[Dailydrool] Reasoning with my dogs.

[JACQIE MARVICH]

Yep, I (try) to reason with my dogs all the time. They look at me and listen intently to every word I say. I remember NORman at about a year old wanting to go into the living room on the new carpet. I said to him, "No, NOrman, you can't go in there because you pee on the carpet even if you've just been outside. He never peed on the vinyl flooring. Anyway, he stood there at the gate looking up at me then went to the back door. I let him out, he peed by the tree just off the back deck. I open the door to let him back into the kitchen and instead ofcoming in, he runs around the house to the front door and asks to be let in (on the carpet). I go to out and around to the front where he's waiting to be let in the front door. I repeat what I said to him before. Well, I don't know how he knew it but the door I came out was now locked. It has one of those doorknobs that you can open from the inside even if it's locked. We had to go in through the front door into the living room, or at least I did. Back to the front door and I look at him and tell him he has to wait outside. He gives me that "why, I want to go in with you" look so I say "okay NORman, I'll let you in but I want you to go straight to the kitchen and don't pee on the carpet. I open the door, he trots inside and goes straight to the kitchen. I'm elated. I go after him and praise and pet him, giving him snooters and huggies and really making a big deal of ithis. I get him a piece of cheddar cheese which he happily devours then he turns around and goes back into the living room and pees on the carpet! 

Jacqie Marvich
Oakrydge Bassets
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