Once I got him trained, I could make him do or not do pretty much anything. It's such a power-trip having total control over another living being and have them still love you unconditionally. For example, I'm decorating a lolly cake and a malteser rolls off the cake and onto the floor I can stop him from pouncing on it and gobbling it up - but mostly I don't because it's funny to see him scrabbling around the tiled floor trying to chase it.
But if I had to say his one small flaw, it would be his obsession with food. He loves it. Doesn't matter what you're eating, if it's good enough for a human it's good enough for a Toby. And there is never a meal that's eaten without his pleading brown eyes in the background.
We've been training him for months now not to eat in our lounge room - which is also the dining room. And by training him, I really mean that we're training ourselves not to give him any food in there. It's a tough one for the weaker amongst us (yes, I'll admit that I'm the worst culprit and that Iven has a heart of stone) but we'reI'm getting really good at resisting. So I thought it was time to set him the ultimate test. I left the remnants of a chocolate bar (two small pieces) in the wrapper on the coffee table when I went to bed.
Yes, I did it on purpose. No I wasn't deliberately slack.
And this is what I found this morning.
I've had to remove my rose-coloured glasses and admit that he's not perfect. But he's pretty damned close.
My dogs can't help themselves either!! We have been letting them sleep inside the last month or so as it is so cold. They were really good at sleeping on their mat but now they have taken to the lounge!! I am surprised they haven't raided the pantry yet!!
ReplyDeleteI need that cake, will it travel across the country??!!
Wait, what? You ship that cake overseas?? Rising hand.
ReplyDeleteTempting poor Toby! (And then tempting us with that cake.) What a horrible human you are... :) Anyway, isn't chocolate bad for dogs?
ReplyDeleteIt's easy for me to say know to my babies, that's because Dawn is saying yes to them...
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he thanked you for leaving him such a nice snack. We have exactly the same training system in place :)
ReplyDeleteThat cake is so cool! Wow! My Jiggy loves food too. Being she's a Jack Russell, mostly everything is safe from about 16 inches and up!
ReplyDeleteAWHHHHHHHHHH I have a Sammy that would be an awesome friend to your Toby. And I hold him in the same regard. <3
ReplyDeleteHee, hee--Toby can only have so much willpower, you know?
ReplyDeletePoor Toby. Having had labradors and daschunds in the past, who would do anything for food and then still look as if they were starving, I am relieved (and slightly disconcerted) to have a dog who is not food motivated. Yes Lucy, the chiranian, or Pom-Chi (chihauhua-pomeranian cross, and mini if you please) if not fussed when it comes to food, and has to be tempted. Unless it comes to cooked chicken, finely chopped. And bacon. Leftover bacon, which is too rich for her. The first time she had it, she climbed up onto the table and ate the kids' breakfast leftovers during the school run. She then ended up at the vets' for two days, on a drip and special diet. So bacon is forbidden, but she will still do anything to get her paws on it, even though it makes her sick. Crazy pup.
ReplyDeleteI could see Toby and I being BFFs with our love of all food! Especially chocolate!
ReplyDeleteI think you did an amazing job on that cake by the way... but back to Toby. I can't believe he managed to get chocolate out of the wrapper. I grew up with boxer dogs and they weren't capable of such finesse. (Mind, you they were outside dogs and were happy with PAL!)
ReplyDeleteHe's so cute, how can you resist those eyes! I think you trained him pretty well but leaving such a bar on the coffee table: that's really a tough task for him not to eat that.
ReplyDeleteI am with you on a fire: Bella would be the first I would get out. In fact I've been scared that if she's not on her leash she would run away one day (which she has never done so far) and I bought a little plate on her leash with her name and our phone numbers on it so people can call us.
And as for the food: we always ate at the dining table and she doesn't ask for food. But as soon as we are finished she jumps on the chair next to R. and puts on the dopey eyes and hopes there's some veggies left (which almost always is) and she gets it too :)
HaHa - I love that you set a little test trap for Toby - and he didn't pass - poor puppy!!!
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