Dogs Know People Who'll Spoil Them

[sobesmom]

All right - our dogs KNOW their people. And what they can get away with.

 

Diana used to be terrible about jumping up on people as they came in the door - she LOVED EVERYBODY - and a new face - WOO-HOO!!! But we WORKED and WORKED at it (lots of help from GT) - and got her to "calm" to a quivering, tail flailing, whining mass of "PUH-LEEZE come love on me person walking in the door". We call that progress

 

But - when Aunt Wilma walks through the door - maybe once per month - it's straight up-and-down-bouncing, paws on shoulders-full-face-licking. And they both love it.

 

And - we don't allow begging (or feeding a dog from the table) - but at uncle Brian's house - Diana sits in front of Unlce Brian, and gets bits of his dinner every few minutes! His house - his rule. She NEVER bothers anyone else.

 

And - she can get grandma to take her outside at the drop of a hat, for no necessary reason.

 

I don't know whether to train the DOG or the PEOPLE!!!!

 

The people can't be trained - they've decided to spoil her - and as long as it's ONLY certain people for certain behaviors, I can live with it.

 

But seriously - after ALL the work we've done - to see her just totally throw it out the window over certain people - is astounding! And a bit embarassing - I don't know HOW many times I've told Wilma "really, she ONLY jumps on YOU".

 

I'm not mad at all - just amazed. Dogs KNOW their favorite people - and what they can get away with!

 

Anyone else have a dog that just "knows" what they can do with a certain person - and it's OK?

[Batmom]

That made me giggle.

 

Right this minute I can't think of an example. But your post reminded me of my angel Zema . She spent her whole first year with me trying to convince me to give her a bite of my breakfast. Not begging, exactly, but being vigilant, KWIM? Finally she gave up. Then when we moved in with my folks temporarily, she spent that 8-9 months trying it out on my mom. Couple years later, parents moved in with me. She tried my mom for a bit, then moved on to dad ..... Hope springs eternal.

[sobesmom]

That made me giggle.

 

Right this minute I can't think of an example. But your post reminded me of my angel Zema . She spent her whole first year with me trying to convince me to give her a bite of my breakfast. Not begging, exactly, but being vigilant, KWIM? Finally she gave up. Then when we moved in with my folks temporarily, she spent that 8-9 months trying it out on my mom. Couple years later, parents moved in with me. She tried my mom for a bit, then moved on to dad ..... Hope springs eternal.

 

You obviously trained your parents well! Can't blame a gal for trying!

[Guest BrianRke]

This is definitely true. Once you have trained the dog, you need to train the people.

[kudzu]

Dogs do what gets rewarded even if they were trained to react differently in other conditions. That same action might sometimes bring what we consider a punishment but one or two times of being well rewarded means they are willing to try for that big payoff. So says the girl who is going to the casinos this weekend to play the slots.

[Guest Celestrina]

This is definitely true. Once you have trained the dog, you need to train the people.

 

Any tips on how to train my hubby?

[greytlucy]

Hee. This makes me laugh. My dogs have always lvoed my mom. She's wheelchair bound and ALWAYS has a big bag of dog treats in the bag on her chair. My greyhounds would walk in her house and beeline right to her for cookies. They were tall enough that they were right at chest level with her when she passed out cookies. I let her spoil them because it was a highlight in her week when she got to pass out cookies to them.

 

Now we have our poodle puppy. I've been working really hard on manners with him and he's doing really well learning to control his impulses and not jump on people. But then there's grandma and her bag of cookies! I will say it took some training but I did FINALLY teach my mom to wait for him to sit before she gives him a cookie(he'll automatically do this if the person with the cookie is patient and waits for him to do so). THen I taught her to tell him "paws up" and he'll put his paws up in her lap so his head is up at her level to get his cookies. He loves it, she loves it and while I normally would never let him do this i figure what the heck, it's not the end of the world.

