How Have Your Animals Trained YOU?

[iLander]

My animals have me trained to do all kinds of things for them:

When my papillon had an ear infection, I would give her the medicine wrapped in a smidge of cheese. She would shake her head, that would remind me, out comes the cheese. Now, years later, she comes up to me, shaking her head and won't stop until I give her a smidge of cheese. Sometimes it's so convincing, I worry her ears are itchy, and I'll slip in half a Benadryl.

Our cat will bat at any crinkly bag until we give him his treats (they're Temptations, what do they PUT in those things? Count your fingers after you give him those!). Doesn't matter if it's a potato chip bag or cookie bag, or whatever; pat, pat, PAT, PAT, PAT, pat, pat, PAT, etc. He just knows his treats come in a crinkly bag, and he won't stop until we give him his treats.

My littlest dog will roll over on her back whenever you come near her. And she will stay that way, for literally hours, until someone rubs her tummy. She looks silly, so I feel obligated to get her out of that position. She also wants a tummy rub when she's tucked in for the night (on my bed).

Lately, the cat has realized his brush is in the cabinet, and will rub the cabinet and meow loudly. I refuse to be trained that way, and I'm ignoring him. But I suspect resistance is futile . . .

How have your animals "trained" you?

 

[princesss]

If I'm in bed and on my laptop, Ezra will curl up between me and the computer and nudge my hand until I pet him. I was working from home yesterday and the little stinker figured out how to turn off the wireless! So he would turn it off because it made me stop what I was doing and I would pet him while it was rebooting.

They also have me trained to sleep in one of 3 positions, and if I dare move from that night's assigned position, I get glares and headbutted until I give in.

 

[Puppmom]

In more ways than I can count! There have been many times that our attempts at training HIM have turned on us.

My best example is that we taught him to ring a bell whenever he needed to go outside to do his business. Over time, that turned into ringing the bell because he wanted to sun bathe or chase a rabbit he saw in the yard. I thought that was pretty smart but he took it even further! One day, I was sitting on the couch right on a sun spot. He LOVES to sit in the sun. He was whining at me to invite him up or, better yet, offer my seat. When I did neither, he ran to the back door and rang the bell. I got up, went to the back door and opened it for him. As soon as I opened the door, he ran away. I went into the living room and he was sitting in my seat!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My cat has sort of grown out of this but if his food bowl is empty in the morning, he'll climb up onto my bed and bit my feet!

He also has become addicted to cat nip so whenever I open the pantry, he'll hover around and if he can, pull something down from the lower shelf and rip it open to get our attention.

 

[amc80]

One of my cats refuses to eat the crumbles of dry food left at the bottom (and by bottom, I mean bottom third) of the bowl (we free feed). If he needs/wants more, he will wait until you are asleep and then gently paw your face or arm until you wake up and give him food.

And, sort of new, if we are eating anything he likes, meaning ANY kind of meat, he begs. We usually eat on the couch/coffee table...and he'll sit on the couch next to us and paw your hand. So of course we think it's cute and he ends up getting a piece of whatever. Obviously he now knows if he paws us he gets food. Bad humans.

Oh, and he likes to drink water out of the bathroom faucet. So as soon as one of us is walking into the bathroom, he runs ahead and jumps on the counter...and stares at the faucet. We have two sinks and he will only drink out of DH's side...which means sometimes DH will just use my side so the cat can have his water.

 

[princesss]

In more ways than I can count! There have been many times that our attempts at training HIM have turned on us.

My best example is that we taught him to ring a bell whenever he needed to go outside to do his business. Over time, that turned into ringing the bell because he wanted to sun bathe or chase a rabbit he saw in the yard. I thought that was pretty smart but he took it even further! One day, I was sitting on the couch right on a sun spot. He LOVES to sit in the sun. He was whining at me to invite him up or, better yet, offer my seat. When I did neither, he ran to the back door and rang the bell. I got up, went to the back door and opened it for him. As soon as I opened the door, he ran away. I went into the living room and he was sitting in my seat!

