And just to add, I am a sucker for those big brown eyes

This is Rufus bringing me an empty Kong for filling - I was really busy and working away when I got that polite request. Who do you think taught him this pose?!

Of course it works almost all the time and that's what keeps it so strong

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Anne, owned by Rufus & Tripod

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"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

"If you don't want your dog to bite you, don't be an a**hole to him." ~ Dr. Ian Dunbar

that is one of the many reasons i love NILIF with 'sit' as the behavior of currency in the realm;
the dog learns that SIT opens the door to Ali Baba's treasure, SIT is the key to everything desirable,
get the leash on for a walk, get the door open to exit or enter, get out of or into the car, get their meal
from counter to floor, get the ball thrown, the tug-toy out of the pocket, the stuffed-Kong of yummy stuff
into the crate, ANYthing, EVERYthing...

dogs quickly grasp the concept over the next hours [if they're brilliant & U give many opps to learn],
or days if they're slow to generalize or U are chary about giving the opportunity to think, & don't offer
the dog many chances to push the reward-button.

but once they GET it - "Sit = desired goal" - communication can become Two-Way.
i LOVE to see a dog who's learned this signal out in public: they walk to the bin of chew-toys or Frisbees,
SIT precisely & smile expectantly at their human: "May i, please? Pretty please?..."

i tell every client to be on the alert for their dog's first use of the Pretty-Please un-cued SIT, & if at all possible,
to SAY YES unless it is literally something dangerous or impossible at the moment,
give the dog the feedback that, Yes, s/he can ask politely for something, AND GET IT.

i love 2-way conversations with non-humans; i think everything being a cue is dead-boring,

i think co-operation & partnership are far preferable to human domineering & non-human compliance,
unquestioning & absolute - yecchh. That does not mean i do not have high standards, or rigorous
expectations in some circumstances - but being rigid all the doggone time is dull & very dry going.
we should be able to work AND play with our dogs!

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

When I walk with Duke, and we see a dog I'll stop and before I let him greet "okay!" he'll automatically sit, granted his tail will be going ten to the dozen and he'll be whimpering but he'll still sit with his little bum wriggling about.

Before I throw a ball, he'll automatically sit as well. I just thought he was generally lazy and just loves to sit down to have a rest lol?

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Most of the time... yes

NO.

My inlaws once did and have now left me with a dog that whines when we have finished our tea because "...aww look at those eyes, he-s so skinny and hungry, a small piece of marmalade on toast won't hurt him ..." bugger did it! Now we have a dog that effectively has a pattern set for flashing the big brown ones in the vain hope it will pay off. It hasn't with us, but it doesn't stop.him from trying .... constantly. The result had been that he, and the new pup are in kennels as we speak to prevent the pup from learning bad habits at the inlaws anymore.

And they also gave him fruit pastilles, toffee and other nasties.

Never when there is food around, but like you can't resist it when they put their head on my knee and want a bit of luvin

My dog does not have goo goo eyes he does, however, have the power of being able to move things with his mind, for example

I am making breakfast I plate up some lovely looking sausages and Drym is sat watching, next thing one of the sausages falls off the plate and onto the floor right next to him

A few hours later I am making a sandwich, I take some cooked meat out of the fridge and Drym is sat watching, next the cooked meat has slipped from my grasp and has ended up on the floor next to him

This one time a whole chicken slipped off the carrying fork and ended up rigth next to him, I shouted 5 second rule and grabbed it out of his reach - deskinned it and served it up

it seems a lot of food things end up on the floor when Drym is watching lol

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The Proctologist called, they found your head

No. My dogs don`t beg.
They will, however, work for food.
My dogs and I aren`t in competition, but in partnership.

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