Dogs can be remarkably sneaky. You know all those wonderful Disney films where dogs worship their owners? Forget it—it is not true. They simply want us to believe that so they can fool us into taking them out and wheedle whatever they want from us. One of the laws in my house is: any food on the floor belongs to my dogs. All other food must be requested.
This worked well before I realised that there had been an increase in this department, enabling my dog, Cobra, to fill his face whenever he wanted. Yes, it was true I allowed my dog to have whatever fell on the floor, but I was not prepared for the sneaky tactics he employed—I was about to find out.
First off, I tried leaving food on the kitchen table to see if he ignored the rule, but there was no response. In fact, Cobra looked at me as if I had forgotten this most sacred of directives. The next time, I left a tempting beef sandwich on the coffee table. Apart from a quick sniff, there was no response at all from Cobra.
The following day, I left a pork pie on the kitchen table and hid outside. Having convinced himself there was no one around, Cobra crept up to the pie, nudged it onto the floor, and began eating it. I shot out and was about to give Cobra a severe dressing down when he looked at me, then at the pie, before cocking his head in an 'I don't understand' sort of manner.
There was no doubt he knew exactly what he was doing, but I just did not have enough evidence for a conviction. Just then, my beloved walked by and gave him the rest of the pie and a big kiss. I swear to God he winked at me as I stumped out of the room.
Walking the Dog: Mick Jagger Style
Mick Jagger shows you how to walk the dog: 'Walking the dog, I'm just a-walking the dog. If you don't know how to do it, I'll show you how to walk the dog.' I took my lovely Labrador, Delph, for a walk in the sunshine today. Notices were up asking dog owners and handlers to keep their dogs on a lead as there was a large number of calves about.
It was a very simple request, and I was quite surprised to find how few owners could actually do it without a struggle. 'Heel' is probably the easiest command to learn for owners. We practise it every week at training class, and there is only one simple rule: leaders lead and followers follow.
Doors, gates, stiles, and so on—you go first, every time. Do it in the house, the garden, the kitchen, and make it a habit so that both you and your dog understand you are in charge. The key is consistency. Do not fret—with a little bit of effort, you can do this.
You can contact Vic by text on 07590 560012. For the past 32 years, Vic has trained dogs of all shapes, breeds, and sizes. More than 4,500 have passed through his training academy, and he says working with them has been a privilege and they have taught him as much as he taught them.
Vic says: 'After all this time communicating directly with dogs, I can honestly say I have never met a dog I could not help. Owners, however, are a little more difficult and need to learn how dogs really communicate. It means getting into the mind of the dog and really understanding. That insight will open a new world to you.' Follow him on Facebook for daily last-minute class updates: https://www.facebook.com/vic.barlow
