What has your dog learned from another dog?

[Jennifer Tramell]

I love Tina's story about the snake catching tradition that has been passed down from dog to dog.  (BTW, I don't want her dogs to teach MY dogs this trick, but I still think it's impressive!)  I have had dogs all my life and have noticed how they teach things to each other.  Here are a few of my examples:

Before I was married, the family dog was a cockapoo named Chester.  After I got married, my hubby & I got a golden retriever/collie mix named Cody.  Chester taught Cody how to catch treats that were tossed.  Now the funny thing was that Chester was a little guy and he would jump up to catch the treats mid-air.  Cody was a tall, lean dog - all he needed to do was to lean a little and open his mouth.  However, because he learned from Chester, Cody spent 15 1/2 years lunging toward the treat, a cockapoo inside a golden's body.  It was the only ungraceful thing that Cody did.

When Cody was 5 years old, we ended up with Dixie.  Dixie was a shepherd mix we found in the middle of the road.  We never intended to keep her so we were a little lax about training her all the things that we taught Cody.  Cody had a repetoire of tricks and one day we got out the treats and started practicing with Cody.  We were more than a little surprised when Dixie started doing the tricks along with Cody.  Let's just say that she was smart - my husband always said it was a good thing she didn't have thumbs.

Lately I have been noticing Webster lumbering into the mini-van or car.  I am slightly paranoid about hip dysplasia so I notice things associated with Web's rear end :-)  Before I got too worried, I realized that he has ALWAYS been slow and deliberate about getting into the car.  Hmmmm.....when Webster was a pup I still had both Cody and Dixie.  Cody was 15 years old and Dixie had cancer and was very overweight.  When we would load the dogs, Cody would walk over to the van and I would lift his hind end into the van/car.  Dixie wasn't so sure she wanted to leave the house so we would wait for her to decide to get into the van.  Webster was third in line and sometimes he would step into the vehicle and wait for me to lift him the rest of the way.  Both Cody and Dixie died when Webster was 7 months old and I think he learned that getting into the car is something to be done slowly and deliberately (and sometimes it is easier for the people to help you).

So, what has your dog learned from or taught to another dog?  I'm looking forward to hearing stories of canine mentorship.

[Lindsey]

Barking!!! UGH!!
Our little man has always barked at people when they pass by our house.
Molly never barked outside...she would just sit and cock her head to side while watching our little man bark his head off. One day, while watching Ali (little dog), she let out a deep bark and it kind of startled her. Since then, she barks whenever Ali barks-which is whenever a person walks by our fence.
I fuss at Ali all of the time, I tell him that Molly would be the perfect dog if it wasn't for him, lol.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

My dog has inadvertantly taught Penelope the kitty that if she rolls over on her back she is likely to get a belly rub.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Guinness has taught Murphy how to pee like a man.  If we take Murph out separately, he'll still squat, but if Guinness is there he lifts his leg.  I guess he's afraid his brother will laugh at him or call him a girl.  Guinness actually teaches Murph lots of things.  Guinness is a little "quicker" to catch onto things, and Murph will often just watch what he does first.  Whenever I take cheese out to make a sandwich, the guys come running looking for a snack.  I give them a down command, and Guinness drops immediately....Murph isn't quite sure exactly what he should be doing.  Because Guinness is quicker, he gets the first piece of cheese.  Then I just stand there with the cheese in my hand.....Murph will look at Guinness, then at me, then back at Guinness, and then he lays down.  That's when he gets the cheese.  This has been going on for weeks, and it has only been the past few days that he now "gets it", and goes right down.

[Taylor & Huff]

And on that note I would like to say that Huff is kind of wishy washy when it comes to lifting his leg. One day he lifed his leg prety high and he got off balance and tripped (hahahaha) he didn't lift his leg for the rest of the day.

[BG and Gavin]

Cute picture!  Having Mylie around on occasion has improved Gavin's recall.  Her's is rock solid so when I called Gavin she came and he followed.  Gavin taught Mylie to go to your place and a treat follows.

[Taylor & Huff]

One time at the park we met a little balck doggie named Ruka and she taught him that if he rolls on his back at the park he well get extra dirty and smell "good". But he hasn't done that since.

[Camilla and Darwin]

I think Darwin learned biting/wrestling play from his best friend Mauii. He was always a chaser before he met her, but ever since they started playing regularly he favors the more ferocious looking of play. Those two just go at it!

[Doris]

Bodi learned, from his "cousin" Sophie (a viszla) to get a cookie every time he pees or poops.  Well, it only works at Grandma's house!!

[2m42srv7vi6sq]

Ours all learned "Talking" from Bella.  When we played, Bella would "talk" by saying rahr rahr rahr, while cocking her head to the side, like she was explaining something to me in "dof".

The other dogs picked it up and now we have the "complainiest" dogs ever! LOLOL

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

It was amazing how Penny turned "maternal" when Biscuit arrived.  One of the first things she did was to teach Biscuit how to walk down the stairs from the patio to the pool.  She took it one step at a time, paused and looked at Biscuit, and then Biscuit took the step.  I was kicking myself for not having my video camera that day. 

 

Penny also taught Biscuit how to play tug-of-war - now THAT I have video of!  :)

[Val MacQueen and Jasper]

I had to laugh, it's not what Jasper was taught but what he taugh our son and DIL to be's little Cavaleir KCS. He uses the doggie door all the tome but she would not so one day they were both outside and were coming in, after a couple of false starts he grabed her by the ear and pulled her half way through. When she stopped he put his front paw around hre neck and dragged her through. Next time she was visiting and they were coming in he tore in and out as fast as he could until she with a bit of help from her Mum made it through. It wasn't a problem after that but she is not with us now she was killed by a car about a month ago. This little video was taken on a phone and is side ways but you can see the action I hope.

[Val MacQueen and Jasper]

Sorry video did not play.