatuation with animal pets as really fucking weird and problematic.
Like, it speaks to a positive potential… but also speaks to the desire to squander that positive potential in pure 6th grade fiction
It really is true that your cat doesn’t care about you. At all. If it could pass tax cuts to pay for tuna while depriving you of healthcare…. Like.. MEEEEYOWWW YES!!!
Baud
Henry has protest fever.
FastEdD
I think you know what a bunch of us soft in the head dog lovers will say. Awwww
Josie
I don’t know how you can resist that face. Unless he is breaking something or chewing on something, I would let it go. But, then, I have always been an old softie.
Bupalos
What do we say about Europeans (that have the society we’re aspiring to) thinking this is really fucking weird that we’ll pay roughly 10X as much to feed our anthropomorphized animals as we will to alieviate very real human suffering.
Like, there are millions of humans that would probably be better off if they had dog noses.
TheronWare
Change the rules! Helloooo Henry!
stinger
What is the harm of his being on that particular chair? It’s not fabric, so easy to clean off any dog hair. My home is also my dogs’ home, and just like me they use all the furniture. I toss sheets over things I want to protect.
(Just a long way of saying “Change the rules on account of cuteness!”)
eclare
Two nights in a row of Henry photos, yay!
Do you have to ask? Change the rules. At ten years old Henry knows what feels best to him, physically and emotionally. Let him have all the feels.
Also wicker doesn’t sound very comfy for an older dog.
WaterGirl
@eclare: He was like “see, I’m being good. I don’t have to get down, right?”
prostratedragon
Ten yeard old! In dog years he’s as old as I am. Maybe just sit there and displace him to your lap.
WaterGirl
Tomorrow morning Henry gets his short haircut and he will look like a different dog.
we got 30 minutes of rain tonight.
what”s going on with everybody else?
WaterGirl
@prostratedragon: he still acts like a puppy.
Joy in FL
Henry can be wherever he wants.
I’ve been lucky with my cats. They have never broken things or messed stuff up or gotten into things that are dangerous for them. It’s easy for me to let them do and go wherever they want to in the house.
As an adult, I’ve had 3 dogs (one at a time). The second one destroyed pillows and ate the cushions off a couch. I did not do well stopping her or training her. She grew out of destructive behavior after 2 years and was easy and awesome for the rest of her life.
Henry looks easy to me, and he’s 10, so I lean toward increasing his liberty. You’re his human, and you love him, so you will give him more liberty if you think it’s good for both of you.
In that adorable photo, he looks like he respects the possibility of more freedom.
JetsamPool
Throw a blanket on the couch or chair and it will be fine.
Joy in FL
@WaterGirl: my thinking exactly. Right : )
Annie
I agree with Stinger. If Henry isn’t damaging the chair,why not let him use it?
Bupalos
@Annie: Which is more valuable? The cat or the chair? Or dog. Whatever.
Also the dogorcat is doing nothing whatsoever to that chair. Let them be. No one is going to judge you for the state of that chair, while the judgement here I feel will be severe.
Torrey
I’m with stinger: is there a good reason for not allowing him on that chair? If there is–e.g., he is like to scratch the chair’s fabric when he jumps on it, or he is likely to hurt himself because of where the chair is placed and where he jumps from–then stick to the rules. If not, then where’s the harm?
Omnes Omnibus
INNOCENT!!!!
WaterGirl
@eclare: The wicker chairs are actually super comfy. They have big cushions, one for your back and one to sit in, and then he gets his own little throw on top of the cushions!.
Old Dan and Little Ann
My black lab, Yogi, kicks all the pillows land blankets off the couch before he is able to settle in. And when he is bored, he’ll grab a pillow and start shaking it in his mouth. If he’s especially disrespected, he’ll run up the stairs with it.
Bupalos
@Torrey: Who cares if the dogorcat harms the fabric of the chair? This Picture of Chair with Dog (or cat) is literally the most exposure that chair will EVER conceivably get.
So it it’s like “but my mother-in-law might notice a scratch…”
Like… what is that chair FOR??!
Mathguy
@Bupalos: So some trivial material good is more important than a fellow being? We have allowed our dogs on the furniture forever. It’s no contest between furniture and cuddling with one of our mutts. We just cover the fabric. It helps that they are all greyhound type dogs that shed very little.
WaterGirl
I harvested my first cucumbers yesterday, my first tomatoes tonight, and my first zucchini over the weekend. No peppers yet.
but everything in the garden likes the heat more than I do!
jackmac
It’s not your house. It’s Henry’s house and he makes the rules!