Hahahahaha! What a stinker!

 

[yssie]

My best example is that we taught him to ring a bell whenever he needed to go outside to do his business. Over time, that turned into ringing the bell because he wanted to sun bathe or chase a rabbit he saw in the yard. I thought that was pretty smart but he took it even further! One day, I was sitting on the couch right on a sun spot. He LOVES to sit in the sun. He was whining at me to invite him up or, better yet, offer my seat. When I did neither, he ran to the back door and rang the bell. I got up, went to the back door and opened it for him. As soon as I opened the door, he ran away. I went into the living room and he was sitting in my seat!

 

[Tanzigrrl]

Oliver the bunny has us trained. He is a house-rabbit but has his own "apartment" - his cage. When we're home, we leave his cage door open. He has taught us that if he runs one lap around the house and then hops back into his cage, he gets a carrot. He will do this over and over and over again. I will only consent to so many carrots though, but it hilarious. We call him "minimum boy" because he does the minimum one lap to "earn" his carrot.

 

[Autumnovember]

This is an awesome thread!

Layla has me fully trained for when we sleep. She makes me sleep in certain positions because one side of the best is completely hers. If she doesn't like how I'm sleeping she will intentionally straighten out her legs so they are pushing against me (very uncomfortable) and I move. She also has a habit of leaving my room in the morning for a little while and when she comes back she will sit on the floor by the bed and cry until I open my eyes and say "come here, Layla." She also finds ways to make my mom get off the couch to do something just so she can go and sit in my moms spot.

 

[iheartscience]

In too many ways to count!

The main one is that Olivia (my avatar kitteh) loves water, so if you even walk near the bathroom she runs in and makes you turn on the faucet for her. She also likes to lay in the sink and get pets, and if you try to leave she'll grab your hand, so I end up leaning over the sink for 10 minutes petting her. Plus since she likes to be in the bathroom when anyone is in there, I have a terrible habit of leaving the door wide open when I use the bathroom or shower. It's seriously a struggle to remember to shut it when guests are over!

My other kitteh Ophelia loves to be chased to her scratching thingie (the flat cardboard ones with refills) in the kitchen for pets while she scratches. She also meows hysterically (it is SO LOUD and insistent!) in the morning until my husband feeds her, and even after he feeds her she sometimes still meows hysterically and runs around so you'll chase her to her scratcher.

So basically I have to pet Olivia in the bathroom upstairs and then sprint after Ophelia downstairs to pet her in the kitchen at her scratching thingie. God forbid they allow me to pet them in a normal place like the couch or the bed!

 

[iheartscience]

In more ways than I can count! There have been many times that our attempts at training HIM have turned on us.

My best example is that we taught him to ring a bell whenever he needed to go outside to do his business. Over time, that turned into ringing the bell because he wanted to sun bathe or chase a rabbit he saw in the yard. I thought that was pretty smart but he took it even further! One day, I was sitting on the couch right on a sun spot. He LOVES to sit in the sun. He was whining at me to invite him up or, better yet, offer my seat. When I did neither, he ran to the back door and rang the bell. I got up, went to the back door and opened it for him. As soon as I opened the door, he ran away. I went into the living room and he was sitting in my seat!

 

[rubybeth]

I don't have a pet, but my parents and sister both have long-haired dachshunds, and they have all of us trained pretty well!

My sister's dog Nico is a belly rub whore and as soon as he meets someone new, or is greeting one of us, he rolls over on his back for the requisite belly rub. My parents' dog Pippa gets extremely excited when I go over to their house, and after she squeaks and licks me in complete delight for a couple minutes, she immediately goes and grabs the nearest toy and brings it to me so I will play with her. In her mind, seeing Beth = play time. She's not wrong, I definitely visit my parents more now than I did before they had the puppy. She also pushes us her ball with her nose, so you know that if she finds a ball and pushes it to you, it's ball play time.

 

[asscherisme]

In too many ways to count!

