Buddy

 

Our neighbors got a new puppy, and he barks all the time.  Not surprising, because the neighbors on the other side have TWO dogs that bark all the time.  And not to be outdone, the neighbor behind them has a dog that barks all the time.  But it’s not all bad, because the dogs wake me up in the morning and I can get my day going early.  Not really, but I am trying to put a positive spin on the story.  Anyway, I had an idea for the new puppy.  I bought some bacon begging strips, and when I noticed the dog NOT barking, I tossed him a treat.  Now, the dog may bark, but he isn’t dumb, so he caught on to how to get a treat: don’t bark.  Pretty soon, when I came outside, he stopped barking immediately to get a treat.  But I ran out of treats, so I started using bologna.  I started holding the bologna through the chain link fence, and he took it.  I talked reassuringly to him and we became good pals.  I call him “Buddy”.  Then I held the bologna up over the fence and Buddy stood up to grab it.  Eventually I fed him the bologna and then I scratched his head.  He liked both.  Now he will stand up at the fence on command, get his bologna treat, and get his ears scratched.  He never barks when I am outside.  Never.  All of this in three months’ time.  Hey, if I can train a dog in three months, why can’t some parents train their kids in three years?!  It could be that the parents are the ones needing training and not the kids!  Too many parents try to TEACH their children when they should be TRAINING their children.  There is a difference.  A child must be trained, just like Buddy, BEFORE they can be taught.  Solomon said in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  I am glad that I TRAINED my four children.  They aren’t perfect, but they are productive adults.  That’s what my dad did for his five children, and hopefully, that’s what my children are doing for my grandchildren.  Hey, why not start an obedience class … with your kids.  They may not stand up at the chain link fence, but someday, they will thank you.  Really.