dont tell me dogs dont know what they did!!!!

[nickerbokker]

so you know that rule that states you can't punish a dog for what you dont catch him doing?  bull. 

i just finished drinking koolaid while watching terms of endearment lol....go to go to sleep, pull up my covers, and dthere it is, a popsicle wrapper and stick.  on the bed, chewed up, and spit out...aparentl y he tried to hide it when i got home.  SO, i finish my movie, pull off the covers, find it, hold it up, and angus goes running into the closet with his tail between his legs for his life.  didn't say anything to him, hardly got the chance to look in his direction, and he was gone.  that dog knew what he had done, and he knew it was wrong.....SO, i think it's crazy people say you can't punish if you dont catch them doing it! 

thats my story.;

nite

[MyDyson]

  LOL...  So Funny..

[Kiahpyr]

Thanks for the morning laugh. I can always count BPO to make me smile.

[RedyreRottweilers]

So many people have this erroneous thinking, that when they pick up something and the dog runs that the dog knows they did something wrong.

The only thing the dog knows is that you are ticked.

Dogs are MASTERS of reading body language and emotional pheromones.

If you want to see your guilty dog, go into your house next time, and pick up any object and think about being mad at your dog.

I can drop a kleenex in my floor, pick it up, and look around at my dogs, and they will scatter.

The other thing to remember is that each time a dog is allowed the opportunity to take something that does not belong to him and enjoy destroying or eating it, he has gained permanent reinforcement for that behavior.

You can never take that away.

Prevention is worth several pounds of cure.

[jabear]

I agree with everyone here. Maybe they don't have the capability to rationalize what they did and why you are mad but they do sense the anger in your body immediately. Good points everyone!

[kildeskennel]

You know there are times one of the dogs has done something they should not have, I don't even have to be mad, nor do I even know it has occured as I have not discovered the "incident" but I can tell immediately when I walk into the room that something has occured, I also know which one has performed the act by their behaviors.  AND my emotions are in no way "causing" them to act differently.  I agree that they can sense the emotions, but I also have to agree with nikkerbocker. 

[mastiffmommy]

I have to agree with nickers here too. There is simply too many times when my dogs have acted in a way that Kildes describe. I have plenty of stories, but to take one. Back when I  had Hanna and Zorro two danes, they were never crated and did fine, okay once in a blue moon a little booboo happened but we lived with it. Anyway one time I came home from somewhere and opened the back door in to the laundry room, Zorro came and did the usual cermony for "ohhhh you are home mom" Hanna though, was hanging her head and had her tail tucked in under her belly. We said hi and then I went in to look what had happened, I knew something had due to Hannas behavior. In the livingroom on the floor was a big poop. How did I know it was Hers? People...... everyone with more than one dog knows their poop look different lol...... I never said anything because it was obvious that she knew she had made a booboo and felt bad about it. No way could my feelings or mood have made her act that way, because I had no idea.

And that kind of things have happened many many times, with many of my dogs. I am not sure we should punish them in situations like that, I think when they act like that they know they did something wrong and a look is enough lol..... But I do believe that sometimes we tend to think "too low" of our dogs capacity. I truly believe that at least some dogs know what is right and wrong, when they have done something they are not supposed to feel bad. Not saying they knew why they were not supposed to do it, but know they just shouldnt have.

Sooooo nicker..... I think mr. Wangus is more aware of how to behave than he sometimes wants to let on hehe. Prevention is good, BUT after all when you have a dog as a family memeber, there will be oportunities thats just a part of life.

Give the little bugger a big ol' slobber from me and my as of right now snorring dogs 

Marit

[kildeskennel]

Very well said Marit!  BRAVO!!!!   Are you back from vacation yet???  We are all waiting for stories! 

[GYPSY JAZMINE]

So many people have this erroneous thinking, that when they pick up something and the dog runs that the dog knows they did something wrong.

The only thing the dog knows is that you are ticked.

Dogs are MASTERS of reading body language and emotional pheromones.

If you want to see your guilty dog, go into your house next time, and pick up any object and think about being mad at your dog.

I can drop a kleenex in my floor, pick it up, and look around at my dogs, and they will scatter.

The other thing to remember is that each time a dog is allowed the opportunity to take something that does not belong to him and enjoy destroying or eating it, he has gained permanent reinforcement for that behavior.

You can never take that away.

Prevention is worth several pounds of cure.

I have heard this before & it certainly makes sense but i have a hard time with it...Here's an example that happened more than once with Samson: I walk into the family room to find Samson ont he couch with looking at me all sweet & by all appearences is a dog lying content on the couch with his pretty big paws crosed at the ankle in front of him...Well, there is something too innocent about his look so i go over uncross his legs & low & behold...There is the remote control he has been chewing on & he sure looks like he is hiding it...Now, remember, I have no idea he has the remote but it is very hard to see that innocent look & find him hiding the remote & think he doesn't know exactly what he is doing.

[mastiffmommy]

Very well said Marit!  BRAVO!!!!   Are you back from vacation yet???  We are all waiting for stories! 

Yup.... Back from vacation and man...... am I glad hehe. There is a little thread floating around here somewhere about my not too wonderful vacation.

And I have decided I will never go on vacation again lol..... they are just not for me 

Marit

[kildeskennel]

LOL!  I do not enjoy vacations much either.  I does depend on the company and If I can bring my WHOLE crew.  As kids, my sister, mom, dad, and I rarely went on vacation.   I remember mabye 2 times as a family.  My parents had, (still have) many animals and finding reliable help that the guards accepted in their domain when we were gone proved challenging.  So we would pitch tents in the back yard, or in the orchards (sis and I) and camp out.  I was never very comfortable away from home as a child and as an adult, well lets just say it carried over.  When I was working as a float nurse around the state of MN, I scheduled myself 3 16 hour shifts and an 8 hour shift on day 4, even if I was 6-8 hours away I would drive home immediately after my last shift.  It is my comfort zone!

[mastiffmommy]

Very well put Laurel..... I totally agree and I also feel sooooo sorry for your girl with the upset belly  Poor baby tried to hide it and scraped her nose in the doing. That story made me smile big and the one about Buddy made me GRIN hehe boys........

Marit

[nickerbokker]

awwwww...thank s everyone who has my back!  im tooo tired to write anything more, but thanks!  lol

[Bear]

Sometimes, it's almost as though the rest of them spent the day taunting the guilty critter (nanny, nanny, boo, boo--you're gonna be in trouble!).

This is an interesting point too! I've seen it as well - they can be so childish! I wonder if that is learned...

[Bear]

What a great thread! I've seen this argument before but I've never seen all of the angles that some of you have introduced here.. and normally, ignorant as I am, would have just believed that Bear always knew - like he was some special dog. now I dont think he's so special 

Thanks for posting! I now have a much better grasp on this.