The rule is that she's not allowed to beg. Canaan dogs, are however, too smart for their own good.Somehow she has taken it into her head that just sitting off to my right (almost but not quite out of range of my peripheral vision) and staring wantonly at whatever it is that I am eating or drinking that interests her, is not technically begging.
Should I happen to have the unguarded moment in which I allow my gaze to fall on her, she will (without otherwise moving a muscle) alternate her gaze from looking at me lovingly and looking at my plate expectantly. "You gonna eat that, Daddy? I'd be happy to finish that for you." is the clearly telegraphed message of that alternating gaze.
Should I fail to make my stern face, clear my throat menacingly, or otherwise chastise this behavior, she will start to wag her tail as if to add to the hypnotic rhythm of the eyes moving from my plate to my face, and back again and again.
You can almost see her thought process: "you will give me that... you will give me that... you will..." poor thing. It is a shame that her daddy never feeds her! Pobrecita! One day, perhaps, her hypnosis will work.
Wherever you are today, I hope that you will get what you are longing for!
Don Bergquist - February 01, 2008 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA
3 comments:
Hi - Having spend some time with a dog I find your analysis of the species to be very perceptive.
By nature they are not very subtle when it comes to asking for food, but when dealing with humans they know how to play the games that humans play (begging but in a very subtle way).
As usual, I find your analysis to be very perceptive.
Thank you, anonymous reader, for you comments... yes, subtlety is not Saga's strong suit.
Though, walking the line between literal interpretation and intent is. I will occasionally tell her to "go upstairs" when I am having a party and she is misbehaving.
She has (and this always gets a laugh) figured-out that going up the stairs as far as the landing but not as far as the second floor fulfills this order. The benefit of this being that she can still see all the food and can still practice her hypnotic begging technique on my guests.
djb
What's wrong with begging for treats? I do it all the time.You want to give me attention...
The good kind, naturally.
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