I had a dog who understood that “other room” meant the office, because that’s where my then-wife and I would put him when … well, you know.
Same dog also learned “other way.” While out on walks when he was a pup, he’d try to go one way around a sign or a tree or a flagpole, and I’d be going the other way. I’d say to him “other way” and give his lead a little tug, and he’d come back around to my side. In time, he would respond to just the command, given before he’d actually gone the wrong way. He’d give a look back to make sure where I was, and then be sure to stay on that side of the obstacle.
Oh, and his command for all forms of evacuation was “go do it!”
Caesar (I didn’t pick it, he was the third puppy, thus a “C” name) brings whatever soft dog toy is his favourite right now when we say “bring your dolly.” It’s just funny to see a 70-pound male dog carrying his dolly. He also likes to fetch these things, so we throw it and he brings it and we throw it and he brings it until we say “enough” at which point he looks incredibly injured and sad but takes the toy away.
We also have a deck that has seats on two sides and is connected to the house on the third, but most of the last side is open (I believe the previous homeowners were going to put in a hot tub). Currently I have garden all around the deck. It was necessary to teach him to “use the stairs” because he would go down on that side if it was the more direct route and stomp all over my flowers and track dirt everywhere.
We inherited a dachshund mix that was mostly housetrained. I would say, “Let’s go potty,” and lead her outside, where she would do her tinkle. I waited a bit but she didn’t do anything else, so I let her into the house. Two minutes later, she pooped on the floor. Drove me crazy.
Finally, I trained her using the phrase “Do-some-more” for poop, as in … “Let’s go potty, let’s go do-some-more.” The funny part was training her to do it.
She would go potty, and then come back in where I would let her run up the stairs, and then I would shout, “Let’s go do-some-more!” She would turn around, run outside, and go. I gradually shortened the distance she could run, until she would literally run inside, take one step, and have to turn around again.
After two weeks, she finally got the hang of doing both potty and do-some-more outside on the same trip.
I LOVE you guys! I started to pick favorites, then I realized that pretty much all of them are awesome!
I especially love the multi-word/complete sentence commands… “Secure the perimeter”, “Escort Mr/Ms _____ to the door”, “thank you for holding, your call is important to us”…
No dog, but I have 3 cats who all understand the command “get down!” and will jump off the table/counter/shelf/etc when commanded. We nearly always follow this with the command “get funky!” however we have not successfully gotten a response as of yet. Doesn’t stop us from trying, though.
Another one I just thought of thanks to maisoui - “OUT OF THE GARDEN”.
I said it the other night telling a story about the dog. We were all in the kitchen at the time. The dog was looking around frantically, trying to figure out where she was supposed to go to get out of the invisible garden that had evidently materialized around her.
My two beagles know a few. I tell them “it’s on TV” whenever there’s a noise that concerns them (whether or not it’s actually on TV). This arose from the surround sound/very loud action movies preferred in our family room. When we go for walks, I give the command, “portside, form up”, meaning to get on my left side with the large dumb one next to me and the small mean one on the outside.
We also have “get that!” for anything edible dropped, and “get yer lips offa that” for non-edible items. Note that edible vs. non-edible is decided by me; the beags will eat bleeping anything.
The best thing is when the little one is in the backyard deep in the bushes I tell the big one to “find Sisty”, and by golly he goes out there and says something to her - I don’t know what - but she comes hustling right in the house looking expectantly at me.
I used to silently put my finger to my lips (like saying ‘shhhh’ without the sound) and that meant that there was a squirrel at the bird feeder. She knew to tiptoe as quietly as she could to the door and when she was all ready, I’d quickly open it and she’d go exploding out and chase the squirrel away.
I met a dog over the weekend who, when told to Dance! did a front-feet Snoopy dance while the back feet were still and the tail going madly. I nearly died from teh cute.
Stella knows “O-U-T-O-M-T” means it’s time for the last pee run of the night. It started when she freaked out everytime she heard “out”, so I started spelling it. Then she figured out “O-U-T”. The O-M-T is “one more time”.
She also knows “get the cat”. When the cat scratches on the carpet or furniture, I tell Stella to “get the cat” and runs off the cat. She never hurts that cat, she just runs over to play.
If someone is in the shower and you ask Stella “Who’s in the shower?”, she’ll go pull the curtain back with her nose and look in the shower. Have to be careful who you deploy that one on.
My long gone husky /shepherd mix dog “What” lived with me in my bachelor years.
He never got table scraps but I did indulge him on Saturday mornings and buy him a sausage biscuit at McDonald’s.
When said “burgers” to him he would do the happy puppy dance by the door and we’d go jump in the van together
He would sit in the passenger seat and I swear he would grin.
One time the window girl at the drive thru asked me if I would like a dog biscuit for my dog.
I told her that he was already getting a sausage biscuit and she replied that it was nice of me to buy him one.
I said, “Don’t compliment me. It’s his allowance and he gets to spend it anyway he wants.” I swear as she glanced at him he grinned even wider than before.
“Oh shit!” means I dropped something on the floor that he needs to come eat up. Sometimes if I am having trouble getting him to come in from the yard, all I have to do is yell “oh shit!” and he is through the door in a heartbeat.
Also, his command to go potty is “Get busy.” Works like a charm.
The dog that we had when I was little used to dig like mad if you said “roze olifantjes” (=pink elephants) and pointed at a spot on the ground. I honestly don’t know why that was taught… maybe I’ll ask my parents someday
