How To Find Out Your Dog Likes Carrots
1. Place handbasket full of groceries in front of dog while you select something.
2. Wonder why your dog, who has been sniffing everything from the crumbs in front of her to the FRICKING MOON, has suddenly become so very well behaved.
3. Bend down to find dog with head on floor, little chunks of something orange scattered all around her.
4. Check basket to confirm that where there were previously two carrots there is now only one.
Those of you who don't own guide dogs are probably thinking "Aw, how cute!" or "You must have the one Labrador in the universe who likes vegetables." Those of you who do own guide dogs are probably cringing in sympathy because a dog in harness is not supposed to pull that kind of stunt. If the human handler is at the top of the pack, the dog should behave the way it's been taught to, if the dog thinks it can get away with stuff like that it can mean you're going to have difficulty getting it to work well and keep you safe. There's also a social embarassement aspect to it. I suspect it's a bit like a child throwing a temper tantrum in a supermarket: when you see it happening to someone else you know it's not the parent's fault necessarily, kids just misbehave sometimes. That doesn't stop you from being incredibly ashamed or embarassed when it's your little bundle of joy stress testing the linoleum.
Also, those of you who have owned Labradors will know that a Labrador liking carrots is not all that extraordinary. Labradors like anything that looks even vaguely edible. We took her to the free run park a couple of suburbs over yesterday for a break and to teach her to come when I call her. The motivational foodstuff we used was banana. Sounds about right, if you are what you eat.
Short version: mostly going well. Tired as all get-out, but that'll be a thing of the past soon.
2. Wonder why your dog, who has been sniffing everything from the crumbs in front of her to the FRICKING MOON, has suddenly become so very well behaved.
3. Bend down to find dog with head on floor, little chunks of something orange scattered all around her.
4. Check basket to confirm that where there were previously two carrots there is now only one.
Those of you who don't own guide dogs are probably thinking "Aw, how cute!" or "You must have the one Labrador in the universe who likes vegetables." Those of you who do own guide dogs are probably cringing in sympathy because a dog in harness is not supposed to pull that kind of stunt. If the human handler is at the top of the pack, the dog should behave the way it's been taught to, if the dog thinks it can get away with stuff like that it can mean you're going to have difficulty getting it to work well and keep you safe. There's also a social embarassement aspect to it. I suspect it's a bit like a child throwing a temper tantrum in a supermarket: when you see it happening to someone else you know it's not the parent's fault necessarily, kids just misbehave sometimes. That doesn't stop you from being incredibly ashamed or embarassed when it's your little bundle of joy stress testing the linoleum.
Also, those of you who have owned Labradors will know that a Labrador liking carrots is not all that extraordinary. Labradors like anything that looks even vaguely edible. We took her to the free run park a couple of suburbs over yesterday for a break and to teach her to come when I call her. The motivational foodstuff we used was banana. Sounds about right, if you are what you eat.
Short version: mostly going well. Tired as all get-out, but that'll be a thing of the past soon.