If you give a dog an apple, he's got an apple for few minutes
If you teach a dog to pick his own damned apples, maybe there'll be fewer to rake up in the Fall.
I tried to give Banzai a lesson in picking his own apples today so he doesn't have to keep asking humans for help. I took his front paws and lifted them up while we were standing under a low-hanging branch that had several apples on it. I held an apple out to him, right near his nose. He took it in his mouth but wasn't sure what to do then since it was still attached to the tree. I pulled it off for him, but then we were back to the difficulty of how to eat something round when your teeth are mostly made for tearing. I dropped the apple, stomped it til it broke open, and nudged it toward him with my toe. Problem solved.
He finished that apple and I thought I'd try again. I picked another branch, picked up his paws so he was standing tall, and separated an apple from a cluster. He grabbed it again but couldn't get the hang of pulling it off. This is a dog that can tear entire branches off bushes, but he was being all delicate with the apples. Bah.
Will have to try again tomorrow.
Meanwhile in Wilbur Land, Wilbur was growling and growling last night. I turned around to tell him to chill the hell out and saw that Banzai was standing right on his tail. Oh. I told Banzai to get off Wilbur's tail and that Wilbur doesn't like it when people stand on his tail because it hurts. Wilbur gave me such a look of gratitude. Instead of getting yelled at, he got understood. It's nice when that happens.
I tried to give Banzai a lesson in picking his own apples today so he doesn't have to keep asking humans for help. I took his front paws and lifted them up while we were standing under a low-hanging branch that had several apples on it. I held an apple out to him, right near his nose. He took it in his mouth but wasn't sure what to do then since it was still attached to the tree. I pulled it off for him, but then we were back to the difficulty of how to eat something round when your teeth are mostly made for tearing. I dropped the apple, stomped it til it broke open, and nudged it toward him with my toe. Problem solved.
He finished that apple and I thought I'd try again. I picked another branch, picked up his paws so he was standing tall, and separated an apple from a cluster. He grabbed it again but couldn't get the hang of pulling it off. This is a dog that can tear entire branches off bushes, but he was being all delicate with the apples. Bah.
Will have to try again tomorrow.
Meanwhile in Wilbur Land, Wilbur was growling and growling last night. I turned around to tell him to chill the hell out and saw that Banzai was standing right on his tail. Oh. I told Banzai to get off Wilbur's tail and that Wilbur doesn't like it when people stand on his tail because it hurts. Wilbur gave me such a look of gratitude. Instead of getting yelled at, he got understood. It's nice when that happens.