Doggie Parenting 101 Tips and tricks on loving and living with dogs

Can your dog spell?
Only if you teach him

WE probably all spell certain words in front of our dogs when we want to avoid exciting them. “I am taking Fido to the p-a-r-k later ... It’s almost time for Spot to e-a-t.”

Some people have told me, “He can spell! We spell the word but he knows what we mean!"

Dogs will learn to spell if you spell the word, then follow it with the action. If you do not couple it with the action, the dog will have no clue.

So when someone says, “I am taking Buster for a w-a-l-k,” the dog will be oblivious. But if they say, “I am taking Buster for a w-a-l-k,” and then pick up the leash, the dog can learn that w-a-l-k means just that, which is exciting (to most dogs).

If they say “It’s time for Spot to e-a-t,” and then head to the food bag, the dog will learn to spell eat.

I spell in front of my Doberman, Jetta, all the time. P-a-r-k, e-a-t, b-y-e-b-y-e. These are the biggies – but I spell for a reason: so she doesn’t get excited or anticipatory. To accomplish my goal, I do not couple it with the action.

Picking up dropped kibble helps prevent food bag break-ins

Not many dogs can be trusted to do their own shopping, so best to avoid pointing the way to their food storage area.

I recently dropped one little tiny piece of dog food – one piece of Innova Evo kibble measuring 3/8” x 3/8” onto the floor, behind the toilet, in my spare bathroom where I keep Jetta’s bag of dog food.

I had to move the trashcan, then wrestle the heavy bag out and twist myself over and around the toilet so I could reach this little, tiny dried chip. Why was it so important to diligently pick up that almost miniscule tidbit?

To have a clean home? Nah - I am not that picky, it could wait ‘til vacuuming day. Mice? Ok… I wouldn’t want to attract mice, that’s for sure, nor other pests, but that’s not my reason. I want to avoid giving Jetta any hot ideas about helping herself to her food bag, which I leave open, although not easily accessible.

If she learned there were morsels on the floor, and she got down and pushed the trashcan aside and maneuvered her way past the bag and was rewarded with that treat, this could be the beginning of her breaking into the bag itself. I don’t want her nosing around in there. Give ‘em an inch, they’ll take a mile.

Let’s put it this way: if I wanted to encourage her to get into the bag on her own, one of the things I would do is drop pieces on the floor around the bag to give her the idea, to show her the bag is interesting, to let her associate the bag with free treats. I would baby-step her to taking more initiative.

So if I want to maintain what I have - an open bag that is easily accessible to me, but not to her - I pick up any dropped pieces, no matter how small, just to keep her from getting any ideas. You must know your dog well enough to know how much leeway you have. Some dogs would require that you store the bag in a locked vault behind a padlocked door. Make it as convenient for yourself as possible, always remembering that prevention is better than correction.

'Til next time - kiss the kids!
Victoria (Mom of Jetta WAC, CGC)

Victoria Rose offers in-home dog training/behavior modification. For more tips and advice, subscribe to her free 2800-plus readers Doggie Parenting 101 e-newsletter. Contact her at 503.370.7000; 800.999.8539 or visit: www.nanny911fordogs.com.

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