fbpx

Check out our new merch today!

January 15, 2013

How Does Your Pet Like To Make Friends?

Humans aren’t too shabby.  We love our pets, care for them and most importantly (in Eko’s mind at least) we feed them.  However, sometimes when Eko really wants to let loose the only friends he wants to be around are his four-legged brethren.  But how is a pup supposed to
Humans aren’t too shabby.  We love our pets, care for them and most importantly (in Eko’s mind at least) we feed them.  However, sometimes when Eko really wants to let loose the only friends he wants to be around are his four-legged brethren.  But how is a pup supposed to make friends?  For Eko the answer is simple – steal stuff!

Rhodesian Ridgeback, dog adventure

In typical Lab fashion, this guy thought it was hilarious that Eko stole his ball.  They were instant friends

Not sure where he picked this little trick up, but Eko has a long history of stealing balls, toys and sticks from other dogs at the park.  Eko has no interest in playing fetch on his own and will completely ignore a discarded toy at the park, but if he wants a friend to romp with, he has discovered that the fastest way to get a playmate is through blatant theft.  Here is the technique in action:  

Rhodesian Ridgeback, dog adventure

Step 1: Eko sneaks up on an unsuspecting future friend

Rhodesian Ridgeback, pet-friendly travel

Step 2: Eko deftly snatches as much of the toy as he can

Rhodesian Ridgeback, pet-friendly travel

Step 3: Eko dislodges the toy

Step 4: (not pictured, for obvious reasons) Eko dashes away in hopes of starting a good game of chase!

Rhodesian Ridgeback, dog blog  

After running away, Eko will often pretend to not pay attention to the victim of his crime.  Once they get close though he dashes away again to keep the game going

I have to say, Eko’s strategy works pretty well.  If a dog is possessive and growls when Eko comes near, he immediately knows to back off.  If the dog is uninterested in chasing him, Eko will just drop the toy and run off.  Most of the time though he can always find a new friend that’s ready to play.

The only thing more fun than watching Eko make a new friend is watching when one of those new friends decides to tattle on Eko for stealing.  The friend runs back to their person, whining about the crime, and leads that person over to Eko – who immediately drops the toy and does the worst job of pretending to be innocent!

Rhodesian Ridgeback, pet-friendly travel“Uh oh, Will.  Listen, if that guy asks, just say this tennis ball was here the whole time.”

There’s no two ways about it: Eko is a thief.  But he is a friendly thief!  Do your pets have any go-to moves when they want to get another pet to play?

 

Comments for How Does Your Pet Like To Make Friends?

  1. I have said it a zillion times, Eko is BRILLIANT! Sadly, Dakota isn’t great at making friends…he isn’t a super social guy…he is more stand offish

  2. raisingdaisy says:

    Daisy is also a very outgoing social pup. She doesn’t steal the other dog’s toy (until he drops it!); instead she jumps all over the other dog head-on – no matter what its size – whether he wants the attention or not. Daisy seems to think she’s an 80-pound dog, not a 13 pound pup!

  3. Kate says:

    What a cunning little trick, Mr. Eko! Very sly. And, he made a good choice in friending the lab; they are the happiest pups!

  4. I like to rush straight in there and try to get the other dog to wrestle or chase me:-)

  5. Gizmo says:

    Eko is a genius…he has such great reasoning abilities, I’m always impressed…Gizmo just sticks with some old-fashioned butt sniffing, a few “pushups” and maybe (if he can reach) a little humping…not very creative but usually fairly effective 😉

  6. Zena says:

    Cassie, Raffles’ pal does that too. When poor old Raffles tried it no-one chased him! Not fun being a pup

  7. Millie says:

    Eko you are such a smart and clever boy.

  8. If another dog is wagging its tail as Arri approaches, she instantly becomes their friend. Arri also has an affinity for her own kind…she wags her tail when she sees another dachshund (we teasingly tell her she discriminates…ha ha).

  9. Boomdeeadda says:

    What a treat to watch the antics at the park. Dogs have a good sense of who’s playful and fun and who’s not. We had a yellow lab mix years ago, they have such great personalities….that smile brought back lots of good memories. Thanks Will.

  10. Sadly I haven’t friends for playing, only my itsy bitsy tiny Shi-tzu pal… I must be always careful while playing and specially while yawning – because I could swallow her accidentally ;o)

  11. Emmadog says:

    I usually play mostly with my sister but Katie loves meeting friends. She can’t stand or understand the toy obsession thing, so she also steals the toy to get a good game of chase and tackle going, that is her favorite thing too! She had 2 Ridgeback friends when we lived in Germany and they got some serious chase games going on the beach at the North Sea. I was just a pup so I could not keep up at all!

  12. Marcela says:

    I am glad Eko likes his doggie friends. If Alex had to choose between humans and dogs, she’d always choose humans. But my first dog, Casey, always preferred dogs over humans:)

  13. onebluedog says:

    Good technique, Eko! Chase is one of my favorite games and that is sure way to get it going 😀

    When I was younger I tried to make friends by jumping on the other pup’s face. For some reason this usually did not go over very well. Mom has helped me learn to make friends more successfully, but once in a while I still test out the jump on the face technique…

  14. Clowie says:

    I think I’ll try that!

  15. Loved this post! Cinema is also a notorious ball thief, though she’s not quite as brave as Echo stealing it right out of their mouths (too funny!), she prefers to use her warp speeds to beat them to the ball when unsuspecting dog and human are playing fetch. She is also relentless and cares not an ounce if she gets told on. She’ll prance right up to dog and disapproving human, looking very pleased with herself, and dance around them with the ball until the dog complies or her mom sheepishly intervenes. Mom’s such a party pooper.

  16. Teju says:

    hahahaa! I laughed out loud as I read through your post! Eko & his adventures! totally hilarious! 😀

  17. Cace says:

    I had a dog who would create a distraction, like barking at the door, so that while the other dog was distracted she would claim the toy as her own.

  18. ELAINE SAMPSON says:

    I AM GLAD THAT THESE ACT LIKE MINE WITH NEW TOYS I BUY THEN FOR THE DOGS I HAVE HERE ALL 9 OF THEM BUT I HAVE ONE THAT GOES AROUND TAKING ALL THE TOYS AND PUTS THEM INTO HER BED. AND REALLY HAS A FIT IF THEY TRY TO GET THEM BACK.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us on Instagram

@markingourterritory