Woof! Bark! And also Whiiiiiiiiiine.

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halfpint Apr 2017 7:16pm, 27 Apr 2017 23,015 posts	0 halfpint Is it a spaniel thing? Ernie is always trying to get to food. We can't leave anything out. I made a mistake leaving some gammon on the worktop yesterday. Caught him just before he snaffled the lot.
Helegant Apr 2017 2:07am, 28 Apr 2017 4,622 posts	0 Helegant The spaniel thing is visible at agility in that they are the most easily distracted by interesting smells. Jet is so food-driven that I have been heard to mutter that the only way to keep him from poisoning himself is to tie a knot in his neck!
Helegant Apr 2017 2:08am, 28 Apr 2017 4,623 posts	0 Helegant The spaniel thing is visible at agility in that they are the most easily distracted by interesting smells. Jet is so food-driven that I have been heard to mutter that the only way to keep him from poisoning himself is to tie a knot in his neck!
halfpint Apr 2017 7:51am, 28 Apr 2017 23,016 posts	0 halfpint The cocker genes are clearly strong in Ernie then. Mind you if he wants to go say hello to someone, no amount of treats in the world will dissuade him.
LazyDaisy Apr 2017 8:21am, 28 Apr 2017 18,215 posts	0 LazyDaisy Despite the fact that Flossie stole (and polished off, obviously ;-)) the remains of a carrot cake when she was staying with my sister the other week, my sister was impressed that she didn't snaffle a plate of biscuits left on a coffee table. Perhaps Floss has trained herself only to steal from kitchen worktops and table and knows that anything in the sitting room is off limits. Or maybe she just didn't spot them
Alice the Camel Apr 2017 8:34am, 28 Apr 2017 3,156 posts	0 Alice the Camel I read something recently about dogs who have been trained not to steal food only snaffling when nobody's looking!
Helegant Apr 2017 8:46am, 28 Apr 2017 4,625 posts	0 Helegant That sounds about right for most things. Jet has a strong 'am I being watched?' element to his responses. For instance last night in the garden he avoided triggering the exterior light so ran around for much longer than usual, ignoring my whispered commands to 'come in'. In the end I shone a torch on him, at which poit he trotted back indoors to bed, as good as gold.
D2 Apr 2017 8:56am, 28 Apr 2017 9,647 posts	0 D2 As someone who has not had a breed that cares about food since a childhood lab I love these stories! Though mine would be easier to train maybe if he was more bothered about food.......... now smells; that's a different matter!
Sharkie Apr 2017 9:02am, 28 Apr 2017 11,404 posts	0 Sharkie Same here D2. Jess is a real sniffer dog - she actually excelled at the various smelling contests at Dog School (quicker and more accurate than breeds you'd expect) More than I can say for her in other respects obv! Actually many GSD are good sniffers - they're just not THE best. I've always claimed they're the heptathletes of the canine world- top ten but not top dog right across the board.
FergusG Apr 2017 9:03am, 28 Apr 2017 1,184 posts	0 FergusG Stella (Labrador) will eat anything that's on (or heading towards) the floor in an instant, but she'll not touch anything above that height. Apart from the time she delicately took a cheese sandwich from the hand of a toddler who was patting her a few weeks ago! Cleo (Whippet) however would jump onto the kitchen worktop if left unattended to reach any food that might there.