Things You Don't have to Teach a Dog

New improved ways to boss your dog around abound.  There's always somebody eager to tout a better way to teach your dog, the ultimate training technique.  I too, have my own best training methods.  Today, let's take a break from micro managing our dog's behavior and celebrate some of the things dogs do without being taught. 

 

 

You don't have to teach dogs which vehicle contains their people.  They figure out the difference between your husband's truck and the truck belonging to the guy who lives down the street.

 

When one of the dogs in the household goes blind, you don't have to teach the other dogs how to help that dog find his way around.  They simply offer a shoulder nudge or the beacon of footfalls.

 

The sound of the dog's bowl being placed on the kitchen counter is in a certain key.  No dog requires music lessons to hear it.

 

You get up from the easy chair and go to the kitchen to refill your water glass. When you return, the dog has taken over the easy chair.  There's a twinkle in his eye.  No, you don't have to teach a dog his sense of humor. 

 

 

Then there is the love and loyalty.  You are busy typing.  You look up, the dog is there on the rug beside the desk.  Simply there, with you.  Nobody teaches the dog how to comfort us just by being present.

 

Your dog's enthusiastic willingness to join you, just hang out with you, regardless of whether you are going for a jog or doing laundry or watching television, that's friendship. You don't have to teach dogs that.  They teach us.