


September 28, 2010
What’s Your Dog’s Worst Habit?
By David DiBenedetto
Pritch picked up a bad habit this weekend. She decided that while on the porch the best place to sleep is on top of the picnic table. Yes, that’s her in the below photo, snoozing like a champ where earlier Jenny and I had just eaten dinner. Rest assured, after the photo was taken she was jostled from her slumber and taught a bit of a lesson—dogs don’t sleep on tables. But the incident got me thinking about Pritch’s worst habits.
When it comes to the field, topping the charts is most likely her vocal gymnastics in the duck blind. She’s steady and quiet on a dove field, but last year when we set up in a true blind with other hunters calling and loads of decoys in the water Pritch went bonkers. She whined and whimpered with excitement, sometimes building to a muffled bark. She was also about as still as a sapling in a windstorm. We’re working on that. We’ve made great strides with being steady, but the excited whimpering is a habit that’s dying slowly.
Off the field and in the neighborhood, Pritch is a dream pup. But she does love to sniff out some fresh cat poop and eat it. A true cat-poop pointer. And about the only time she truly barks is when she’s playing chase with another dog. And then it’s incessant. That can get a bit annoying, too, so there may be a bark collar in her future.
But besides the cat poop predilection, my training talents (or lack of) are probably at the root of her bad habits. Either way, she’s one heck of a dog. I know you feel the same way about your pups. But feel free to share their bad habits with the gang. Misery loves company, you know.
Comments (34)
Lexi's favorite is to eat/roll in dead fish she finds on the banks of the trout stream. She's also very "helpfull" in landing fish. I've lost more than one nice rainbow to her launching herself after it.
Also, love the orange hunting collar on Pritch. They sure make it easy to see a dog during an upland hunt.
my dog's worst habit is sniffing girls' crotches. he's supposed to be a girl magnet but that doesn't help.
My wife's bird dog, Whisky, a young Brittany,is now beginning to find dead shrews and roll on them around her neck and back. She must really like the smell.
Rolling in dead things, that's got to be at the top of my list. Having not taken her out a bunch, during our limited experience in the field she seems to be pretty good at paying attention, following commands and my lead and sitting still when required so I can't complain about that.
when you knock on my door my dog makes sure you know he is in the house
1) rolling in dead animals
2) playing in the mud
3) shedding all over creation
4) making paths through the garden
Our male Standard Poodle suffers from uhhh, “urinary trajectory issues”…
Yes, he pees on the back of his front legs.
Poodles are supposed to be fairly intelligent. I’m beginning to wonder.
My yellow lab likes to make a game out of my bow practice. Whenever I draw back on my block Lexus runs down and waits beside the target. She must truly believe that she is going to catch my arrow. Of course this is a pain because I constantly have to let my draw down and run her off.
Learning quickly from me things I didn't intend to teach.
abiddle, I forgot about that one. I have that problem too.
My terrier mutt likes to roll in dead stuff, and dig out from under the fence and run off.
My yellow lab is very impressionable, so will do whatever the mutt does (roll in dead stuff, run off), but never on her own.
The German Shepherd will bark for hours at Barred Owls in the night. They drive her nuts. And she has alot of pup still in her, so she's bad about going crazy when you let her out of the pen, often times resulting in a paw, with 80 pounds behind it, striking you in the privates.
tank used to sleep on the chouch when we went some were we tride puting chairs up but he still got throght Lord knows how though!
Dierks likes to open the bathroom door and keep you company while your doin your business, its kinda funny.
oh yea, and he likes to chew on my huntin clothes, that aint too cool.
The worst thing my schnauzer Poggin has ever done is eat my chemistry text book. I hated the class and he probably was trying to do me a favor. Luckily the part he ate had been covered months before hand. His taste for books manifested itself again a few months later when he ate $56 dollars worth of library books. Since that incident he has seemed to finally grasp that books are not for his dining pleasure and hasn't touched a book for months. He was just a pup when he did this so you can't really hold it against him though. Great dog, just wish schnauzers would flush pheasants.
Jill sometimes bites down on birds if they aren't completely dead rendering said bird into mush.
Bun will roll on Anything she feels has a good scent.
BTW Jill is due to have pups in about 2 weeks.
My mom and sister ruined my state champion beagle, enough said.
I have two pretty well mannered beagles, but one likes to dig holes under the kennel fence and run off. The other likes to roll in dead animals. It makes the post hunt thorn check not so much fun.
My boykin Abby's worst habit is that she just gets too excited to meet people. I have tried to work on her manners but the training seems to go out the window when somebody walks up and she gets all wiggly. She doesn't jump on people as much as she used to at least.
All in all, this is not too bad and I'm glad to have a social, friendly dog rather than an agressive dog I would really have to worry about. Still, not all people react to dogs the same way and I worry she will come up to somebody that doesn't appreciate her loving antics.
She looks great Dave.She should have no problem getting on the platform in flooded timber as long as she doesnt fall asleep.It takes a long time to build a great hunting dog.NY pheasant season is in two days along with ruffed grouse rabbit,hare etc.in my hunting areas.I still feel like a child anticipating Christmas.This will be our first time out this year.No misery here this is the most wonderful time of year!
Kelmitch — Best of luck. I know you'll have a blast. And laughing out loud about the sleeping on the platform comment. Too true! Knock 'em dead.
Got black labs. When the phone rings, Tank will raise an ear but that's it. Jessie on the other hand, will try and answer it herself!
