How a dog's mind works
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Our Binti was born in a ground floor house and lived there for 18 months, before she joined her younger sister Lela with us.
Lela learned as a pup to walk the stairs, but Binti clearly had problems. Every morning, her muscles still a bit stiff, she tried to walk up, but hesitated. I would come down and nudge her butt ever so slightly - that did the trick.
Now she can walk up the stairs by herself, even in the mornings, but apparently she misses the ritual: she sits quietly on her butt on the floor mat, until I come down. THEN she walks up the stairs, without my help.
Any similar stories? -
I think some of our basenjis tend to be a bit OCD about routine. A few times Cara snarked at Arwen when I was trying to let her under the covers as I went to bed and I told her "hit the floor". (She has to "hit the floor" to get treats too, so she is used to the command.) Been months but as soon as she sees I am about to get in the bed, she hits the floor. I have tried to grab her and hold while I get it, but most of the time she STILL has to get off the bed and wait for me to say "BIG LEAP". (if I don't tell her BIG LEAP she does this insane hop trying to get on sideways, body parallel to the bed, sort of like an olympic pole vaulter.. And she can do it, but she might hop 4 to 10 times before she makes it). No, I don't have a dog with similar 'hang onto routine" dogs… not me.
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Squirrel!! Run!!!!
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If I have a treat, I can get his entire repertoire (which, granted, ain't much, but that's on me, not him) if I wait a few seconds before treating:
Sit
Up (on bed, couch, whatever's handy)
Off (the bed, couch, whatever he's up on)
Shake (left paw)
High Five (left paw)
Shake (right paw)
High Five (lright paw)
Lay downSometimes he'll mix it up a bit and give me a lay down before the shake and the high five. Gotta keep things interesting, ya know!
Repeat 'til treat is given. I can just hear him thinking…"She's gotta want ONE of these things...might as well just do 'em all and as fast as I can 'cause she might have CHEEZES! And I love me some CHEEZES!"
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If I have a treat, I can get his entire repertoire (which, granted, ain't much, but that's on me, not him) if I wait a few seconds before treating:
My girl Lady was like that. Do 'em all as fast as possible, it's gotta be in there somewhere! It took a bit of work to get her to slow down and listen to what I actually wanted. :)
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LOL on the entire repertoire. That was my chow/coyote. I would just wait til she stopped and give THE command (or give it again if she started AFTER I had given it.. but most of the time she started the second she knew I had a treat) when she was ready to listen. But it was cute.
