How dogs think

Does this sound familiar? You are leaving the house. You look at your dog and say:

“Fluffy, if you’re a good dog while I’m gone and stay off the couch, I’ll give you a cookie when I get home”.




With a small child this might work. Clear instruction along with the promise of a reward might get a child to listen. But Fluffy is a dog.

And Fluffy thinks:

I know my name is Fluffy. And I know your name is Mommy. And of course I know what a cookie is.
Now the couch is that comfortable thing l like to lie on. And when you leave home I’m loose to do whatever I want. So I must be the pack leader. And as the pack leader I can lay down wherever I want. You get all upset about me being there, but you gave me the right to lie where I want.
By the way you sure are a funny looking dog Mommy. And you don’t know how to run our pack. Good thing I’m here to be in charge.

So when you come home, Fluffy is on the couch.

Fluffy is a pack animal, and no matter how hard you try to change him, he lives his life by pack rules.