Who's The Boss?
09/02/09 21:08 Filed in: Pawsonal
Recently, my Mom has gotten back into the idea of
training big time. She's always telling me to "sit",
"stay" or lie "down" and then giving me treats when I
do it. I think she's trying to establish that she's
in charge.
It used to be my Dad who thought he was in charge, especially after the time when my Mom went away for a while and it was just him and me. He'd be all "Marlee sit" and "Marlee stay" and "Marlee come" and he felt all proud inside because I would do it. Then my Mom came home and things kind of changed.
It makes me laugh, actually. I love them both dearly and so, when it comes right down to it, if it's really important I will do what they ask me to do. But are they in charge? Do they really believe they're training me? Laughable, really.
Sure, I'll sit when she tells me to. If a treat follows closely upon the sitting. Too many sits with no treats and I'm giving it up. And "come", well, that's all fine and dandy when there's a bon bon waiting for me when I come trotting back but skip the prize too often and you're not getting me to come back unless it's my decision.
Come to think about it, it really is a form of training. I train them to say certain words and give me treats by doing what I think they want me to do. It's pretty simple. If I want a treat, I just do something I know they don't want me to do. Before you know it, they're calling out a command and I've got my treat, thank you very much.
Sometimes, in fact, it's even easier than that. My dad makes his lunch every morning before going away for the day. I have him so well trained that I just have to trot into the kitchen and sit down, looking at him, and pretty soon chunks of cheese and bits of meat are coming at me fast and furious. Just for sitting there, with my tongue out!
Easy peasy. Let them think they're the boss and they'll give you anything you want.
It used to be my Dad who thought he was in charge, especially after the time when my Mom went away for a while and it was just him and me. He'd be all "Marlee sit" and "Marlee stay" and "Marlee come" and he felt all proud inside because I would do it. Then my Mom came home and things kind of changed.
It makes me laugh, actually. I love them both dearly and so, when it comes right down to it, if it's really important I will do what they ask me to do. But are they in charge? Do they really believe they're training me? Laughable, really.
Sure, I'll sit when she tells me to. If a treat follows closely upon the sitting. Too many sits with no treats and I'm giving it up. And "come", well, that's all fine and dandy when there's a bon bon waiting for me when I come trotting back but skip the prize too often and you're not getting me to come back unless it's my decision.
Come to think about it, it really is a form of training. I train them to say certain words and give me treats by doing what I think they want me to do. It's pretty simple. If I want a treat, I just do something I know they don't want me to do. Before you know it, they're calling out a command and I've got my treat, thank you very much.
Sometimes, in fact, it's even easier than that. My dad makes his lunch every morning before going away for the day. I have him so well trained that I just have to trot into the kitchen and sit down, looking at him, and pretty soon chunks of cheese and bits of meat are coming at me fast and furious. Just for sitting there, with my tongue out!
Easy peasy. Let them think they're the boss and they'll give you anything you want.