He's got the housebroken thing down pat. Yesterday he figured out that when I put on my sweater that it is time to go out. It only took him one time watching me do it and he learned. Now, when he wants to go out, he finds my sweater and whines and yips.
I had always read that Shepherds are really smart dogs....but this is really amazing. It is almost human...hell, he learns faster than some humans I know. And he has the ability to think and reason and associate things....like the sweater and outside after just one exposure.
Since it is raining this morning we had to play fetch in the hall. He loves fetch. He'll bring his squeaky toy to me, drop it at my feet and sit down and whine. I throw it and he bounds after it like it was a burglar trying to get away. He brings it back and drops it in my hand when I say 'drop it'. He then sits when I tell him to and waits for me to throw it again.
All of these things he can do are amazing to me for a number of reasons.
1. I have never had any luck with dogs. They always became a nuisance (except for my great pyr Goliath who got hit by a car).
2. I have never been able to teach my former dogs anything. The last dog we had, an AKC registered St. Bernard, I gave away to the cable guy....papers and all because she was such a problem. Just dumb....unteachable it seemed.
3. Saul appears to be self taught...somehow. But dogs aren't born knowing how to fetch, drop, sit, shake hands, roll over and whine when they need to go outide. In most cases it takes a while to get any of those commands down....but Saul has done it in three days.
I've got to work with him on the herding habit. He herded Daddy Nall this morning while Daddy was trying to walk to the coffee pot. When he herds he cuts you off at the shins and closes his mouth over your leg. He doesn't bite hard but his teeth are very sharp and Daddy Nall did not appreciate being herded in his own house at 5 am while he was trying to get to the coffee.
Another thing that concerns me is that Saul has not made friends with the kids. He ignores them for the most part. Shows no interest in playing with anyone but me. I understand that Shepherds are slow to make friends so I hope that is all it is....just not enough time yet. Last night he did roll over and let Bell scratch his belly....so that is a good sign.
I swear, this is just like having a new baby in the house.
1 comment:
Be sure to pull his ears, yank on his tail, pick at his feet, stick your hands in his mouth, and take his food away occasionally when he's eating. You probably know that already, having had dogs around kids, but it's a good way to make sure he doesn't snap if they mess with him.
He's beautiful!
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