The main one is that Olivia (my avatar kitteh) loves water, so if you even walk near the bathroom she runs in and makes you turn on the faucet for her. She also likes to lay in the sink and get pets, and if you try to leave she'll grab your hand, so I end up leaning over the sink for 10 minutes petting her. Plus since she likes to be in the bathroom when anyone is in there, I have a terrible habit of leaving the door wide open when I use the bathroom or shower. It's seriously a struggle to remember to shut it when guests are over!

My other kitteh Ophelia loves to be chased to her scratching thingie (the flat cardboard ones with refills) in the kitchen for pets while she scratches. She also meows hysterically (it is SO LOUD and insistent!) in the morning until my husband feeds her, and even after he feeds her she sometimes still meows hysterically and runs around so you'll chase her to her scratcher.

So basically I have to pet Olivia in the bathroom upstairs and then sprint after Ophelia downstairs to pet her in the kitchen at her scratching thingie. God forbid they allow me to pet them in a normal place like the couch or the bed!

My cats have trained me that when I take a shower or am in my bathroom, I turn on the tub for them, slow stream. They love to drink from it, but only when I'm in there. I turn it off when I'm not. Not sink faucets, just the tub.

They have also trained me that when they do the full back flop, tummy exposed I will drop what I'm doing and give them a good belly rub.

Also, I am a sucker for begging for treats. But I give them freeze dried chicken so its good for them.

 

[Fly Girl]

My pet parakeet will squawk when he hears me doing running water to do dishes and wants to be let out of his cage for a fly. He knows not to ask until then, because I never let him out when there is food on the table.

Also, when we sit down to dinner, he comes over to the side of the cage looking for his lettuce leaf. He only eats the green leaves, won't touch the purple lettuce. Silly bird!

 

[maebelle]

Ok, so this is my grandmothers story, but I find it so funny.

They had a Scottie who managed to run away several times a year and of course they were always angry with him. They'd go looking but he'd come home within a couple of hours.

But one time he somehow hurt his paw, he was limping and bleeding when he got home. He was fine, but he got showered with attention. For that day on whenever he ran away he'd coming home limping until he was sure no one was going to yell, and then he'd be perfectly fine.

 

[distracts]

If I'm sitting on a chair/couch and my bunny (Gwen) wants in my lap, she'll paw at my legs until I pick her up. If I don't pick her up fast enough, she'll start nipping at me! If the chair/couch is one she's comfortable jumping onto, she'll paw at my legs until I move whatever is in my lap to the side, and then jump up. If I don't move whatever is in my lap (usually my laptop or a book), she will find a way to jump up anyway, so it is really to everyone's benefit that I just move it.

When she wants to be set down (or allowed to hop down), she will dig on my legs. I learned what that meant the hard way - I used to just think she wanted to be set down because she disliked being held, but after a couple of times of getting peed on, I learned that usually it means she needs to go to the litter box. If she less urgently wants to be set down, she will bite. What's funny is that the biting hurts WAY more than the digging, so gets her set down more quickly, but the digging is the one that is more urgent.

When Gwen wants to be petted, she will headbutt you and then put her head down and out. If you don't start petting her after about 30 seconds, she will move her head under your hand and then bump your hand repeatedly until you start petting, like she's trying to pet herself with your hand and can't quite make it work. You really just have to give in at that point.

My dog will bark at us if we are in the yard and not petting her. She doesn't care if we are in the house and not petting her, but god forbid we all go outside and not pay attention to Rory. It's the only time she ever barks. I think because of going outside like on walks and to the dog park and to play fetch, she thinks outside is "her" time, and if we try to do things like garden or grill, we are totally going off the plan.

Tanzigrrl, so glad someone else here has a rabbit! Oliver sounds very charming.

 

[iLander]

I'm loving these stories!

I didn't realize bunnies and birds were so interactive. That's awesome.

 

[Autumnovember]

Check out how trained this dog is. Watch the WHOLE video...so, so, so funny.

