# One of us is going to break her neck



## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

Hah! that sounds so bad! But WHY must she lay down between or on top my feet when I'm in the kitchen? Seriously, I'm tripping all over the place right now! 

Her pen is in the kitchen but if I put her in it she yelps like crazy. See treat thread for why...

I know Diane is going to see the name of this thread and freak out. HI DIANE!


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Boy, can I relate. My Havs stay out of my way but my Sheltie, oh my, she seems to think it is her sworn duty to be exactly where I need to move next. If I sit at my table to work on my laptop she literally hugs the side of the chair so if the phone rings, I have to climb over her to get up. She doesn't automatically get out of the way like the Havs do. In the kitchen she's always right where I am heading. Gotta love her though.. LOL.


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## lkwilson (Mar 6, 2011)

Coach does the same thing. My RR knew the command 'out of the kitchen' she was so funny because no matter where we moved to she understood to back out until she hit a different surface or just got out of the way. Wicked smart as Rhodies are. I'm hoping to teach Coach that someday... now he just cocks his head and looks at me...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Just be careful... It sounds funny (and I know neither of you are joking about it) that they are tripping you. But one forum member actually fell over her puppy when he did the same thing, landed on him and killed him. She was absolutely devastated. Safety has to come first, whether they yelp and carry on or not. Just like toddlers around a hot stove.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

awwww, I hope he can learn to move quick! 
I am constantly amazed at the way Tillie can be SO close to me, seriously with her nose touching the back of my right leg and manage to stay out of my way, like a little shadow!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Augie was underfoot as a puppy as well. I was always running into him or nearly tripping. One day, accidentally, I stepped on his foot - and I was not barefoot, but had on hard-soled shoes and it was on a vinyl floor, not carpeting. Took care of that problem. He limped for a good hour or better. I was afraid I had broken something in his foot. He has moved out of my way ever since. Since he is long-haired, I do occasionally step on his tail hair and he will walk away and leave a chunk on the floor, under my foot. 

If I am doing something in the kitchen where I think he could possibly get hurt, he goes in his crate.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

I was paranoid about tripping over Cey and actually hurting him too, so from the start, whenever Cey was/is in front of me and I was trying to move, I just tapped him with my foot and/or pushed him out of the way, gently enough not to actually hurt him but not so gentle that he doesn't think it's for real (same thing if I go to sit on my spot on the couch and he is sitting there, I am not afraid to 'sit' on him - gently - until he moves!). Now, 90% of the time, he scrambles to get out of my way if he is in front of me, even though he is a velcro dog that will be right on my heels most of the time. I consider this exactly the way Karen said - sometimes you have to be a bit tough, for their own good...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

motherslittlehelper said:


> Since he is long-haired, I do occasionally step on his tail hair and he will walk away and leave a chunk on the floor, under my foot.


Kodi has lost more than one chunk of tail doing pivots in Rally. I'm always horrified, thinking how long it takes to grow back. So far, though, you can't really notice what I've ripped out of him!ound:


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## LeighaMason (Dec 16, 2010)

I do a lot of canning where there is scalding hot water and glass involved so I make my guys stay out of the kitchen. But as you can see from their front legs they test the system.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I sure remember the puppy days and even now.....YOU ALWAYS look down around your feet to see where you pup is when getting out of a chair, and when calling them outside. 

Now...in the kitchen, you can teach them to stay in their place when you are cooking and preparing. It takes lots of practice in training.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

LeighaMason said:


> I do a lot of canning where there is scalding hot water and glass involved so I make my guys stay out of the kitchen. But as you can see from their front legs they test the system.
> 
> View attachment 36790


Now that is testing....how close can we get..but MOM, we are NOT in the kitchen...I can hear their little minds going...love the photo


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Put a bell on her collar. That will help you know where she is


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

DJango to this day is right at my feet. i learned very quickly to always look before i walk, get up, move the chair, etc. etc. because 99% of the time,he's right there. our converstions at breakfast are always "the dog is RIGHT behind you" glad to hear it's not just my dog, and he's 7 1/2!


