Sadie is usually pretty good with her manners. When the family eats at the dinner table, Sadie usually sits quietly on the rug just watching everyone. When I’m in the mood to eat by the TV, Sadie sits next to me hoping I’ll give her a bite. But she doesn’t whine or complain if she doesn’t get anything. However, Sadie occasionally gets into a greedy mood for her doggy treats and begs incessantly next to her treat cabinet. I’ve recently discovered a creative way to get Sadie’s mind off of those treats. I distract her with love.
Have you ever noticed that if your dog isn’t feeling cuddly, then when you try to get some hugs and doggie kisses, your dog wriggles in your arms and tries to get out of your grasp? Well I decided to take that scenario and use it to my benefit. After Sadie sat begging by her treat cabinet for a while and refused to move even when I told her no, I decided to try a new approach. I got on the floor with Sadie and began hugging her and kissing her little head and holding her close to me. In less than three minutes Sadie was out of the kitchen, away from the treats, and settling down for a nap on the couch. I repeated this process a few times, and now whenever Sadie is begging for extra treats, I just approach her making kissy noises and she runs off. While I’m a little sad that the thought of Mommy kisses makes Sadie run from me, it is a useful tool to snap Sadie’s mind out of unwanted behavior.