Walk Around, Step Over or Make Move?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I didn't give this question much thought until a few years ago when I ended up staying for a period of time with my elderly parents during their final illnesses. At that time I had 2 large dogs who were used to sleeping in the doorway of the kitchen and being stepped over. What I ended up with at my parents' home was 2 dogs who were clueless about moving and a stubborn father with ALS who wouldn't admit he couldn't step over them. A disaster in the making!!

 

Recently, I saw a local trainer on T.V. addressing this very subject. He stated it was imperative to teach your dog to always move out of your way. He mentioned the need for this in the case of losing your power when you might need to walk around in the dark. Falling over your dog could injure you and/or your dog. (More likely you!) 

 

However, even with my experience and his advice I still find myself "stepping over" or going around. Tara is smaller than our former dogs and doesn't fill up the doorway so it seems silly to always make her move.  And except for the bedrooms and baths our house has an open floor plan so there is always plenty of room to "go around".

 

What do you do?

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This goes on my list of all-time favorite DK comments:
We use the command "excuse me"
ROFL

[Bonnie and Kona]

It's true. Have done it for years. :o)

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

I also use the comand "excuse me". When Haley was a little puppy and I tried "move" he just looked at me. Then I tried "excuse" me and he immediately moved. He is just a very polite doodle.

[Adina P]

I say 'excuse me' all the time.  A more impatient 'scoot scoot' comes out when I'm more PMSy :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I say "excuse me" to Jackdoodle all the time, too, although it's more often the kind of "Excuse me!" that really means, "What the heck do you think you're doing???"
But the idea of it being a command is what made me laugh.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Since Haley and some of the other doodles respond to politeness perhaps this is where we are falling short with our training. Maybe someone should invent the Kinder, More Polite Dog Training System. It would include the "excuse me" command and the "down please" command, "come when you have a minute command". Maybe doodles require a special kind of training and we are not being polite enough with them to get the response we want! :>)

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Love it!!! Definitely ROFL!!!

[Joy Williams]

We also say "excuse me" and they know what we are talking about. Even if they are on the sofa in "my seat", I'll say excuse me and they will move over. But the bad thing is, they will give you a look sometimes as if to say, "Sheesh, couldn't you just go around us??" and that does make me feel bad for making them move!

[cheryl & oliver]

Oliver is in his crate at night, his doing not mine, but our other dog Renny, he sleeps in the hall inbetween the bedroom and the bathroom in the master suite. I leave a nightlite on there and when I get up or when DH gets up in the middle of the night we can see him, and not fall. I fell over him one time, and broke my arm, so u bet I am really careful now. Oliver likes to lie on the rug by the kitchen sink when I am in the kitchen, he doesn't care if I have to do contortions of a gymnist to get to the sink, he just doesn't move. I will somethimes tell him move it, and he might move, but most of the time he stays right there, I guess he is waitng for the crumbs from the counter, that might fall off, and if I open the dishwasher he is there to check out what goodies might still be on the dirty dishes, lol...

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

Love the comments about the crumbs in the kitchen and the dishwasher. My two both stand right under us and Fenway even stares at the floor to make sure she's first to get any crumbs. Both of my doodles are also in the dishwasher every time we open it. My Mom calls it pre-washing and let them do it at her house. Those grandparents really spoile their grands even if they are granddogs!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

My husband is the bigger marshmellow here, yes, the same guy that never wanted a dog....He thinks it's rude of me to make Murphy move if he's in the way when he's laying down. But I generally step over or go around him unless it's just not possible for me to do so safely or comfortably. He does wait to go out any door or steps after me, and he will back up when I walk towards him and he's in the way. I just say "back-back" and he gets it pretty quickly.
As for bed space, since he sleeps in bed, I have been known to sleep side-ways, or curled up in a ball on the edge of the mattress because Murphy is spread eagle across the bottom of the bed. Every once in awhile I will give him a love-shove, but he is usually too sound asleep to move much. And it's not like I'm going wake up enough to move 65 pds of dead weight in the middle of the night, so we just sleep around him...Basically I think of it as just being kind to our dogs to not make them move all the time. Wasn't there an old saying "let sleeping dogs lie"?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I have to admit I am feeling a little sheepish after reading your challenging tales of manuvering around your full sized doodles...twisted knees, broken arms, contortions.There may be something about mini's that causes them not to WANT to lay in your way. My larger dogs always laid in front of the sink and around the kitchen in the way. Tara though, always lays right outside the kitchen doorway where she can watch but not get trampled.
She likes to sleep in her crate at night so the biggest challenge I have is our 8 pound cat who likes to sleep on top of the covers between my knees. Now you KNOW who is going to win THAT battle! The cat of course!!! LOL!! Because to turn over I have to pull one leg UP to my chest and slip it around the cat and then slide it slooowly back down on the other side of her. I told you-total marshmallow!! It doesn't matter if they are 8 pounds or 85 pounds-they rule!