Quote:
Originally Posted by ARCHIE  That's because they THINK! I see the wheel's spinning in his head
when he has to THINK things over. For instance, when we go for a walk
and I turn a corner. He will sit and not move, trying to get his barrings
to see if we are getting closer to home this way. If he realizes yes
we are he will pull me in the oppisite direction. I swear he THINKS  |
Thor totally does this too. He's generally pretty behaved on walks, but he knows where ALL the parks are in relation to our current position, as well as all the stores that give dog treats. He will stop at a corner and dig in his heels if he sees we are going to miss one of these key spots.
I would say that Thor has been more challenging than other dogs, but not as challenging as some of you describe. The potty training was definitely hard, and even after the magic 30 days, I know I can't trust him completely in my office.
The main thing I've noticed is that he is not in the least bit biddable - he will not perform commands simply because I've told him to. He performs them because he knows he'll get a treat, or his dinner, or let outside. If it weren't for NILF, he would never listen to me. He has trouble getting up on the couch by himself, so he'll paw at me to let him up. I always, always tell him to Sit before I will pick him up - and yes, I can see him considering whether he should give in and Sit, or just struggle up on the couch himself. Most of the time, he'd rather struggle.
Mostly though, Thor has made me want to get a challenging rescue, because it is SO satisfying to see the work we do pay off. Now he WILL let me hold his paws, brush his teeth, go on his potty pad, walk next to me, etc. Now if I could just convince him to stop trying to kill skate boarders....