Happy Thanksgiving

I realized in planning our trip for the holidays that are dogs vocabulary understanding is quite impressive. I put together a list, for the couple that will be house sitting for us over the holidays, all the words are dogs know. I know this will help them as they spend time with the dogs in the everyday routines they are familiar with. I thought I'd share the list here in hopes that if you haven't considered how intelligent your dogs are you'll see that you've underestimated your faithful companions. Of course this is only the spoken words that our dogs understand and says nothing about the nonverbal communication we convey; nonverbal communication that they are masters in deciphering.

Sit

Wait -- stay there until I say you can move, or at least stay in that area

Stay -- stay there and don’t move until I come back and release you

Lay down -- lay completely down with your hip on the ground - not the easy jump back up again position

Down -- same as “lay down”

Come -- come and sit in front of me

Go to your bed -- when in the kitchen refers it to their kitchen bed, when in the office it refers to their office bed, used before meals and when they’re under foot or pestering me

Go outside

Outside please

Go potty

Out -- get out of that room, space, location - more corrective in our house

Inside please -- into the house typically

Ready -- for the next throw when playing fetch, to go some where

Ready to “eat” -- a very magical phrase as far as they are concerned

Back up -- for when they are in the way, when Shelby is not all the way on his bed in the kitchen before meals - tell him to "back up” onto his "bed”, when they are pushing ahead of you to go in the door

Behind -- when they are rushing ahead of you or blocking you when going through doorways

Off -- if they jump on you and you want them to get off you

No jump -- if their jumping when you first get home and are over excited

Let’s go -- when walking after coming to a stop & sitting by your side, said before crossing the street, or continuing after stopping

Heel -- walk at your left side

Side -- walk on your right side, a new command so they are still getting the hang of this one

Go Play -- when I’m sending them outside to burn some energy on their own out in the driveway

Bring it -- return the toy or ball and drop it at your feet or in your hand

Find it -- used when playing with them, i.e. “go find your bone”, “go find your ball”, “go find your toy”

Go get your -- "ball", "bone", "toy", ect. - when you’re playing with them

Go to your crate -- at night when we’re putting them to bed