Youtube "Denver guilty dog"

It's funnier each time you watch

 

[MissGotRocks]

Not to threadjack - I am so 'trained' by my dog its not funny - but question to ilander about your pup's ear infection. I have a Yorkie that will be 17 in September. She has had recurrent ear infection in one ear. We've had the antibiotics, ear drops - you name it and still the problem persists. At her age, I'm willing to leave her on a preventative dose of antibotics but the vet of course isn't.

Did your dog's ear infection persist or was it a one time deal?

We are, and have been, for many years trained to bring home some morsel of something if we go out to dinner. She will immediately smell your breath to see if you ate and then look a hole through you until you produce a small treat from your dinner. If not, she will aimlessly wander off and manage to pee in the floor somewhere as retribution - and she's normally a very well trained dog!

 

[Octavia]

My cat has recently discovered that my alarm clock = "the kitty gets breakfast noise." No need for the snooze button anymore, because he will meow and walk back and forth across me and tickle me with his whiskers until he gets fed. In fact, I could probably do without the alarm entirely, as he gives me about 15 minutes grace period on the weekends before saying, "yoohoo, you forgot to make the kitty gets fed noise this morning..."

He also hates when we stand around the apartment, unless he's being held at the time. If he just wants someone to sit down, he'll go next to them and meow insistently. If he wants to be held, he'll stand up against your legs and wave one of his front paws around -- it reminds me of a little kid raising his hand and saying "me, me, pick meeee!"

We have also been trained only to buy the foods he likes because if we give him something he doesn't approve of, he will. not. eat. it. Even if he's hungry. He just sniffs at it dramatically, makes a big show of walking away, and ignores his food dish until we bring back the right food. Mostly this happens if we try new flavors or brands of his wet food...chicken and turkey are usually fine but anything fishy gets us an enraged stare-down. I actually have a list of "do not buy" foods so I make sure not to accidentally get them at the pet food store!

 

[yennyfire]

In more ways than I can count! There have been many times that our attempts at training HIM have turned on us.

My best example is that we taught him to ring a bell whenever he needed to go outside to do his business. Over time, that turned into ringing the bell because he wanted to sun bathe or chase a rabbit he saw in the yard. I thought that was pretty smart but he took it even further! One day, I was sitting on the couch right on a sun spot. He LOVES to sit in the sun. He was whining at me to invite him up or, better yet, offer my seat. When I did neither, he ran to the back door and rang the bell. I got up, went to the back door and opened it for him. As soon as I opened the door, he ran away. I went into the living room and he was sitting in my seat!

Love it! They are amazing little creatures aren't they??? Our dog does the tricking DH into getting up to get her a drink of water from the bathtub at night (she's too lazy to go down to the kitchen where we keep her water/food) and then when he gets up, she jumps on the bed, curls in a few circles and flops down on her pillow. When he returns, she refuses to make eye contact, thinking if she doesn't see him, he doesn't see her and won't move her. LOL! Silly puppy!

 

[athenaworth]

My tuxedo kitty won’t sleep in our bed with us, but she always sleeps on the guest bed. However, she won’t get on the guest bed to sleep unless I put her there and have some love time with her. She will stare at me all night until I put her in the bed for her love time.

My Siamese is just full of little routines, the biggest one is that he has to snuggle his dad every night in the exact same way. If DH isn’t laying the way he’s supposed to, he’ll paw at him incessantly until he turns over. Then he only snuggles him for about 3 minutes then it’s off to my side of the bed where he gives himself a 5 minute bath and then lets out a huge sigh and sleeps. I am NOT allowed to touch him during the bathing time or he has to start all over again.

 

[Tanzigrrl]

Distracts - another bunny owner! Hello! What kind do you have? Oliver is a 5lb Dutch. We call him "Dutch plus" because he clearly has a bit of a mix of something else in him, too.

Bunnies are great, aren't they? I've had Oliver since he was a baby bunny (he's almost 2.5 now). He's such a sweet boy. He does the headbutt thing, like your Gwen does. He will also lick me to get me to pet him more. I get maybe 3 licks and then he stops and looks at me like "your turn." Of course in his mind 3 licks is worth 30 minutes of my petting him!

