Dog advice

[payn]

I was so spoiled with how well-behaved Jaxy boy was. I kept his chow in a bag lined laundry hamper. He knew where it was but would wait patiently in the morning and afternoon for his scoops.

My brother went on vacation and I took on his golden retriever for a long weekend. I went to work on Friday and came home and Max (yeah worked out because I could command both Max and Jax with one statement) had knocked the hamper over and helped himself to like 7 pounds of chow. Pooped all over my mud room...

 

[Sacrosanct]

I was so spoiled with how well-behaved Jaxy boy was. I kept his chow in a bag lined laundry hamper. He knew where it was but would wait patiently in the morning and afternoon for his scoops.

My brother went on vacation and I took on his golden retriever for a long weekend. I went to work on Friday and came home and Max (yeah worked out because I could command both Max and Jax with one statement) had knocked the hamper over and helped himself to like 7 pounds of chow. Pooped all over my mud room...

Well, at least it was an appropriately named room he did it in...

 

[Koloth]

The dog is around 10 years old. That's senior citizen territory for a dog isn't it? I don't think he's as hyper as he once was but he still likes to run.

I have some dog bones that I'm trying to use for positive reinforcement. When he goes out to do his business I give him a treat. He's been with us less than a week so I'm sure there's still some adjusting for all of us going on. I'm also looking at this as an opportunity for me to get outside and moving around more.

A bit into senior status. On average, smaller dogs tend to live longer then large ones. Check with the vet on ideal weight. A lot of older dogs are too fat. Nothing wrong with breaking a dog treat into 2 or more pieces and using 1 piece as the treat. Dogs seem less concerned with the size of the treat and more with the fact "I got a treat!".

Even really old dogs usually want to go on adventures. He will just want to return home earlier then when younger. Or inconveniently decide that Here is a good place for a rest.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The only thing I've ever known a cat to learn is to be more demanding and self-absorbed.

I've had several cats reach a very old age and the smart ones (about half of them are clearly smarter than the others, in my experience) definitely learn what various human words are, even if they're not directed at them.

I had one cat who would teleport to the door when she heard us say "outside," for instance, or would zip to the kitchen if we said that word when discussing making a snack or something.

Other cats have learned to use door handles, etc.

They will learn what they think is useful, not what the big dumb apes they live with think they should. Basically, they're teenagers.

 

[Umbran]

So she’d sit upright in a chair with her paws hovering just mm above the surface, often lowering them slowly. If you then said “NO PAWS!”, she’d raise them higher…for a while.

And then there's the cat classic of knocking things off of surfaces.

I've known multiple cats who, when they start knocking something down, and you say, "Cat, don't" the cat stops, looks straight at you and nudges the item again.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And then there's the cat classic of knocking things off of surfaces.

I've known multiple cats who, when they start knocking something down, and you say, "Cat, don't" the cat stops, looks straight at you and nudges the item again.

I have seen videos of such behavior. They know what they’re doing.

Our Maine Coon boyo was a DJ before rap was a thing. We discovered his talent when we were playing an LP and, without warning, the song slooowwwed down, but then resumed normal play. It happened a couple more times before anyone could get to the record player.

When we did, there he was, sitting next to the uncovered record player, watching the rotation of the album. And he’d slowly lower a paw- claws retracted, thankfully- and place it on the LP, slowing its rotation.

We all laughed, then removed him from the shelf.

After it happened a couple more times, we started using the turntable’s cover 100% of the time.

 

[payn]

I know Jaxy boy had a few moments in his last year where he felt he'd lived such a well-behaved life he was owed a few. The first was when I had just got home with my Chipotle dinner. I set it on a TV tray in the living room and went to get a beverage. He flipped that bowl onto the ground and ate half of it before I got back. I was astonished and didnt even know what to do. He looked at me like, "yeah...so that happened." The second was up at the lake. Most of my family was up. They laid a blanket in the grass for the toddlers to play on. The rest of us were in lawn chairs. My SIL came out of the cabin with a tortilla in her hand. Gingerly walking to her chair. Jax caught a glimpse of it and followed her, proceeded to trample the children, and then snatch the tortilla right from her hand as she sat down. If he was 1 year old the entire fam would have disciplined him, but since he was 16 they just laughed. I did not find it funny!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Our Maine Coon boyo was a DJ before rap was a thing. We discovered his talent when we were playing an LP and, without warning, the song slooowwwed down, but then resumed normal play. It happened a couple more times before anyone could get to the record player.

When we did, there he was, sitting next to the uncovered record player, watching the rotation of the album. And he’d slowly lower a paw- claws retracted, thankfully- and place it on the LP, slowing its rotation.

We all laughed, then removed him from the shelf.

After it happened a couple more times, we started using the turntable’s cover 100% of the time.

Maine Coon boyos let the beat ... drop!