I recently read that September is National Courtesy Month. I don’t know who gets to decide these types of designations, but Eko would like to submit an application to make Jan – Dec “National Give Me More Treats Month(s)”
Courtesy is important for everyone, but it is especially important for those of us with pets. When I am out with Eko I always expect him to be polite, friendly and deferential to everyone we meet.
I love seeing signs like this one. Eko and all dogs are ambassadors – the more courteous and well-behaved they are, the more likely we are to see more of these signs
But teaching Eko to be courteous was, and is, a group effort. Without the help of innumerable kind strangers I would have never been able to reinforce the good manners I want Eko to practice.
As a puppy, Eko used to disregard commands given by anyone but me. It was important he learned to behave when other people gave him instructions
Eko thinks everyone is his best friend so it took a lot of practice to teach him that he needs permission to say hello. Permission consists of Eko sitting politely and the person engaging him first, not the other way around. I always like when people ask if they can say hello to Eko because it gives us more practice
At his best, Eko is polite enough join high-society for a wine tasting!
But let’s face it, Eko is not always at his best and neither am I. That is why I am grateful for everyone who helped/helps Eko become a more courteous dog and me become a more courteous dog owner. We can teach our pets good manners, but without the help of others to reinforce those behaviors all our hard work would go out the window.
The only problem is that thanks to all the help I have received, most people agree that Eko is better behaved than I am!
