Posted on 01/05/2012 11:16:50 PM PST by expat1000
Highly controversial, which will naturally draw a lot of comments. But compared to "Best dog breed?" would be no contest.
That is one spooky dog! Yeah - I wouldn’t tease it.
And I don’t consider it teasing, but “training” when I put the dog dish down and our dog has to wait for an “okay” to start chowing down. And then - I’ll take the bowl away for 15 seconds and he sits and waits patiently for it back again.
Although my wife thinks I’m weird when I get down on all fours and pretend to eat out of the bowl, pushing the dog’s head away with mine. Lab/mutt and a real good demeanor.
Except for certain folks that come to the door. And as mentioned up-thread, he is a real good judge of character. Weird how two adult brothers that look and dress similar get such a different reaction. But we know that one is not the highest of character, and our dog can’t stand him!
I did all that with Odin [and every Dobe I’ve owned] and had nothing but polite, mannerly, non-food-aggressive dogs.
I frankly don’t give a flip what people think of how I look when conditioning my dogs to behave as I wish.
I ‘speak dog’ fluently and if people don’t get it, who cares?
The dogs get it.
:)
My dogs understand that technically, ~everything~ is mine and is only on loan to them.
If/when I choose to take it away, they are to accept that with grace and poise.
Consequently, parents are mind-blown when their little tots offer Odin a tiny, tasty tidbit and he takes it from them -so- carefully and gently that they never even feel his lips touch their fingers.
Good dog.
[but then he wants to “kidnap” the children for his own...loves the little rugrats, he does]
:)
I gave him 4 feet of cotton bull rope the other day and we’ve been happily playing tug.
It cracks me up to see him *so* fiercely mock-fighting to win the tug of war...which he could easily, if he wanted to, but then I’ll emit a small, low “er!” and he’ll just drop it and sit and wait for me to allow the game to continue anew.
[’cuz it’s really *my* rope]
;D
He never pitches a fit or complains because he’s learned that I’ll ~always~ give it back if he patiently waits.
Trust is the key.
Good summary - with dogs AND people. I always get a kick how I'll walk by/over our dog and intentionally step as close as I can to his body or legs as he's sprawled out and he hardly even glances at me. Of course if I step on him once, it will take awhile to build up that trust again. Or maybe not!? (With people it might be never).
I know with some cats, that never develops. We got a pair of brothers from a local pet store that took in litters and sold them...not purebreds, just run of the mill moggies.
One is sweet, friendly, calm and extremely intelligent. The other FREAKS and bolts if you walk near him, let alone try to step over him. This doesn’t at all translate to a fear of humans or handling...he’ll frequently recover from bolting and pick the direction of couch or counter so he can be loved on, stands waiting and arching, etc....and never stirs himself from lying down on anything BUT the floor.
Nearest we can figure he got trampled as a kitten before we got him.
Aww.. I agree.. My Border/Sheltie mix understands sentences I’ve never even spoken to him before.. Truly Amazing dogs!
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