Doggone Etiquette —

Please And Thank You

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

How many times a day do you ask one or more of your Very Important People to do something for you? Things such as: please let me out (or please let me in), play with me, walk me, feed me, etc. And how many times do you get what you asked for? Probably most of the time, but what do you do in return?  It’s a two-way street. You expect to get what you ask for (providing you ask nicely) and your V.I.People expect you to do whatever they ask you to do (providing they also ask nicely). So next time you ask to go out, do a nice Sit before they open the door, or when you put a favorite tennis ball in their lap do a tail-wagging Sit.

Try it. It really works!

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

Yes, there is a shade of dominance attached to the dog’s requests, but so long as you respond with one of your own, it evens out. Those “sits before I comply” really work. It’s not too much to ask and it keeps you in control. It’s like teaching the kids to say “please” when asking for something.       

When Rufus asks to go out (into his safely fenced-in area, of course) at this time of year, there are apt to be a lot of things to bring on barking. Deer run through much of our land around here, the Canada geese are honking in flocks overhead and birds are building nests and singing to signal warmer days.  Joggers are out in force. It’s no wonder our dogs want to join in all this activity by barking.                       

All of which leads us to an important rule when you bring a new dog into your life, and that is to stop the barking brought on by those “environmental” activities immediately. Happy barks during playtime are the exception. I’m talking about incessant, annoying barking which generally begins with that first little “yip” when you smile and tell Rufus how cute he is.                  

In the house, divert a puppy’s attention with a toy or by clapping your hands and, with a cheery voice, calling to him. Dogs, especially puppies, love to chase, so outdoors you might pretend to run away from him as you call. The very second the barking stops, toss the toy, or let him catch up with you. The one thing to avoid at all costs is to continue the barking yourself. For example, say you shout “Quiet!” or “No bark!” at Rufus to stop barking, he keeps up the noise, and then you shout louder and more angrily. The way Rufus sees it he has your approval because you are barking, too.                

Now I do know some of you are thinking, yes, but what about letting the dog bark when there’s a stranger at the door, or a weird sound outside at night. Well, then you use a specific phrase kept for just such an occasion, such as, “Who is it?” or “What’s that?” said in a somewhat alarmed, hushed voice. Most dogs react to those situations with a completely different kind of bark and will even include a low growl which indicates that they are alert to the possible problem. The turn-off for this kind of watchdog barking is the same one-word you use to end any other command. You might want to add a big thank-you. Letting the dog know when it’s okay to bark and when it’s not is exactly the same as all the training you do with Rufus.

 And note I said “with” – it’s a joint venture.                           

Any dog that is hard of hearing may become a barker. Some have been re-trained to respond to the beam of a flashlight instead of your voice, but even that is not a 100 percent perfect solution. It won’t work too well outdoors on a bright sunny day! However, to stop barking in the house or at night it is certainly worth a dedicated try.                  

Curbing that first puppy yap-yap-yap will save you lots of future problems, as well as saving the friendship of your neighbors.

                                                                            

Until next time – BE GOOD!

-  Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award last year.