 

When she's in bed when we visit he's so excited to to be there he races abck to her bedroom and leaps up on her bed, all wiggles and wags. He doesn't do this with other people(including us, he'd rather sleep on the floor at our house ). Again, I know I should teach him to wait to be asked but it tickles her so much I just let him go since his manners in other situations and places are coming along so well!

 

About the begging, I don't allow begging at the table. This includes at my parents house when we're there for sunday dinner. I know my parents would both ignore my rule about this if given the chance...so all of my dogs have been taught to stay at my end of the table during dinner and lay quietly. With all of them I had to start withh a leash and attached them to my chair, giving them a bully stick to chew on while we ate. Eventually once they understand the rules(which are the same at home and were trained teh same way) the leash can be put away and they learn to lay quietly in the corner next to my end of the table and not beg down in the "danger zone" near my parents where begging might just get rewarded.

[Guest SteveO]

"Any tips on how to train my hubby?"......well being one I feel somewhat qualified to attempt an answer. Try "Down Boy!" then reward with treat when correct behavior is exhibited. When shopping with hubby, say "Heel!" reward with treat. Potty training.."leave the seat down!" ... reward with treat. You get the picture. A new phrase I've just coined "what works for the Hound, works for the Hubby".

 

If he ceaselessly whines...remind him that he still has coins in his purse but that could change too if his behavior warrants an adoption by a new momma. YIKES! that should about do it. Otherwise reward with treats ( be creative ) and crate him when absolutely necessary.

 

SteveO

 

PS-sorry guys....hopefully nobody gets crated tonight due to this post. It is only meant for entertainment purposes and I deny all responsibility. I am the Alpha Male in my home.....but sometimes it seems to be a matriarchal society.

Edited June 1, 2011 by SteveO

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

My dogs know they can be horribly naughty with me (but somehow they know WHEN it's okay and WHEN it is NOT okay, even without any obvious signals from me). They also know they cannot be that way with other people, at least not in front of me They are certainly good at reading people.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I can't train the hubby... lost cause! But he's stricter than I am about some things, like begging. I don't care about begging as long as no one touches my plate without permission... sighthounds are good though because the one thing he allows that I HATE is rough, out of control, wild behavior, biting (in play) and so forth, and none of my sighthounds would act like that anyway, it's just not their nature... when we had Goldens around, it was a constant problem. The Goldens were so obnoxious, and he encouraged it. I stopped fostering Goldens except for ten and over seniors occasionally and the problem was/is solved. He just loves big, stupid, obnoxious, mouthy dogs but I don't like chaos and we have a small child so I couldn't take dogs rough housing in my house. Now the greys or Borzoi pup will run a little or get zoomies or play with stuffies, that's fine, but the wrestling so hard the couch gets moved around, the kid gets knocked over... that is history now that we only do sighthounds.

[Guest Tequila]

My Tequila has successfully trained me to HOLD HER DINNER BOWL while she eats, and rotate it as she finishes the spot closest to her. I have given up. She likes Mommy to hold the bowl, and I don't mind, so we have reached an arrangement that works for both of us. I am proud to say that I have STOPPED feeding her with a fork. (Yes, she used to want to be fed like a person). Spoiled?

[DesiRayMom]

I admit it, I'm a snot.

 

A lot of the people I work with bring their dogs to work, and they all know me & that they can get away with pretty much anything.

I have a "grammy drawer" full of cookies....one dog won't let ANYONE touch his butt, but I can scritch it all day long & he just

moans in ecstasy. Muddy paws in my lap? I don't care. Shameless begging for a cookie? I don't care. I love it.

 

It's a grammy thing....it's what we do.....spoil 'em & send 'em home.

The rulz is the rulz, unless it's with someone special & you can get away with it.

 

In my defense, my 2 boys are very well behaved & not (too) spoiled, but if once in a while someone wants to let them get away

with something, I let it go.