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Bupalos: I’m sorry you have never had a cat who you felt cared about you ( or you speak cat so poorly you did not understand the love being expressed). Some cats don’t want to sit in your lap, but want to be close or in the same room with you. I have one cat who follows me from room to room and cries to get in if the room’s door is closed.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
Henry looks happy on the chair. I vote to let him stay.
ETA: Henry is just about the cutest dog I have ever seen. Be grateful for what you have!
WaterGirl
BJ has spoken, rules are meant to be broken.
Henry thanks all of you!
Turning off the laptop now. It’s an open thread, talk about whatever you want!.
see you all tomorrow.
randy khan
We have cats and they don’t really understand rules, so I have nothing to offer.
seefleur
Our nearly 14 year old beagle-Boston terrier mix, Scout, shares my husband’s Stressless lounge chair – they formed an agreement about 5 years ago that when he’s not home, Scout can use his chair. It’s worked out fine, in large part because those chairs are really tough – we’ve had the Stressless lounger for over a decade and the leather has held up wonderfully. The only issue has been that about twice a year, I end up having to tweezer the dog hair out of the seam in the seat. For some reason, it collects and embeds deeply in the seat seam. That’s the only piece of furniture that she is able to get onto – I think it’s something about the seat height – she’s gotten arthritic and hasn’t been able to sleep on our bed in years. As soon as husband gets home from work, Scout hops down and relinquishes the lounger to him. It’s worked well – both get to use a very comfortable seat. I think Henry should have a chance to at least prove himself as being a responsible chair-user. If he eats it, then he’s relegated back to the wicker. (Imo, Henry is a very handsome pup!)
Dan B
@WaterGirl: Hanging inside in the AC. It’s 88° in our Seattle neighborhood. I may try to weed and water since it’s dropped to 85°. Less than half of Seattle residents have AC so they sweat when it’s hot. We’ve got a foot of insulation in the attic and a big attic fan so we keep cool in the summer. Flowers are exploding so we’ll be sitting outside in the clubhouse, formerly tool shed until partner, who likes his toys, turned it into clubhouse complete with hammock and TV.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl: Let Henry alo-o-o-o-ne!
Ruckus
@WaterGirl:
My experience is that the dog is top of the heap in his/her home. No matter what you or yours feels about it. Because it is his/her home.
@prostratedragon:
I passed Henry a few dog years ago. Henry is not much past pup in comparison. Hell, my beard is not much darker than he is…..
eclare
@WaterGirl:
Ah, cushions. I was thinking plain wicker. That would make a difference.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: Not broken. Rewritten to reflect the new reality.
Ruckus
@jackmac:
THIS. We are just humoring them, and making it far easier for them to stay nourished.
dnfree
@WaterGirl: You are just about ready for ratatouille! I love ratatouille when all the vegetables are ripe and fresh. Do you also have fresh basil?
no body no name
@Bupalos:
We don’t care for most animals. We have multiple charities specifically to deal with animals and stray cats are such a problem we routinely euthanize them. Check a shelter.
For some of us we can’t have children. We do donate to charity. Yet a adopting a rescue can function as surrogate child and do wonders for your mental health.
This blog has amazing coverage of Ukraine and while it focuses on humans it also shows people caring about animals. People who care about people tend to care about animals. I’m sorry you don’t get the joy of pet ownership.
Shoving dogs in fancy purses should be a crime.
Jay
When we had Casey, Digger, Dogs) Mellow, Capra and Li’Bit, (Cats), the cats and dogs were allowed on the couch, (leather) with us or by themselves. The only damage to the couch was when we were at Wilson Street, and our living room was in the tiled basement. The couch was placed halfway in the open space, facing the gas fireplace with the TV in the corner.
Many, many, many times we would come home from work to find the couch pushed up against the far wall. We put up a camera, and discovered that Casey and Digger would chase, wrestle and play King of the Couch. One of them put three small scratches in one armrest, through the finish, but not through the leather.
The cats were allowed up on the bed, and were allowed to sleep with us. Capra would curl up behind my knees, Li’Bit would sleep by my belly, and Mellow would sleep at the foot of the bed, between our feet.
The dogs were only* allowed up on the bed on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Digger would wake up at the crack of dawn, stick his nose by my face and try to will me to wake up. It’s a new day, let’s go’ let’s go, wanna chase some deer, 20 mile hike? I would invite him up on the bed where he would stretch out between us, Casey would join in. We would rub Diggers nose, pet Casey and all go back to sleep after a while.
*Okay, when T was away, we’d all sleep on the bed.
jefft452
Tell Henry I said “Solidarity!”
