good behaviors that surprise you

[SpringerLover]

I have trained a bunch of behaviors that I don't actually use... and I say that a lot.

Today I asked Bailey to out a hunk of trachea she was chewing on as I was afraid she was planning to gulp it. And she did. As a good trainer, I shouldn't have asked for the behavior if I didn't know she'd do it but I really didn't expect her to.

Good dog, good history of reinforcement, she didn't even think twice, just spat it out. Not that I ask for this behavior like, ever.

How has your dog surprised you recently, in a good way?

 

[yoko]

One time I forgot to lock her crate and yoshi didn't do any damage at all to the house. Don't know if that counts though lol.

 

[Taqroy]

I dropped a grape on the floor a couple days ago. Mu promptly pounced on it and I promptly screeched "LEAVEITLEAVEITLEAVEIT" and she spit it out. I've never even tried a leave it when she has the object in her mouth. She got half a stick of jerky. Lol.

 

[yoko]

I dropped a grape on the floor a couple days ago. Mu promptly pounced on it and I promptly screeched "LEAVEITLEAVEITLEAVEIT" and she spit it out. I've never even tried a leave it when she has the object in her mouth. She got half a stick of jerky. Lol.

XD

When we do that I wonder if we just freak them out its like a jaw dropping thing lol

 

[SpringerLover]

I dropped a grape on the floor a couple days ago. Mu promptly pounced on it and I promptly screeched "LEAVEITLEAVEITLEAVEIT" and she spit it out. I've never even tried a leave it when she has the object in her mouth. She got half a stick of jerky. Lol.

YAY Mu! That's great!

 

[SaraB]

Zingbot is expected to wait in her crate until I release her (crate games, ftw). I opened the crate door one day to grab her dirty food dish so I could wash it. Proceeded to wash it and a bunch of other dirty dishes, went about my business for about 5 additional minutes before I realized that Zing was still waiting patiently in her crate with the door open for her release! She was about 5 months old at the time. <3 this girly.

 

[Kimbers]

Zingbot is expected to wait in her crate until I release her (crate games, ftw). I opened the crate door one day to grab her dirty food dish so I could wash it. Proceeded to wash it and a bunch of other dirty dishes, went about my business for about 5 additional minutes before I realized that Zing was still waiting patiently in her crate with the door open for her release! She was about 5 months old at the time. <3 this girly.

What an amazing pupster!


At Kailey's agility class, I've been working with a "go to the corner" cue so she can get out of the way. (She just targets the walls and lays down.)
Anyway, after a sequence with her last night, I was talking with the instructor for a bit before I realized I had just let her roam the room. We're in a class with several fairly reactive dogs, so I has a split second of panic before realizing she had just gone over to her corner lay down by herself. Not a huge accomplishment or anything, but I'm glad she chose her corner over starting something with the other dogs or chasing the papillon. lol

 

[Doberluv]

Jose`, my poop eater will, if I'm out in the yard, go around from tiny poop to tiny poop, stop in front of each and look at me. He points out the hard to see poops of Chulita's so I can clean them up. He refrains from eating them IF I'm outside. "leave it" has always been implemented for this and so he leaves it, going from one to the other. If I'm not outside, he doesn't think he has to leave it and will eat it. Gross. (I don't really think he's showing me them on purpose. I think it's more a case where he's thinking about eating it and watching me to see if I'm going to tell him to leave it. But I don't have to tell him in this kind of scenario.) LOL. Anyhow, it's kind of amusing to me.

 

[Doberluv]

Zingbot is expected to wait in her crate until I release her (crate games, ftw). I opened the crate door one day to grab her dirty food dish so I could wash it. Proceeded to wash it and a bunch of other dirty dishes, went about my business for about 5 additional minutes before I realized that Zing was still waiting patiently in her crate with the door open for her release! She was about 5 months old at the time. <3 this girly.

That IS pretty darn cute.

 

[Taqroy]

XD

When we do that I wonder if we just freak them out its like a jaw dropping thing lol

Haha, I was wondering that too! I bet she'd do it again though since she got her most favorite thing EVAR for it.

YAY Mu! That's great!

I was very impressed! Now if only the other two had such good leave its....lol.

 

[Dogs6]

This morning I was trying to herd the goats from pen to paddock when someone walked past garden with dogs. The older dogs knew better but Aura and Diesel, ran off barking and jumping at the fence (which in itself was amazing since they can both jump it if they try). Usually I'd just run off and get them to chase me or whip out a toy. Obviously I couldn't do that and I couldn't call them to me otherwise the goats would scatter (and catching them after that is nearly impossible.

I yelled at them to down ... and they actually DID!!!! We haven't tried anything like that before although they both have reliable downs in other situations. I was amazed!

 

[mollygirl1975]

Molly (1.5 year old pittie pup) surprised me last Sunday morning. I woke up early and went into the living room and let her out of her crate. I was going to get on the laptop while in the living room and realized that it wasn't in there. I remembered that my 12 year old son had it in his room the other night doing homework. I tried to get Molly to go outside to go potty so I could go get the laptop from his room but she wouldn't go because it was cold outside. I really didn't want to go into my son's room to get the laptop because anytime Molly sees our other dog first thing in the morning, she runs to him and immediately tries to get him to play with her. And also if she sees someone laying down and covered up, she thinks it is time for the person to get up and play with her and she will jump in the bed and wake them up by licking all over their face. So I walked down the hall and Molly followed me. I put her in a sit/stay even though I didn't have much confidence she would stay once the door to my son's room was open. I was so shocked that she didn't move a muscle the entire time the door was open and I was getting the laptop. She didn't even move until I walked past her with the laptop and said "ok". I sure was proud of her and she was quite proud of herself because once I released her, she was wagging that tail of hers very hard like she does when she is very happy or when she sees us after we've been gone for awhile.

 

[Catsi]

I love these stories!

Grace was raised with a 7 year old child and was often around 3 -4 year olds in her younger days. Despite not having really seen children on a regular basis since about 5 years old and being 11 now, she is still wonderfully sweet and gentle with little kids. I love seeing her interact with them. Not exactly a skill that I've taught but something that surprises me.

I am constantly surprised at my girls' ability to ignore my food when I'm eating at the table or on the couch. The one thing that they do get from me is to lick out the yoghurt container I'm eating and they know that I ask for a behaviour first and they don't mug me for it. I am reminded of how much I appreciate this when I have Locke the whippet over who has terrible manners in that respect (he has been encouraged). I'm also surprised that I can drop stuff in the kitchen and they won't come running over to eat it - if I'm there. We really enjoy playing it's yer choice lol.

 

[RedHotDobe]

Not really something I've ever taught, but "no" to Rumor means don't do what you're thinking about doing. She happened to be off-leash and saw deer, and my first reaction was "No!" She immediately stopped alerting and turned around and kept sniffing at the ground. It wasn't even a fluke because she did it again a week or two later. Deer are her favorite, so I was surprised when I got her to ignore them.