W-a-l-k?

[RICHARD]

That is an all-star four letter word in the house.

Tucker Dogg has learned to spell.

He can be asleep - dead asleep - and if the word is spoken, he will jump up and in no time at all, be chairside.

Tail wagging, jumping from foot to foot, ready to go out for his daily fun.

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Actually?

It's worse than that. In the last week and a half, I have tried a small experiment with the Tuckster.

I go out to pick up the newspaper and I have allowed him to go out as far as the curb, sans leash.

He goes out to the big bush and with me constantly monitoring him, pees, sniffs around, comes back to the house, pees on the solar powered house sign and comes back in.

Not bad, I thought, but I have created a monster of sorts.

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Back in Late Feb/March the weather was colder and I needed to dress up a little to go out.

I'd put on my shoes, grab a jacket, my hat and a plastic bag.

No problem?????

Now?

If I pick up a plastic bag and it rattles?

If I pick up my hat or a jacket?

If I put on my shoes?

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It gets to the point where, if I sneak into the other room to put my shoes on, the dog is there, peeking into my room - If I close the door, he whines.

And it's the pleading whine. Did I mention the "happy dance"?

The HD is a little 'two step' T does when he gets excited to go outdoors.

It's a bark and these counter clockwise spins that get faster if we get up to let him out.

(On the days when he is really excited, I have counted 16 spins - A new world record!)

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The best spins happen when he moves across the room and when the Edster is asleep on a piece of furniture.

Tuck's tail goes whipping about and eventually finds Ed.

Ed wakes up, or when he sees it coming?

He recoils in that careful-cat-way, miffed enough to go find another spot.

Unless that spot is the newly washed fake sheep skin that started life as a cat rug and now, will dog smell and dog snot on it, is no place for a cat nap. That's another story.

All in all it's fun to have them both living together.

They both can 'walk the walk', my problem is that I cannot 'talk the walk'?

[Karen]

Yes, and in time, he will recognize that "w-a-l-k" means walk, too! My very first dog learned cookie, then c-o-o-k-i-e, then biscuit, then its spelling, and we got pretty creative with euphemisms when we needed to discuss them without giving her a dog biscuit! And walk, and all its spellings and even g-o- because tricky!

[Taz_Zoee]

In my brothers house you cannot say "feed the dogs" without having all of them jump up and run into the kitchen. They have not caught on to FTD meaning the same thing..........yet.

You say carrot in my house and both dogs perk up. Taggart will wait until you say "do you want a carrot?" before running to the fridge.

And some people think animals are not smart or do not think. Hmph! They are smarter than me sometimes!

[Suki Wingy]

Dogs are very tuned into their people and routine. They can read human body language better than any animal other than humans, and they can learn quite a vocabulary of human words. They pick them up fast, too! I name my dogs' toys. Niño learns their names but Eliza can't seem to remember anything but "ball" or "toy".

[Grace]

In our house the magic word was Pizza. We had a one-eyed Westie mix named Jenny. She learned what the word meant very early on. Then she learned how to spell it.

To this day, even though Jenny has been gone almost 20 years, we still spell it out

[RICHARD]

I guess home schooling your pets really works?

[Alysser]

Mikey knows walk, out, potty, hike, and park. He also knows eat and peanut butter Usually when I take him out I say "Wanna go outtttt" in a really obnoxious voice. He goes CRAZY.

Don't underestimate Tuck's intelligence It may surprise you even more someday!

[Suki Wingy]

Other magic words for mine are squirrel, rabbits, chipmunks, car ride, go out, kitty, and petco.

[SWHouston]

In the mornings, I sit at the Breakfast Table, thinking about what I will do that day. Sneakers and Becca can be napping somewhere, the house is totally quiet, and I haven't done anything to alert them to my "thought" of going to the Grocery or other "out" things. Customary triggers are, picking up the Car Keys, putting on shoes or putting things (wallet/other) in my pocket.
I have done NONE of these things, not spoken any word...just sitting there quietly.

All of a sudden I hear the "romping" footsteps of my guys dashing toward me.

I look down, and My Male Sneakers is standing there, looking back and forth between me and his Harness, which is hanging on the end of a Table. I swear, I have not moved a muscle, only thought to go somewhere.

This happens so frequently, that I have tried to "think" of going, but not really meaning it. That doesn't work, somehow he knows the difference.

I am beyond amazement.

[wishbone]

Dogs are really so smart and very affectionate animals,they can easily adapt and learn with proper guide and love.

[kaycountrygal]

I enjoyed reading all the comments about dogs knowing what you're about to do... or spelling out so hopefully they dont catch on... but they do LOL.

My girls know the basic words and Luke cat knows "are you ready to eat?" I've always thought dogs are smart (smarter than some people LOL) and know what we're saying or thinking.

[cassiesmom]

This is a great thread! From Tucker's happy dance to SW Houston's Yorkies knowing when their person is even thinking of going somewhere! And Tucker Dog, I would love to go for a w-a-l-k with you.

[SWHouston]

cassiesmom.

I've noticed something else here that I really like/agree with...

There are numerous Users here, who don't refer to themselves as "Owners".
Many terms are used, I like to refer to myself as a "Provider". I presume it's the feeling that one can not "own" a life, and respect for all living things to be unique. One has only to affiliate himself with a domestic animal, to realize that "uniqueness".

[Suki Wingy]

Well we call them kids at work. And refer to the parents as just that- parents. Or quite often here, babysitters and nannies.

[mrspunkysmom]

Well, we do all the parent things, feed, bathe, groom, doctor, etc, Educate, too.

Spunky, the cat, knows the word "play".