Ruckus
For every dog I’ve ever had I have understood that it is their house and they are being nice letting me live there and feed them. And arguing about that has never gotten me anywhere.
mayim
My only rule for my cats that I enforce is they aren’t supposed to be on the dining table or the kitchen counters, which they mostly follow. Scout’s favorite place is cuddling with me, but he’ll settle behind the computer, on the desk along the wall or on the window sill, if I’m busy. Scout and Flora are both well known to the neighbors with their sill sitting.
Several job applications sent out today, plus some work on my board certification portfolio. Now juggling the <amazing, generous> GoFundMe donations to figure out what to deal with tomorrow and what can wait a bit longer.
It’s gotten warm again [ugh!, so it’s probably time to shop my stash for a new knitting project, as the ones I’m currently working on are wool and big enough to cover my lap ~ so not for this weather. Miss Marple and Time Team are nice accompaniment to the winding down knitting.
mrmoshpotato
Does he shed much?
CatHairEverywhere
I think my nym probably gives away my view on this issue… He’s very cute!
PatrickG
With Eliza, we finally gave up and let her dig her comfortable hole in our sectional couch after the third replacement. Attempts at enforcement of the rules were met with sudden damage elsewhere. She gets her hole, the extra damage stops.
In no way am I endorsing this as a great training approach. I’m just saying we fought the dog, and the dog won.
in conclusion: I have no helpful advice, and just wanted to mourn our beautiful couch. though it is pretty cool to see a 60 lb pit bull halfway disappear into the couch?
eclare
@PatrickG:
Wow! I have a Staffie Bull, and I can vouch that terriers (I’m on my fourth terrier) like to destroy things. She gets a rawhide chew every day.
Jay
@PatrickG:
Bull Shark?
PatrickG
Noting in passing that people who comment at a politics and pet blog but somehow miss the second part are offered delicious pie.
NutmegAgain
Sooo cuuute. I say let him stay! But I have been known to spoil dogs on occasion. All my dogs can get onto any furniture they like (if they can fit, that is.) If I had a sweetie like Henry, he would have his own chair.
PatrickG
@eclare: A chew every day, and an endless parade of toys. The fluff cleanup is endless*. And of course, the aforementioned couch!
Other than that, she chews on nothing. She learned very quickly that some stuffed animals are Very Special To Us, and she respected that immediately. My partner’s 25-year old stuffed cow from college is actually her favorite cuddle buddy! She doesn’t go after shoes or clothing or any other furniture. So: negotiated surrender it is! She gets the couch, we get everything else!
ETA: Yeah, Eliza’s a Staffie too. Sweetest girl in the world. Unless you’re a squirrel.
* Class action law suit against makers of so-called “indestructible” toys? It takes her like 90 seconds! Fortunately, she’s content to kill the same toy over and over and over and over… see fluff comment above :D
PatrickG
@Jay: Ha! We sometimes play the Jaws theme when she’s on the hunt for a new toy to play with. We’re the kind of dog owners who keep stashes in various places, so she can course back and forth between her prey options.
I have a picture of her with a shark fin on her back somewhere. :) It lasted about 15 seconds, but long enough to get the shot!
Maxim
Cuteness beats rules every time. The only exception is rules that can’t be broken for the furry friend’s own protection.
Glidwrith
@WaterGirl: Hubby got the day off and cooked hamburgers. Ripe watermelon for dessert and maybe a carrot cake cupcake made yesterday.
eclare
@PatrickG:
Yes. “Indestructible” to a terrier is a challenge. So far my terriers have won every challenge.
My current one is the most destructive so far. She not only has rearranged the cushions on the couch and on my favorite chair, she has started to gnaw on them. So I have a fluff issue too. The couch is 21 years old, and it was cheap to begin with, so I’m just going to wait til it’s completely destroyed before I replace it. Like you said, not a training method I’d recommend, but what are you gonna do?
And when I replace it, I will definitely go second hand!
NutmegAgain
@PatrickG: Have you ever tried one of the firehose floaty toys? Not hugely cuddly, but honest to Maude indestructible. People use them for water rescue training with Newfys. When they first came out they were actual chunks of retired firehose. Now they come in all colors and sizes.
no body no name
@eclare:
I had Clare. An American bully. Sweet as you could ask for but a destructive little jerk. You name it, torn to shreds by the time you got back or wood carved in teeth marks. Perfectly behaved around humans but if you left her alone for over four hours prepare yourself.
