The Stare... What You Need to Know

Puppies stare at their new humans because they are so happy to have someone who loves them.  They may also be afraid the human will disappear.

Puppies soon learn that staring at a person can get them to say“how cute” or some other nice thing.

A smart dog will soon learn that there is a difference between staring and The Stare.

When used properly, The Stare can be one of your bestest tricks. After you have perfected The Stare, you can add The Tilt for added effect. 

But one step at a time.

Dogs easily communicate with other dogs but to communicate effectively with humans, you must perfect The Stare. The Stare is how you get your humans to give you what you want. I use The Stare when I want a cookie, to go outside, to go for a walk or if lunch is late.

When I want something I sit so that when Mom looks, she is instantly hit with The Stare. If she is watching the TV or working on a project, I first have to get her to look at me. When used correctly, The Stare can make a human turn to look at you. Once you have connected with their eyes, you keep The Stare steady until they speak.

Mom will say something like “what?”. Then I shift The Stare to the cookie jar, the door, the leash rack or the dinner bowl. Don’t shift too long because you don’t want your human to get distracted and forget you need something. This works most of the time.

I like to shift The Stare to the clock when I want to remind Mom that she is late with a meal or with my before bed cookie. I know, making her feel guilty is not a nice thing to do but I could starve to death waiting for a TV show to end or for her to finish a knitting thing.

The Stare also works when humans are asleep. It takes a little longer but they do respond eventually. I don’t like to use The Stare when Mom is sleeping but sometimes I need her to wake up and tell DixieLee to move so I can get space on the bed.

DixieLee has finally realized the power of The Stare.  She as added a Tail Wag to The Stare for emphasis.  She used The Stare on Mom twice yesterday (once when Mom was sleeping) and it worked like a charm.

Remember to use The Stare wisely. If used too often, your human could become immune to it. The good thing is, if they do become immune, it’s only for a little while.

Blogging is hard work so I think I will go use The Stare on Mom and get myself a cookie.

Keep practicing,

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion. For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe, go to pawpalsboutique.com

What Color is Your Ribbon?

Our friend Beauregard had a very bad experience the other day. He and his Mom were taking a walk. There was a Mom and a little boy walking in front of them. The little boy spotted Beauregard and started to go toward him.

Beauregard is a service dog. His Mom has Autisim. Her Autisim makes her uncomfortable around strangers so they crossed the street to avoid the little boy. The little boy started running toward them, waving his arms. Beauregard’s Mom was so upset.

I guess if you are not a “dog” people, you don’t realize how dangerous it is to approach a strange dog. Not all dogs are friendly and dogs like Beauregard have big jobs to do and should not be bothered.

Some service dogs, emotional support dogs or therapy dogs have special vests that they wear to let people know that they are working.

Some peoples use colored ribbons to tell certain things about the dog.

Blue means the dog is in training.

Orange means the dog is okay around peoples but not so good around other dogs.

Green means the dog is friendly.

White means the dog is blind or deaf.

Yellow means the dog is fearful.

When we walk, Mom and Dad make sure we don’t get too close to strangers or other dogs. If we stop to talk with friends, Mom watches to make sure we are on our goodest behavior.

The idea of using ribbons is a good one except not everyone knows what the colors mean and lots of us like to wear pretty colored collars, harnesses and leashes. I have a pink collar, black harness and a pink leash.

DixieLee and I wear colorful kerchiefs too! All the mix of colors could confuse peoples. I think the bestest thing to do is not go near any dog until you ask the Mom or Dad and even then to watch the dog’s body language. Hey, we all have grumpy days.

It’s another beautiful day outside. I think I’ll get DixieLee and we’ll both stare at our harnesses until Mom and Dad get the idea that going for a walk would be fun.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion. For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe check out pawpalsboutique.com

Summer Safety Tips

It was cold for so long we wondered if it was ever going to be summer. Happily the weather has gotten nice so we can spend more time outside. We love watching Mom and Dad put plants and flowers in the ground.

DixieLee really wants to help. She is a very good digger but they aren’t using any of the holes she’s dug so far but that’s okay. She says she’ll just make more, just in case.

Hot weather is nice but we have to be careful. Most peoples know not to leave their pets in the car cuz they can get died but there are lots of other things peoples need to be careful of in the summertime.

1. Bugs! To me this is huge. Bugs like ticks, fleas and mosquitoes are very dangerous to pets. We don’t like to have to wear chemical stuff but these little critters can make you very sick.

You need to look out for bees, wasps and spiders too. One of the dogs who lived with Mom and Dad before us got bit by a spider and her face got too fat. Mom had to rush her to the ‘mergency Vet. They gave her some medicines and she got better but I bet she was scared.

2. Water. I don’t particularly like water and DixieLee doesn’t even like to go out when it’s raining but lots of dogs love to swim. Swimming is okay as long as you are careful. The water in a river can be moving fast and even a little pond can be deep. If you like chasing sticks or floats make sure you don’t get too tired.

Remember that not all water is good to drink. If you are lucky enough to go to the ocean, don’t drink that water and swimming pool water is definitely a NO NO for drinking. Swimming pools have chemicals in them.

Boating can be fun! Just make sure you are wearing your life jacket at all times.

3. We talked about how hot cars can get. Sidewalks get hot too! If your human can’t keep their hand on the sidewalk or road for minutes, it is too hot to walk on. A nice grassy field or park is a better place to walk on hot days.

4. Dogs and cats can get sunburned so don’t spend too much time in the sun. Walk or play where there are lots of trees to give you shade. Make sure you drink plenty of good clean water when you are outside.

5. Bar-B-Ques and Picnics. Oh Boy! I love the smell of hamburgers or steak cooking on the grill and I know how to look so adorable that I’m sure to get a scrap or two from somebody. Mom has strict rules about begging at the table but most of our friends don’t know that one.

Gaining weight isn’t the only problem. Favorite Bar-B-Que foods like corn on the cob can cause tummy troubles and onions are super not good for us.

We also have to be extra careful not to get our teeth around any bones.

All this talk about fun is making my want to go outside. I think I’ll go tickle my toes in the nice cool grass.

Have a fun filled and safe summer.

Zeva

P.S. Blatant self-promotion. For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe, check out pawpalsboutqiue.com today.