How to Rid a Dog of Resentment After Vacation

Dogs are notorious for giving their owners unconditional love, especially after a long absence. Yet a few of them, like my dog Sawyer, may instead sulk, scoff and ignore you upon your return--hurt that he didn’t get to come along and annoyed you went off to have fun without him. You can rid a dog of resentment after vacation with a soothing nature and a few simple steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Resentful dog
• Exotic treats
• Any treats
• Patience
• Time
• Crocodile tears (optional)

1. Even if your dog is giving you the cold shoulder, or snout as the case may be, give him the warmest welcome you can muster after your exhausting plane ride.

2. Spend at least 30 minutes lying next to your dog, talking in cooing tones and petting him once you’ve hit home.

3. Offer him the best treats in the house, the store or your suitcase to help him come around.

4. Pretend to cry. Whenever I’m sad, my dogs usually come to see what’s wrong. Tears, no matter how fake, may kick to dog into “unconditional love” mode as he saunters over to soothe you.

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes the dog may just need time to sulk, as Sawyer did. Sure, he didn’t speak to me for two hours, but by the time I went to bed, he joined me as he usually did.
• Get back into the normal routine as soon as possible. This helps makes the animal forget you were ever gone.
• Don’t push it. If your dog wants to be cold, let him get it out of his system. If it goes on for more than a week, you better call a trainer or a vet.

[Desula]

on 5/5/2008 Your Sawyer sounds as spoiled as my pups, Cookie and Biscuit. : ) Thanks for the tips. I like the fake crying the best.