She was a very good girl. Yet great god almighty the amount of destruction such a small animal can create so fast is something to behold.
rikyrah
The dog looks 🤗🤗
They Call Me Noni
Henry looks quite comfy and well behaved. He probably thinks that since the furniture has been moved around the rules no longer apply. And he is being the best boy…
eclare
@no body no name:
Yep. When I worked outside the home, I crated my Sophie. One day I came home and saw yellow fabric in her crate. My head was spinning, WTF? The I looked around. She had somehow sucked the closest drapery into her crate. After that she got a low dose Trazadone every morning, which helped a lot.
PatrickG
@NutmegAgain: I’ll have to look into that, thanks for the suggestion!
edit: any brand you recommend?
PatrickG
@no body no name: This is exactly why we negotiated terms with Eliza :) hole in couch, can leave her alone during the workday. No hole in couch…. Well. You know.
Grover Gardner
2 L8 2 N4S ROOLZ
Polly Syllabic
@stinger: He’s in charge of keeping the seat warm. It’s an important job for good dogs.
Grover Gardner
Also, I don’t know if I could refuse Henry anything.
sab
My husband’s favorite cat, a sixteen year old rescued feral, apparently has dementia. She is peeing and pooping inappropriately all over the house. 4 am and I just caught her peeing in my closet?!
Husband loves her more than me, but I really am tired of her behavior.
Maybe a vet check, and then a crate at night.
Gloria DryGarden
@Grover Gardner: yes, it may be the Henry has cashed in on his cuteness, and trained WaterGirl to his new rules.
If there is a reason for the previous rules, she’ll have to get on it quickly, and let Henry know she doesn’t accept his proposed changes. Other wise, he’s surfaced as the trainer.
With children, it would matter. Either you train them, or they train you to give in. ( if you give in on the 30th ask, you’ve just shown them you’ll say yes, on the thirtieth time. And they will persist)
No experience with dogs, only cats. And children in a school setting. My cat pretty much had his way with me, except no walking on the table or the kitchen counters, and no outdoor cat fights at night; night is for indoors only.
Henry looks beautiful in that color chair. Exceedingly adorable.
Matt McIrvin
@sab: I had a cat who did that his whole life probably because of chronic painful bowel issues that gave him bad associations with the litter box. It was a real drag on quality of life, but we soldiered on until the underlying issue killed him. Had to eventually rip up all the carpets and do a lot of home remodeling just to get rid of the smell.
lowtechcyclist
@WaterGirl:
I don’t have a garden, but I went out picking wild raspberries yesterday, got a few quarts’ worth from my backyard patch and one in a neighbor’s yard. They have a 2-week season every early summer; most years they’d be all but gone by now, but on account of the cold, rainy spring, they just started ripening here a few days ago.
Like with most such things, the season moves from south to north, so all you Pennsylvania folks should start seeing them later this month.
lowtechcyclist
@mayim:
Same here, with the addition of my desk, which is minuscule, so they’d be knocking papers every which way if they got on it. But free rein on beds, chairs, sofas, end tables, etc.
As long as Henry isn’t destructive to furniture, I can’t see that Henry would be more of a problem than a cat. I’ve had cats that size.
Besides, Henry is ten years old. Dogs live to maybe 14 or 15. Let him have the chair, and enjoy those remaining years with him.
NeutronFlux
Change the rules!
Shana
I suspect it’s because of the rearrangement of the furniture but you know Henry better than I do.
Our late border collie mix knew where along the driveway was the invisible fence border but once we had a snowstorm that knocked out the power for over a day and he crossed the line while we were out shoveling and nothing happened to him so from that point on he figured that if it snowed the fence didn’t work.
Nancy
@Bupalos:
I believe you are right, but I have chosen to live in a fantasy wherein I believe that my cats are happy to see me when I come home—even if they are not hungry. I also do not think that they are swearing at me in cat language when they are hungry and are making noise. I think that they are asking to be fed sweetly.
My fantasy could be worse. I could believe in trickle down theory.
I can’t be shaken from my belief, but I think your final sentence is funny.
Susan Flowers
Henry’s house, Henry’s rules!
Nancy
@Bupalos:
Oh, please, don’t be so reasonable. Now I’ll have to keep track of how much I spend on the cats.
I do send money to UNRWA and RAZOM and to Give Directly, Doctors Without Borders and Kiva. I’m not totally blind. And you are making sense.
Nancy
@sab: My older cat had diabetes and once I was treating her all that stopped. Worth the trip to the vet.
And to Watergirl: may I suggest that you do what you like and what makes you happy. Henry is incredibly cute, so if indulging him makes you happy. . . .
Kayla Rudbek
@mayim: if you like pink, I can send you some cotton yarn that I should destash (I bought it when I was younger and my hair was darker). Contact WaterGirl for my address or look me up on Bluesky.