 

Life is for living & loving & breaking rules once in a while just for the sheer joy of it.

[Guest sweetpea]

It's my dad....and it's hopeless.

 

He carries treats in his pocket, his right one.

Sweetpea regularly rifles through his pocket, his right one only,

even after he's given her a treat.

 

Sebastian just walks around on his hind legs like a circus act, only for my dad,

until he gets his treat. And then when my dad sits down, Sebastian plants himself

at my dad's feet, like a faithful hound, except he stares at him, just in case.

 

It brings my dad joy and the dogs are mostly gooduhhh workable with everybody else,

so I let it ride.

 

buzzy

[Guest Ashleigh]

I admit it, I'm a snot.

 

A lot of the people I work with bring their dogs to work, and they all know me & that they can get away with pretty much anything.

I have a "grammy drawer" full of cookies....one dog won't let ANYONE touch his butt, but I can scritch it all day long & he just

moans in ecstasy. Muddy paws in my lap? I don't care. Shameless begging for a cookie? I don't care. I love it.

 

It's a grammy thing....it's what we do.....spoil 'em & send 'em home.

The rulz is the rulz, unless it's with someone special & you can get away with it.

 

In my defense, my 2 boys are very well behaved & not (too) spoiled, but if once in a while someone wants to let them get away

with something, I let it go.

 

Life is for living & loving & breaking rules once in a while just for the sheer joy of it.

So bad! I'm totally with you!

 

If I'm having dinner, all I ask for is Hank lie down and ask nice and he gets what he wants. I can't help it! And I'm the only one in the house all 3 dogs will surround when dinner's on. They know no one else in the house falls for precious eyes like I do!

[sobesmom]

I admit it, I'm a snot.

 

A lot of the people I work with bring their dogs to work, and they all know me & that they can get away with pretty much anything.

I have a "grammy drawer" full of cookies....one dog won't let ANYONE touch his butt, but I can scritch it all day long & he just

moans in ecstasy. Muddy paws in my lap? I don't care. Shameless begging for a cookie? I don't care. I love it.

 

It's a grammy thing....it's what we do.....spoil 'em & send 'em home.

The rulz is the rulz, unless it's with someone special & you can get away with it.

 

In my defense, my 2 boys are very well behaved & not (too) spoiled, but if once in a while someone wants to let them get away

with something, I let it go.

 

Life is for living & loving & breaking rules once in a while just for the sheer joy of it.

 

That was probably the most amazing way of explaining it I can imagine. I'm OK with that.

 

BTW- I'd LOVE to steal tha line "Life is for living & loving & breaking rules once in a while just for the sheer joy of it" - and quote that. It's right - and beautiful - and what I belive, but I never figured out how to put it into the right words.

 

You are VERY wise. Thanks.

[DesiRayMom]

Sobesmom: You are quite welcome to that line.

 

Once in a great while, when the moon is in the correct phase; the stars are aligned just so; I've had enough coffee; and my

chocolate addiction has been sated, my brain spews out something worth repeating.

[sobesmom]

"Any tips on how to train my hubby?"......well being one I feel somewhat qualified to attempt an answer. Try "Down Boy!" then reward with treat when correct behavior is exhibited. When shopping with hubby, say "Heel!" reward with treat. Potty training.."leave the seat down!" ... reward with treat. You get the picture. A new phrase I've just coined "what works for the Hound, works for the Hubby".

 

If he ceaselessly whines...remind him that he still has coins in his purse but that could change too if his behavior warrants an adoption by a new momma. YIKES! that should about do it. Otherwise reward with treats ( be creative ) and crate him when absolutely necessary.

 

SteveO

 

PS-sorry guys....hopefully nobody gets crated tonight due to this post. It is only meant for entertainment purposes and I deny all responsibility. I am the Alpha Male in my home.....but sometimes it seems to be a matriarchal society.

 

Anybody have an Xtra Xtra large crate I can borrow?