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## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

I don't mind them under my feet most of the time but the kitchen is ONE place that does not hold true. I was too afraid they would cause me to trip and scald one of them with hot water or hot food...I never actually thought about landing on one of them and killing them......wow....anyways all of mine were taught from the start the "out of the kitchen" command by pointing and carrying them and placing them right outside of the kitchen.....this works lol when we are IN the kitchen, however, there are hundreds of times I walk by the kitchen and they are in there going over every inch looking for a cumb lol....and yes they also "test" the limits by lying with their paws and heads over the line in the doorway.....of course the newest addtion Misty is still learning the ropes but doing pretty well


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

DH does most of the cooking here and he puts up with them hanging around him - I do not! He is also the "soft touch" when it comes to little "tastes" of food which is why they swarm around him when there is food involved. Yes, I have tried to get him to quit to no avail! I think you just have to be firm when safety (yours & theirs) is involved.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

A friend of mine, her husband tripped and fell on her hav when he was a puppy, he had to have extensive (and expensive) surgery and they almost amputated his back leg, its now a few inches shorter, but a serious accident can happen, I think its even okay to keep them gated out of the area to keep them safe, especially in the kitchen (that is where their accident happened, as they usually stand in there wanting food to fall from the counter or sky)

Kara


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## windfallhavs (Oct 19, 2006)

Hi Mandy! You have had her a few days now...has she taken over the house and terrorized the cats yet? LOL

Not worried at all...I know she has the BEST home ever!!


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## SOPHIES-MOM (Oct 4, 2010)

I read you should shuffle when you walk when the puppy insists on being in front. That way they learn to stay away from your feet.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I decided when Kodi was a puppy that my NEXT puppy would be named "Drop Kick Murphy". (for those who are not familiar, this is the name of a well known local Boston band)


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

SOPHIES-MOM said:


> I read you should shuffle when you walk when the puppy insists on being in front. That way they learn to stay away from your feet.


As I said earlier, that is exactly what I do, but to even an even greater extent - I don't just shuffle, I will (gently) kick Cey out of the way if he is ever in front of me - not enough to actually hurt him, but enough to where he knows it's 'for real' - and, it has worked. Now, 90+ % of the time, he literally scrambles to get out of my way if I am walking in his direction. Seriously, sometimes a bit of 'tough love' is needed, for their protection and safety - - now, I KNOW he won't be under my feet to where I would fall on him and hurt or even kill him, because I have trained him not to be there...


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## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

windfallhavs said:


> Hi Mandy! You have had her a few days now...has she taken over the house and terrorized the cats yet? LOL
> 
> Not worried at all...I know she has the BEST home ever!!


Oh my god Diane I wish I had the energy to tell you all about it but suffice to say she has us all wrapped around her curly little tail, with the exception of Chloe, my eldest kitty who rrrreally doesn't like being chased about. Claire Bear doesn't seem to mind, strangely, but then she's the cat that lets my daughter "decorate" her...

As for the kitchen, I've taken advice and now she stays in her pen where she can see me but I can't accidentally kill her. It's a good compromise even if she doesn't know it yet!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

heatherk said:


> As I said earlier, that is exactly what I do, but to even an even greater extent - I don't just shuffle, I will (gently) kick Cey out of the way if he is ever in front of me - not enough to actually hurt him, but enough to where he knows it's 'for real' - and, it has worked. Now, 90+ % of the time, he literally scrambles to get out of my way if I am walking in his direction. Seriously, sometimes a bit of 'tough love' is needed, for their protection and safety - - now, I KNOW he won't be under my feet to where I would fall on him and hurt or even kill him, because I have trained him not to be there...


Just a warning, though, for anyone planning to train their dog for obedience... It is likely to make it very hard to get a good, close heel if your dog is wary of your feet.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

krandall said:


> Just a warning, though, for anyone planning to train their dog for obedience... It is likely to make it very hard to get a good, close heel if your dog is wary of your feet.


Cey isn't actually afraid of my feet, unless I am walking in his direction, and then he moves. When I turn, I give him plenty of warning if he is right behind me... I don't turn too suddenly, and so he's not afraid of being right on my heels everywhere I go when in the house (literally lol), but that would definitely something to consider.


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