Think about it. Training your dog to let you know when it’s time to go outside or for a walk and basic commands are normal training routines. Your dog gets attention and time with you. All the good things.
Remember when he was a puppy and he gave you a cute and silly action or response that you thought was cool? He caught your attention and now continues this action, although it can be annoying.
We believe that the actions our dogs take to entertain us are intelligent, and therefore we allow the behavior. There is no point in denying it, we are all guilty.
We have been dog owners for decades, we love each of our pets, we train our dogs properly, but we have allowed some behaviors that have been considered “cute” since they were puppies.
Take a look at our current dogs, for example. Our Sheltie, Kelsey, is a true sweetheart, she has been since he was a puppy. She started waking us up early in the morning with little growls and squeaks at the side of the bed. Well, as a puppy we thought she needed to get out. So we were awake, we let it out, we fed it, and we let it out again. Our day began.
He thought this was great. He has our attention, he gets food and more attention. Then, as he matured, he could hold out longer before having to go out, so we started ignoring his “vocalizations” and went back to sleep. He then he got creative.
When we ignored him, he would climb on the bed and tiptoe (seriously, he would) to my pillow and look at me. That didn’t work, so he stuck his cold nose in my ear and let out a series of breaths. I’m awake now!
Sometimes I go back to sleep. When that happens, go and get the big gun. Our 80 pound Collie/Husky mix, ma’am. She will jump on the bed, put her head and shoulders under my pillow and push me off the bed. Needless to say, this is a daily ritual that I have allowed to continue. My fault.
Continuing with Lady, she brought us toys to play with and we had a lot of fun with fetch, catch and find it. After playtime, she would receive a gift.
Well, that got her thinking, so now she’s going to bring us a toy, drop it at my husband’s feet, and start “talking” to him. Basically, she wants to trade her toy for a cookie. Then my husband asks her what she wants and she starts her “her speech” on her. So, he gives her a present. Yeah, it’s her fault in this case.
Now let’s move on to a general, but all too familiar habit. You’re on the phone, and just like kids, your dog wants your attention. So he starts, in stages, pushing you, whining, barking.
In his mind, you’re ignoring him. When you hang up the phone at the end of the conversation, your pet sees it as his actions causing you to hang up. The next time, he repeats this behavior, over and over again…
These clothes are in no way dangerous or devastating, just annoying. So his job, as a good pet parent, is to stop this behavior by retraining him. Usually a stern “No” or “Stop” several times will suffice. After your dog receives the message and makes the desired response, spend some time playing or grooming it.
In the grand scheme of things, our dogs are our companions, confidants, and protectors. They love us unconditionally and keep us focused on what is important in life. Who can ask for a best friend?