 

[zoebartlett]

Well, Zoe's trained us to give in to her manipulative whines and cries more often than we'd like when she wants to eat. She's a grazer. She may be hungry and she carries on as if she's starving to death, but then when we do feed her, she's like, "eh, I can take it or leave it. I'll let my brother eat the rest." It's annoying. They have set feeding times and amounts of food but Zoe doesn't quite get it.

Octavia, I don't think I need my alarm anymore either. Zoe wakes me up well before it goes off, and I get up early as it is. This morning, Zoe woke me up at 3:30 (maybe 4:00) to be fed. I don't feed the cats til 5:15 usually. Oh, and when I get home from work, that's the cue that it's apparently lunch time for them.

 

[Kaleigh]

My miss Charlie Pants (Lorelie's nick name for her ) schooled me.. She is a morkie, part Maltese but more Yorkie than anything. She is smart as heck. In the morning, she knows to not wake me up before 7:30. I sleep with ear plugs and she is obsessed with them, ear fetish...To get her to give me extra time to sleep, I give her and ear plug and she plays with it for a while...

She lives to go in the car with me, and as a treat I have animal crackers. Yes we have a song about them. When I am finishing up my hair, I sing the song about the animal crackers, and she gets all excited.

After losing 2 dogs and a bird in the same year, this dog has truly rescued me. I would do anything for her. She is so much like Casper , vocabulary off the chart, and does lots of tricks. I can be down stairs and say go get me ducky... She will go upstairs , get her stuffed ducky and bring it to me..

I am psyched to try a frisbee now that we are having great weather, she loves fetching... She loves catching balls in her mouth..

And when I got her, I was just there to LOOK. She bonded with me immediately, and she was born the day Casper died, so that sealed the deal.

I am all about dates and numbers. Such a sign and not a coincidence.

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

I have two springer spaniels and one of them likes to roll over on her back the moment she hears my makeup bag zipper shut and put in the drawer. She WILL NOT turn over until I have given her a rub down. Not just any old scratch here and there, it has to be a full body massage. Lover her

 

[hoover]

Heck ya! DH and I say that the house belongs to the pets and we humans are just their servants/slaves we're the ones who are working so that they can have a warm home and everything they could ever wish for.

We feed and pet them on command, we clean/pick up after them, buy them tons of toys. We have to share our food with them otherwise they give us crap! Bunny always got a share of our fruit and veg, and dog always gets a share of almost everything
If bunny's "breakfast" (yogurt drop, healthy bit and a small piece of fruit) was late or he wanted something, he'd make sure we knew it by chewing on the cage if the staring didn't work. DH swears that if he could hold a little tin cup, he'd be rapping it on the rails of his cage!
I really miss the bunny head-butts for head scratches or massages, and how he used to pop out of his house to greet me whenever I came home/downstairs...

The dog sits on us, steals our warm spots on the couch and the bed, and he firmly believes that anything that goes in our mouth must also go into his. If we don't share with him, he actually sit in front of us and yell at us! we also have to obey him whenever he wants to be pet... We also schedule our activities so that he's not left home alone for too long, and I admit to leaving a meeting that was running late to rush home so that he doesn't have to hold it in for more than 9 hrs.

Yup, pets really do rule the roost!

 

[Imdanny]

Short answer yes. I feel like I'm dealing with a teenager. Everything is a negotiation. And God help me if I do something she doesn't like. I petted one of the outside cats. I've lived here a year and this cat never let me get close enough to pet her and probably never will again. My cat saw it. I have been paying for it for two days.

 

[Enerchi]

Short answer yes. I feel like I'm dealing with a teenager. Everything is a negotiation. And God help me if I do something she doesn't like. I petted one of the outside cats. I've lived here a year and this cat never let me get close enough to pet her and probably never will again. My cat saw it. I have been paying for it for two days.

OMG! that is too funny!!

 

[iLander]

I love these stories! (and some of the topics are so grim and sad today, I need the relief)

Considering what they can make us do, I think it's hilarious that we feel so victorious when we can make our pets "sit".