Wednesday, February 1, 2017

How to Determine Whether Your Dog Really Wants What He's Begging For

When I'm in the kitchen, my dogs beg for everything I get out of the pantry, cabinets, refrigerator, off the counters, out of gift and grocery bags, from envelopes, out of coat and pants pockets, drawers...I think you get the picture. It dawned on me that they might not actually want to eat all of these things, but that they are simply taking their chances (aka betting, using their better-than-50%-odds gut instinct, which they learned from experience) that whatever the thing is that I'm retrieving is 1) edible, and 2) tastes good. Lest, they would be much more selective with their begging efforts.

To test this theory, I showed Dewi a selection of fresh, whole fruit, in rapid succession. This is what happened...


Mmmm, banana...

Mmmm, tomato (Yes, it's a fruit.)...

Mmmm, apple...

Mmmm, peach...


And then I showed him this...

Mmmm, jar of unopened pickled jalapeno slices...Ha! I knew it!

In conclusion: (My) Dogs know how to gamble (using time and energy as currency) and have no shame in doing so. I guess that makes me an enabler. 

Does your dog beg for everything gamble in the kitchen, or wherever yummy edible things get "dropped" in his direction? Has he ever gambled and "lost" (like Dewi and the pickled peppers)? Do you always cave in and let your dog win the jackpot? Or, do you look the other way and eat ALL the cheese, for example, hoping your dog will not notice you didn't share? 

Anyone want some fruit salad with a side of dog drool?

18 comments:

  1. Hi Y'all,

    Before I found out about my food allergies, my favorite was watermelon!

    Y'all come by now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

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  2. What most parents wouldn't give for a kid that's willing to try any and all foods....lol.

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  3. So it looks like Dewi could be a dangerous dog to have around. It's good he's not tall enough to reach the counters.

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  4. Love that expression. At least he's consistent. Nondiscriminatory is a good quality for most things. lol

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  5. Dewi's slightly bugging out eyes crack me up! Wilson gets the same expression! He will also eat most fruits. Jimmy, on the other hand, will take a bite of whatever (mainly so Wilson won't get it) but then spit it on the floor.

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  6. Dewi certainly has a hearty appetite for almost anything and everything! We would love it if our Miss Maple could be even half as adventurous as Dewi when it comes to eating...

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  7. I think God (or whatever one believes in) gave them short legs to protect them from the results of their inborn gluttony! (Stay cool -- I hear there is some awfully warm weather out east!)

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  8. @Hawk - So sorry about the allergies. :( JF and Dewi like watermelon, too (photo tomorrow). Hope there are other things you can eat that make you as happy as the watermelon did.

    @Ron - ba dum dum (goes the drum) :)

    @2 brown dawgs - Thanks for stopping by. How right you are! :)

    @Pamela - Haha - No, they can't counter surf, but they'd raid the fridge or pantry if they could figure them out. (I have to worry about the cat "assisting" with counter raids.)

    @Ashley - Well, yes, in most cases (but not when it comes to Dewi's stomach). :)

    @Taryn - You'll need to post a photo of Wilson with bug eyes...and also one of Jimmy spitting food on the floor. Tee hee. (My first dog would NOT eat fresh fruit or veggies. I'm telling you she would scarf down a pile of mush and leave the one solitary green bean (I hid in the middle) sitting in the middle of the plate. They're just like kids.

    @HBD - Miss Maple looks like she's eating something. But, I know what it's like to have a finicky dog. I used to have to hand feed JF when he was a puppy; he was so SLOW and picky. I think having Dewi around increased his appetite.

    @Boo's Mom - Yes, clearly they were blessed with short legs as protection from more than just cattle kicks. Otherwise the casting directors (for the movie A Christmas Story) might have used corgis (instead of bloodhounds) as the Bumpass' turkey-stealing dogs. :)

    It was 100+F today, but we stayed indoors. I think it's cooler by the end of the week. Thank goodness.

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  9. Dewi is so much fun, he is not afraid to try new foods, always an admirable trait :)

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  10. And I will say what I always do about Cardis "Don't let the short legs fool you." Bogey, JF's half-brother, is long enough that when he stands on his hind legs he can see what's on the counter. If anything is too close to the edge, he can grab it. Sam, JF's daddy, has stolen things that were too close to the edge off the counter too. Lastly, Tutti & Tito, JF's niece and nephew, licked all the frosting off the back of a wedding cake.....

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  11. Haha...he looks SO intrigued by everything. That glass jar must have been delicious....

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  12. That last photo has me in stitches!

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  13. I have three dogs and one begs for all food including bananas and kale. For some strange reason bananas seem to be one of his favorite foods. We will be walking down the street in NYC and if he sees someone eating a banana or if he spots them at a street vendor, any hope of getting his attention is lost!

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  14. We beg, smell it then either walk away or eat it
    Lily & Edward

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  15. Oh yes, the predominant currency in the kitchen is sad, pitiful eyes that indicate the wearer hasn't eaten in 87 months. Oye.

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  16. Aww, adorable pictures! The pickles definitely caught his attention! :)
    Henry

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  17. I don't believe that I have ever eaten anything that the boys didn't want a taste. We began bringing their hamburger meat that goes in their food to the table so they think they are getting our food but really aren't. Hmmm, maybe that was their plan all along!

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