I think dogs are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Just the other night Hubby gave Jedi an empty ice cream container. When Jedi finished licking it clean, Hubby asked Jedi to bring the empty container to him -- and he did. This is not something we've ever taught him. I often wonder what cool things can I teach him? How about the difference between "left" and "right"? Seriously! Clicker guru Karen Pryor has a fun article on How to Teach Your Dog Left and Right. I know people who can't even figure that out!
Dogs are fun and generally good natured about the odd things we do to them -- like dressing them in funny hats and T-shirts. I get a kick out of silly dog tricks too. And I'm always impressed by dogs that balance stuff on their heads. (What can I say, I'm easily entertained.) Check out Maymo the beagle balancing 100 fruits and vegetables in 100 seconds:
We Live In a Flat poses the question: Are we teaching or forcing the dog to balance things on her head? Hmmm, good question. But then the post goes on to tell how to teach a dog to do this silly trick.
Ok, now that you're laughing at Maymo, and seriously considering learning how to balance stuff on your dog's head, take a look at this post from Mother Nature Network: 11 things humans do that dogs hate. Balancing stuff isn't on the list per se, but I think it may apply. Hmmm. I suppose you should ask your dog. I know when my dogs really dislike something versus when they're tolerating something to humor me. But if you're going to do it, make sure you're using positive reinforcement with some extra-special rewards.
A blog that I really enjoy is Walks with Rama. I identify with the author: she also lives in Florida, shows her dogs (better than me), and has "personal issues" (which she handles better than I do). She has Cane Corsos -- large Italian mastiff dogs, often mistaken for giant pit bulls. She also has an interesting take on things. I often finish one of her posts with a "Hmm. Never thought of it that way." Last week she had a great post on Obedience Time–Equipment & Watch Command. Did you know you're not suppose to put your hand through the loop?
Another interesting blog post (with a contest no less!) is Dog Safety For Your Good Buddy from the All Things Dog Blog. This author is from central Florida and discusses dogs and gator safety. Yep, you read that right. We have alligators here too, so I urge all my local friends read this post.
I hope you enjoyed this week's hodgepodge post. See you next Friday with a new group of things that made me laugh and made me think. TTFN, -- K