Sergeant, the Yorkie

When I, Jessica, graduated from college, Jarrod bought me a puppy. This wasn't just any puppy, this was Sergeant. You probably read a little bit about him in our "Meet the Farmers" post but he deserves a page of his very own. He means that much to us.

We were dating when Jarrod got me Sergeant so he bounced back and forth between mommy and daddy's house. He went to daddy day care while I went to school and then I'd pick him up after and he'd spend the evenings with me. Because of this shared time with us, he is equally, and probably unhealthily, attached to each of us. When we got married and moved in together, Sergeant's world became complete.

He lived primarily with me once I graduated, got a job, and moved. In our apartment, he became restless, lost his appetite, and had severe anxiety. When we got married, his behavior improved a little but apartment life was hard for such an energetic doggy. That summer we moved to a house with a yard and doggy door and Sergeant was in hog heaven! His behavior, moods, and appetite improved tremendously. We realized he probably acted badly at the apartment because he was unhappy. (Just look at that sad puppy.)

Now that we live on 40 acres and don't really have a yard for him, he gets free roam of the land. We are overprotective of him so he doesn't literally get free roam but he gets more room than he had at the apartment or small yard we used to have. He gets exercise from running around barking at animals, he eats well, we play with him in the evenings (we don't have a choice here...he's quite demanding), and he sleeps like a rock at the right times.

It's important with any dog to be strict with them. You have to teach them who is boss by way of dominance. Dogs are pack animals and NEED an alpha in their lives. This doesn't mean you have to beat your animal into submission; it just means you have to discipline your dog and stand firm in the area of obedience. I don't think I've ever actually hit Sergeant before - we do what I call air spankings...which means I clap my hands together near him and say "spank! spank! spank!" and he cowers down as if I've hit him. If your dog figures out you're a softy, he or she will detect this and take advantage of it. Sergeant is a brilliant dog and can always tell between light-hearted mom and serious, get-your-butt-over-here mom. Since we are so strict with Sergeant, he gets a lot of freedom. He knows at this point what is allowed and what is a no-no and when he's not sure, he looks to us for permission. (Unless it's a rodent, then he loses his mind.) We believe discipline and love go hand-in-hand. If you love your animal, you discipline them for their own safety.

I believe Sergeant knows we love him and I believe he loves us back. We feel love from him in the form of cuddles, licks, trust falls, and nuzzles. He feels love from us in verbal affirmation, pets, scratches, nuzzles, and beggin strips. A happy, disciplined, loved dog is a good dog. Please take that into consideration when assessing whether your dog is just a bad dog or if he is trying to tell you something is off in his life. Dogs are surprisingly good communicators so take time and listen to what your dog is saying to you.