Odd or accidental training

[Melissa & Porter]

I'm curious in what ways other people have accidentally trained their doodles (or been trained by their doodles).  Here is my example to show you what I mean.

 

When Porter is thirsty and feels his water bowl could be a bit fresher--anything over 15 minutes in the bowl seems to be "unfresh" in his mind--he will make a big show of walking into the mudroom bathroom.  This is a threat to drink from the toilet.  When I see this, I say, "Ohyawansomefreshwater?" and he turns around, walks out of the bathroom and waits by his bowl, which I then pick up, dump in the sink, and refill.

 

This is similar to how I accidentally trained my toddlers to come to me crying and saying "Are you okay?" every time they got boo boos.  Also, I "trained" them to come to me, raise their arms in the air and say, "Carry you?"

 

I bet you all have some of these stories, doodle or kid, too :-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I cannot think of anything I have accidentally trained Jackdoodle to do, but I have to say that I got a huge laugh out of

"When Porter is thirsty and feels his water bowl could be a bit fresher...he will make a big show of walking into the mudroom bathroom.  This is a threat to drink from the toilet."

ROFLMAO!

That's one smart doodle who has you wrapped around his paw!

[L.M.]

lol that got me too!  Seamus does this as well....although it's not just a threat...he will drink from the toilet if his water bowl is not "fresh."  Go figure!  lol

[Michael Gurley]

I had to start shutting the bathroom door so Sunny would quit drinking from the toilet. She actually prefers it to fresh water in her bowl!

[Melissa & Porter]

True that :-)  And he will make good on the threat if I am too slow.  I am amazed how much he prefers that precious, cold toilet water to anything "old" in his water bowl.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I'll drink from this toilet if you don't get me fresh water.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

ha ha!!  Most of our training is just thru the day to day living... Bandit will stand in the bathroom and bark at the bowl for water, even though he has a full bowl of water in the kitchen...for whatever reason they like the bathroom water best. 

[BG and Gavin]

Gavin likes the water in the bathroom water bowl better too!  And I always thought that the water out of the bathroom tap did not taste as good as water out of the kitchen tap.  Go figure!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I'm not quite sure who's trained who here ;-)

[Camilla and Darwin]

This is totally random, but when Darwin wants to get on the couch he often will sit and look pleadingly at us until we ask him to. But when we then invite him up, but he won't jump on until we sound like we REALLY want him there. I'm talking cooing, high pitched squeaky begging.

 

It's hilarious because a simple "come on up" doesn't do it for him. He isn't even trained to only jump on when asked, we let him get up whenever he wants and he does often without invitation. But most of the time he will wait until it seems like HE is doing US a favor by getting on, (high pitched begging voice) then grace us with his presence. If we refuse to humor him and just ignore him after the first invitation, he will keep sitting there waiting until we do.

[Melissa & Porter]

I can totally picture this.  What a sweety--he wants to be fully appreciated and adored.  Methinks it's him training you :-) 

Porter comes on couches or beds with a pat-pat to the surface.  Long after that was our custom, I remembered I did it with my cat growing up too.  I didn't even realize I was doing it until I looked at the blank stare of my neighbor's dog whom I was dog sitting and who was sitting next to the bed, asking for permission to come up. 

Me: pat pat>>

Brody: Is there something wrong with her hand?

Me: I saaaaid pat pat>>

Brody: Can I pleeeeeease come up there with Porter?

Me: Well, I guess you like to hang out with your chin on the bed.  Okay, one more try pat pat>>!  Wait a second, I mean, "Come!"

Brody: She's weird, but this is better than being alone.

[Bonnie and Kona]

OMD! Kona does the exact same thing only he never gets on the couch or bed without being invited, well begged really. He stands in front of me asking if he can get on and then I have to beg him to do so. It's a riot. I don't let Owen on the couch or my bed. He just leaps onto our daughter's bed without invitation.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Funny isn't it? It's like they want you to think it was your idea. HA HA