It’s SNACK TIME!! This kid is spoiled, and by spoiled, I mean SPOILED! I can see it now - all of my fellow dog training friends rolling their eyes! Lol!
Winston is also one of the politest dogs I have ever known. He will sit patiently, knowing that he will only get a snack if he is on his best behavior and if we give him the release word to eat the snack. He respects this so well that we can leave the house with a plate of food within his reach and return hours later - plate untouched. As long as he is respectful, I have no problem bending the rules a bit and allowing him to enjoy some snacks that are dog friendly.
Like licking clean the vanilla yogurt cup after a late breakfast. There’s never very much left over, less then what I would put in his kong for a frozen summer snack, but it keeps him busy for a few minutes and it’s hard not to giggle at his expressions as he licks the cup clean.
Now I’m not one for a dog that counter surfs, ESP larger dog breeds, and to be honest, I don’t remember how Winston figured this out, but it was too cute not to share with you. We have taught Winston two different commands, PAWS UP (to put his two front paws up on something) and UP UP (to put all four paws up on something). The smart little bugger figured out how to balance and get from the kitchen stool to put his paws up on the counter to see what we are doing when we cook. Luckily, he can only get to the counter with the help of that stool, and once he’s up there, he can only reach about three inches from the edge. He’s also too polite and sensitive to eat anything off the counter. We offer him a milk bone and he will look at the treat and then back at us to double check if it’s okay.
Winston had me laughing out loud yesterday as he and Andy were playing chase around the island. He typically is the one who likes to BE chased (despite being a herding dog), but this time, Andy was scrambling around the island hooting and hollering as Winston chased him. After only three circles, Winston - the smart little shit he is - figured out that if he stood on his stool and looked over the counter, he could see where Andy was on the other side of the island. I couldn’t believe he put two and two together to figure out a way to outsmart Andy, but it left both Andy and myself in stitches.
It’s hard not to smile at my little Winnie. Kids are not in our near future, but Winston is more like a kid then any other dog, so we’re perfectly happy with spoiling him. He is such a good boy. <3
