Helpless dogs

Does your dog ever act like he/she can't do something, even though you know they can? For instance, you've seen them jump on a chair a million times, but then they want you to pick them up and do it for them.

Misha has this thing with her blanket when it's in her bed in the living room. Now, I know that not only can she crawl under the blankets, but she can lift it on her head and carry it to where she wants it. I've seen her do it. Still, sometimes she stares at it, then at me. Then, she sits down and stares at it. If I'm nice, I will go over and lift up the edge so she can crawl in. I'm pretty sure she is manipulating me. (You think? LOL)

Does your dog ever act helpless?

 

My Homer does it all the time. He keeps throwing his toys from the top of the stairs - I guess he likes watching them roll - and then he pretends that he can't pick them up by himself. He always barks and barks until somebody helps him with it...and then he throws them again - and of course barks again

 

Isn't it funny how dramatic they can be? Sometimes I think Misha is playing with me like "Let's see if I can get the human to do my blanket for me." LOL

She does this with her treat ball too. But, this is my fault. She had a difficult treat ball (at first). So, I taught her to sit to ask for help when she needed it. She eventually solved that ball. However, sometimes I will find her in a room with one of the other balls waiting for someone to take the treat out for her because she has gotten tired of rolling it around. This isn't so much helplessness though. She will work on them 20-30 minutes at a time. It's funny to see her waiting in a room where no one is waiting for her savior.

 

Misha is very patient! Homer would never wait like this in an empty room; when he wants somebody to help him, everybody knows about it, including our neighbours - he can bark really loud even though he is so small . And he won't stop until somebody runs to him and helps him.

 

Claudine, I guess I taught her this patience. Though, if you were eating and she wanted some, she would continually hit you in the leg with her paw and jump up and down as if you didn't know she was there.

It's funny when she does it for her bed. As I said, I know she can pick up the whole blanket with her head and carry it where she wants. But, she will sit there in front of the bed. She'll stare at us through the glass on the TV stand, then she will look back. And, yes, eventually, one of us gets up and lifts her blanket.

 

Well, if you were eating and didn't share the food with Homer, he would bite you . But he never begs when we are eating at the table. Usually, my mother sits on the sofa and then Homer sits on her knees and demands the food.
Misha is so cute, it made me smile when I read how she stares at you . How did you taught her to be patient?

 

Yeah my dog does that with the bed, hell sit there and cry waiting for you to pick him up, hell walk into your hands and turn around so you can properly pick him up. But if hes excited cause theres a toy or something on the bed hell jump himself, rediculous sap monkeys

 

Homer also wants me to pick him up pretty often and he turns around so I could do it - but when I'm actually picking him up, he starts to bite me! I'm always scared that I'll drop him. Do your dogs act this way too?

 

My one dog jax is such an attention whore. He needs to be held and acknowledged at all times. Its actually a horrible habit we got him into, because now if my boyfriend ever comes and hugs me or kisses me and both of us aren't touching or looking at jax he starts barking and sits on his hind legs like a prairie dog, like hes saying "me, love meeee" or something. Its really bad actually. Or if I pick up my other dog he cry and jump on my legs and give me the sad look. He loves his belly rubbed so when you look at him and walk towards him he automatically rolls over and waits for it. My other dog toby isnt like that. He likes to lay on you, but doesnt really ask to be picked up. I do it anyways though, hes indifferent, doesnt love or hate it I guess.

 

Our dog would act helpless if he can't get a food that is stuck underneath the closet or in a place he cannot reach.

 

I know how you feel, it's the same with Homer!...or maybe even worse - he tries to bite me every time when my boyfriend is hugging me or kissing me. When we walk Homer, we aren't allowed to hold our hands - if we dared, Homer would jump and bark like crazy
It's funny that Jax and Toby are so different. Every dog is very unique

 

Claudine, Misha is bad about being picked up. When she went through her breakdown this was a sure way to get bit. I had to figure out the best way to do thing. She does like to be held, so it's getting her up to you that is the trick. Sometimes I sit down and she jumps to me, then I pick her up and stand up and do what I was going to do.

I also use a command that she is good at. When I reach down to pick her, I say "jump". She can jump on command. She never resists when I do it this way. I think maybe she feels like she is doing it herself. Who knows?

As to teaching her to be patient, it's been a process. First, she has to sit before she gets food out of her bowl. We started that one early. Second, I trained her to wait for me to go out the door first. This was more of a safety issue. She is small and I am arthritic. Being tripped by a small dog and falling is not something I want to do. Third, when she plays with her treat ball, the one I stuff with treats, she had to sit to ask for help. The ball is a little two big so sometimes she needs help pushing the treat back up to the hole. If she doesn't sit, she doesn't get help. Finally, the "leave it" command is indispensable. I work with her on this all the time. I use treats. At first, she could only leave it for about 2 seconds. Now she can go a couple minutes.

Misha can be possessive of me. If she acts protective on my lap when others are around, I put her down and she's not allowed back up. I started noticing this behavior when she was about 2 years old. As we have children in the extended family, I didn't want anyone to get bit.

 

Homer lets me carry him only when it's raining - he knows that this way he won't get wet because I carry an umbrella in the other hand. Maybe I should try this "jump" command too, thank you for the tip. I'm sure it's easier for Misha to accept it because she feels that it's partially her decision to be carried. Homer probably could learn it too.
But I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to teach him the "leave it" command - he is always extremely hungry, even right after a big meal