Sock Discipline

Discipline.

I have none. This is a problem about which I've written numerous posts, and I won't burden y'all with yet another one. But as it turns out, there's someone else in my house who shares this same character deficit.

LuLu, my six month old schnauzer puppy is completely house trained - yay Lulu! - has some basic idea of the commands come and sit and wait, but has no inhibitions or control when faced with her most difficult disciplinary challenge: the no sock rule.

She has been told explicitly: socks are off limits. Nada. No way. No stealing, chewing, slobbering, gnawing, hiding, or dragging around my socks. And somewhere in her cute little puppy brain, she knows that every time she chomps into my expensive wool socks, she's going to be in trouble. How do I know this? Because whenever she has a sock in her mouth, she also is slithering along the ground in a very guilty manner. She slinks. Her little eyes are shifty. She knows that she's going to be busted, but she's totally unable to resist those stinky size 10's.

I have photographic evidence. And, in the interest of total journalistic transparency, yes, I did indeed set poor LuLu up for this sock sting. Here, she's in disbelief that a tempting sock is dangling tantalizingly out of a laundry basket.

Even though I am sitting within swatting distance, she can't contain herself. She slowly and carefully snags the sock.

......and takes it to her favorite chew spot. "What? Sock? No sock here. Nothing to see here, Julia. Just move along..." Note the ears pinned back and distinctly guilty expression.

In this instance, LuLu got a get out of jail free card. Of course.

I feel your pain, girl. Put me in front of a slab of chocolate cake, and I'm right there with you, pup. Ears pinned back and a guilty look but still reaching for that sock.