So we have tried hard from day one to: - make sure there is no connection between our meal time and his (no getting to lick leftovers on plates, no getting his meal immediately after ours, etc.) - not giving any attention whilst we are sat at the kitchen table (whether we area eating or reading the local paper) It's worked well, and whenever we sit down to eat, he takes himself to his day bed for a lay down (still within sight). We've been praising Nelson (and ourselves) for his apparent good manners and his ability to leave us in peace. What a good boy he is. But I can't help wondering what the true motivation is. And I'm sure it's something along the lines of: "Finally, the humans have settled in one place. Usually they manage to stay sitting there for at least 15 minutes or so. What a relief, I can take a quick nap, knowing I don't need to follow them around, keeping an eye on them, and making sure there are no external threats to the pack. Now I can relax properly. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"
I wish that was Stanleys thought. His is FOOD!! I better sit as close as possible incase any tries to escape
He is very good. Ours gets his dinner at 7pm usually the same time as us but in a different room, which we quietly leave and close the stair gate behind us to eat our meal. He just lies down and isn't fussed but he would most certainly lie at my feet if he was in with us. Unfortunately until we move our house isn't big enough to successfully train such awesome manners.
This is Stanley when I eat. I should stop it really but it's just so funny and he never tries to get anything. Just watches very intently!
@JenBainbridge - Stanley, Snowie's the same! Except with lots of drool. And a few soft groans, so adorable that we can't resist. He has trained us well ... Originally we were just like @Snowy. I don't recall when it all went pearshaped. No squeezing the toothpaste back into the tube now
Haha Cody does this if I am eating breakfast/lunch like he isnt really interested but he just needs to be able to sniff it (he only goes in the kitchen for dinner/hot food)
We managed nearly a year of no human food for Homer, he did get his own boiled chicken and rice when he had tummy trouble or cut up sausages as special training treats. Little by little he does get a bit more but not from the table, (apart from the corner of my toast in the morning but that's from the sofa not the table). Any tidbits go into his bowl for after all has been cleared up or kept to be added to his next meal. He has his dinner about an hour before we usually sit down to eat. I'm really glad we did this. Although we do hear a suffering 'hurrumph' from time to time during meals.
Congrats, @Snowy for being so polite during meals and getting your well-deserved break from taking care of your humans. Humans can be so much work! @JenBainbridge - love Stanley's face there. I've always shared my meals with my dogs and they've always been good about it - once they learn the score, that is. And the score is, you don't whine, you don't stare and you WILL get some. It's funny how quickly even guest dogs (for example my friend's chihuahua who is with me this weekend) learn this. Even psycho foster Toby learned to chill out on the other end of the couch until I shared my snack. But all bets are off for when I get my Lab. I understand they are a whole other level of food obsession!
Yes they are @Emily, I would get a pup used to 'no human food' early. Labs will ask, ask, ask and ask endlessly. You can change your mind at a later date if you feel like it, but I'd start with meals and treats only.
Cassie's not bad at this, she usually stations herself on her mat as soon as our goes on the plate, but is not above giving the Stanley look from a distance! She's quite funny, I try really hard to space out rewards, but every now and then she does this bum lift front leg stretch and flop back down and looks the other way, it's like ahemahemahem, haven't you forgotten something, all without leaving the mat.
Just got an email from my mom (I'm away) that Snowie came to her flat for a visit (with my husband) and she had no option but to feed him cheese treats from the table while they were having dinner because he sat silently staring at them. That stare! So manipulative!!
I'm a old hand at the lab mind control thing. You can look you can sniff but you won't get any. They leave me alone and relax they know when I put down my plate or knife and fork they will get something. Those eyes it's a good job I'm hard hearted woman
We eat at the same time as Harley. Once she's finished hers she lies on her bed and waits until we finish. Occasionally she gets some leftovers like chicken, sausage or veg, but doesn't move until I put it in her bowl. If there are no leftovers, she stays on her bed until our plates are in the dishwasher. Snacks are a different matter altogether though
