Okay, I realize he wasn't around here when he was a tiny pup, so he didn't get all the benefit of growing up with The Alpha and The Typist like I did. But, you'd think, after all this time, that The Boy would've figured out the "down" command. He hasn't.
They attempt to teach him the same way they taught me... with voice, hand signals, physical guidance on positioning, praise, ear rubs, toys, even treats on occasion. But first off, he seems to like sitting way better. And second, he apparently thinks "down" is the same as "are you a bellydawg?" because he rolls over on his back half the time.
I can hear The Alpha still working with him in the living room. There are more "Good boy"s than there were a few minutes ago. So, maybe there's finally some hope. He's smart, The Boy is; he just doesn't seem to apply himself very well.
Any ideas, Internet?
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6 comments:
He's a cattle dog. Edibles, edibles, edibles. And prayer. That worked for Zorra, who would do anything for food. Amie is not nearly so food-driven, or as intense, and we cut her a little more slack.
And it's been my experience that some dogs (some dogs whose name started with Z) seem to see the "down" command almost as a sort of forced submission, and the hard-headed ones will resist it more than any other command. So you have to really make it worth his while, like if he's very food-driven reserve his very favorite treat for training "down".
Good luck!!!!
Thanks, Zorra. We are glad to have your more experienced perspective! (Let us know if you ever come to the Dallas area and want to meet this crazy The Boy for yourself.)
-- The Typist and The Alpha
My guess is that the conversation in his head is something like, "Why you always tryin' to keep me down? That's my whole life...just the Typist tryin' to keep me down! I'm votin' blue dog democrat next time!"
I would love to see your babies some day,and hope you can come down and see us, too. The Scientist's sister is in your area, but since his mom moved down here, we don't head north as much as we used to.
Zorra, it seems that our list of reasons to swing through the Houston area is growing lately. Perhaps we'll try within the next 6 months or so.
Russ, I think The Boy's already halfway to being a blue-dog Democrat. He's most definitely got the blue-dog part, and his paternal grandparents make a point of nurturing Democrats.
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