fbpx

Check out our new merch today!

October 7, 2015

Dog 101

I like to think I’ve done a pretty good job socializing Eko and Penny and introduced them to all things a dog needs to know about. But with our recent move I discovered Penny’s missed out on a number of domestic lessons. Due to the sardine-can size of the apartment
I like to think I’ve done a pretty good job socializing Eko and Penny and introduced them to all things a dog needs to know about. But with our recent move I discovered Penny’s missed out on a number of domestic lessons. Due to the sardine-can size of the apartment we previously rented, we never had room for a table. We ate all our meals on barstools at the butcher block, so Penny never learned table manners. Now that we have a kitchen table again we’re dining with a couple of sharks.Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

Eko attempts to use mind control to get us to drop food, but at least he knows not to intrude 

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

Penny knows no such restraint.

Human meal time is now also puppy-class time. Penny’s finally realized she’s not invited to the table

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

But the dogs still try to get as close as possible

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

I’m not sure what’s worse, letting them inch closer or looking at those forlorn stares if I keep them further away

The other introductory level class Penny (and Eko, to some degree) missed is Doorbells 101. Neither of our apartments had a working buzzer, so when the buzzer went off here for the first time the pups were understandably confused.

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

“What was that??”

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

It didn’t take them long to figure out

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

And now the pups associate the buzzer with visitors, which is great

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

Except when it’s not. We also use the buzzer for package deliveries to the main foyer. When the dogs hear the buzzer they’ll stand by the door expectantly and look at me like I’m rude for not opening it

To add further confusion to the buzzer, the dogs also hear voices coming from it when someone is at the building’s front door.

Rhodesian Ridgeback, blog, chicago, cute, puppy

“Will, I think this place is haunted.”

As apartment dwellers, the dogs have also never had the pleasure of barking at the postman or other visitors. That’s one class I’m happy they missed!

What about you guys? Any basic things

Comments for Dog 101

  1. They’re both so darn smart they’ll “get with the program” on both table manners and door buzzers in no time…..!

    Pam and Sam

  2. Victoria says:

    Ha – at our house a doorbell is a 5 alarm fire according to Rigby and Muffin – they start barking and running to the windows to see who is there – its hard to train them on it when i don’t get any visitors and when most of the doorbells they hear are from swiffer commercials (which also make them nuts) – so i haven’t really worked on that. Table manners are our house are dogs at your feet (in case you drop a morsel). Except Muffin who will sit very quietly by you and put her paw on your arm every few minutes – just to remind you she is being really good and could use a treat 🙂

  3. that’s a great idea!!! we had a scared gls-girl and a frozen schenker-guy today… Easy feels like a hero :o)

  4. Eve says:

    I’ve had dogs that went both ways! The Shih Tzu I had would go crazy if she heard a doorbell or knock on the TV. But Juley the hound doesn’t care about the sounds from the TV but a knock on the door makes her go crazy.

  5. Emmadog says:

    We’ve gotten so used to deliveries, we don’t even look or get up when the doorbell rings these days.

  6. Kismet says:

    Those who are associated with the government need to be put in their place occasionally.

  7. Connie Taylor says:

    Our dogs go crazy if I accidentally hit our door bell chimes that hang in the hall-way. They think “intruders” are coming and everyone, and I mean everyone, BE WARE!!!
    p.s. How did Penny do in her puppy agility classes?

  8. oh this was GREAT!!!
    Dakota often has to be “re-educated” about the table because my husband and I eat in the kitchen and we have a baby gate there to keep Dakota out because:
    1) our kitchen is small and I have a fear of long Sheltie fur being singed by the oven
    2) Our cat eats there (and was here first lol), and deserves to eat without a giant dog face in his food bowl

    So, when we have company and eat at the dining room table, Dakota is like a shark. He doesn’t jump up or anything but he does try to be much too close. He is usually pretty good about it, but we make sure we keep him on his toes!

    Dakota also barks at the mail person because he hears the mail being delivered every day and for the past 8 yrs the fact that it is the mail person hasn’t sunk in! BOL!

  9. Hi Guys! Guess what!!! I gave you the Blogger Recognition Award. Come look: https://noodle4president.wordpress.com/2015/10/07/blogger-recognition-award/

  10. Shana and Hobbes says:

    Vizlsas are well known sharks and sneaky ones at that, so Hobbes the Vizsla has been trained that when we are eating, whether in the family room, at the dining room table or outside at the patio table, he goes to his bed and stays put. We do make it VERY worth his while and now he goes and waits pretty patiently.

    We are still working on the barking – he goes nuts when he even thinks someone may be near our house, let alone open the gate or knock… I want him to bark but I also want him to know when I say enough the barking is finished. It is hard but we are making slow progress. He knows the ‘shush’ command and will stop and go to his bed quietly but often jumps and runs to bark some more… sigh… he has also decided he needs to bark at people we drive by in the car. He never barks at any of these same people we pass when we are walking or running though.

    I hope you get back Penny back to agility. It is SO much fun! We have started to do some trials and it nerve wracking (when they decide to run amok) but also exciting (when they actually complete a run successfully)!

  11. Doorbells are mind blowing! Plus confusing. Plus terrifying. Plus exciting beyond compare. Enjoy!

    Love and licks,
    Cupcake

  12. Table manners excellent! Smokey heads off to the living room or somewhere at a distance. Kali typically sleeps under the table, politely and not begging. Kind of odd since during food preparation she stands at attention as close as we will allow her to be. During dinner though she calmly sleeps (or licks our feet – we call it Spa Treatment) under the table.
    Doorbells – not so much. Smokey – at 10 pounds and a yap-yap dog by nature – usually goes bazerk with barking Tourettes (credit that term to rachelmankowitz, The Cricket Pages) and Kali is a reluctant participant barking but looking back at me the whole time to let me know she knows I don’t want her to do this “but Smokey has got me all riled up Dad!” Smokey grew up in this suburban home and Kali has been here for a year and half. You’d think they’d get it by now that a single bark to announce the caller at the door would be sufficient. As much as I work with them it seems to be out of their control. I probably need to hire a stranger to come to the door like every 5 minutes for a couple of hours a few times a week to practice with them and instill better behavior. 🙂

  13. Ahhh, yes…those starvin-Marvin eyes at dinner time. That was the VERY first thing I ‘ve ever taught my dogs. Nothing worse than pairs of eyes watching the fork move from plate to mouth and then the Pavlov slobber coming shortly thereafter…usually on a leg-blech. I’m sure your guys will be pros in no time with table manners and the doorbell. 😉

  14. Those poor dogs look like they are starving – those forlorn stares – don’t you feed them Will?

  15. My gang has bad table manners.

Leave a Reply

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

Follow Us on Instagram

@markingourterritory