Friends who call now, know if a thump is heard through the hand set, it's Jessie...they know to just hang up and call right back!
Whata ya gonna do?
when ever Jade my lab breaks off her chain (which is usually really early morning it seems like) she'll find everything she can and take it to the back yard. Newspapers, neighbors lawn ornaments, deer skulls. Only good thing though is she doesn't tear the newspaper up. Mean while my beagle goes nuts wanting to run around with her
SKUNKS ARE EVIL, ENOUGH SAID
Roxy is my new English Setter, 4 months old. She loves rabbit turds. They must remind her of the dog food - same size and shape. She can sniff out a pile in no tie flat.
The vet said that there is plenty of good protein left in the pellets. Rabbits are great recyclers and have been known to eat them too during times of dense snow pack.
Wild Turkey, Pritch enjoys rabbit pellets, too. Glad to hear there might be some protein leftover. -D
I've got a wirehaired pup named Dutch. He will sniff out and eat any turd that isn't his.
Obviously, most dogs struggle with the eternal dog question - eat it, or roll in it?
My dog, Buster, a Brittany, also likes to roll in stuff too,his weirdest habit though, is in the morning when I brush my teeth, he comes in the bathroom and licks all around the outside of the toilet bowl...guess that's his way of brushing his teeth.
My hunting dog Zip is a saint! LOL
However, I do have an Aussie named Cheese that sits on the cat when the cat is sleeping.
I had a Jack Russell/Boxer mix that I swear was part mountain goat. He wouldn't jump on people (corrected very early on), but he couldn't stand to be on the ground if you weren't paying attention to him. He'd jump up on the truck toolbox, retention wall or just straight into the air at eye level. He was a springy little joker. I sure do miss that little guy!
Ours is Heidi just being nosey. We had only cats for 19 years. Then we got a dog. Half raised by cats.
Now, especially near the full moon, she runs around whenever a cat goes on patrol.
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my dog's worst habit is sniffing girls' crotches. he's supposed to be a girl magnet but that doesn't help.
Rolling in dead things, that's got to be at the top of my list. Having not taken her out a bunch, during our limited experience in the field she seems to be pretty good at paying attention, following commands and my lead and sitting still when required so I can't complain about that.
My yellow lab likes to make a game out of my bow practice. Whenever I draw back on my block Lexus runs down and waits beside the target. She must truly believe that she is going to catch my arrow. Of course this is a pain because I constantly have to let my draw down and run her off.
Lexi's favorite is to eat/roll in dead fish she finds on the banks of the trout stream. She's also very "helpfull" in landing fish. I've lost more than one nice rainbow to her launching herself after it.
Also, love the orange hunting collar on Pritch. They sure make it easy to see a dog during an upland hunt.
My wife's bird dog, Whisky, a young Brittany,is now beginning to find dead shrews and roll on them around her neck and back. She must really like the smell.
when you knock on my door my dog makes sure you know he is in the house
1) rolling in dead animals
2) playing in the mud
3) shedding all over creation
4) making paths through the garden
Our male Standard Poodle suffers from uhhh, “urinary trajectory issues”…
Yes, he pees on the back of his front legs.
Poodles are supposed to be fairly intelligent. I’m beginning to wonder.
Learning quickly from me things I didn't intend to teach.
abiddle, I forgot about that one. I have that problem too.
My terrier mutt likes to roll in dead stuff, and dig out from under the fence and run off.
My yellow lab is very impressionable, so will do whatever the mutt does (roll in dead stuff, run off), but never on her own.
The German Shepherd will bark for hours at Barred Owls in the night. They drive her nuts. And she has alot of pup still in her, so she's bad about going crazy when you let her out of the pen, often times resulting in a paw, with 80 pounds behind it, striking you in the privates.
tank used to sleep on the chouch when we went some were we tride puting chairs up but he still got throght Lord knows how though!
Dierks likes to open the bathroom door and keep you company while your doin your business, its kinda funny.
oh yea, and he likes to chew on my huntin clothes, that aint too cool.
The worst thing my schnauzer Poggin has ever done is eat my chemistry text book. I hated the class and he probably was trying to do me a favor. Luckily the part he ate had been covered months before hand. His taste for books manifested itself again a few months later when he ate $56 dollars worth of library books. Since that incident he has seemed to finally grasp that books are not for his dining pleasure and hasn't touched a book for months. He was just a pup when he did this so you can't really hold it against him though. Great dog, just wish schnauzers would flush pheasants.
Jill sometimes bites down on birds if they aren't completely dead rendering said bird into mush.
Bun will roll on Anything she feels has a good scent.
BTW Jill is due to have pups in about 2 weeks.
My mom and sister ruined my state champion beagle, enough said.
I have two pretty well mannered beagles, but one likes to dig holes under the kennel fence and run off. The other likes to roll in dead animals. It makes the post hunt thorn check not so much fun.
My boykin Abby's worst habit is that she just gets too excited to meet people. I have tried to work on her manners but the training seems to go out the window when somebody walks up and she gets all wiggly. She doesn't jump on people as much as she used to at least.
All in all, this is not too bad and I'm glad to have a social, friendly dog rather than an agressive dog I would really have to worry about. Still, not all people react to dogs the same way and I worry she will come up to somebody that doesn't appreciate her loving antics.
She looks great Dave.She should have no problem getting on the platform in flooded timber as long as she doesnt fall asleep.It takes a long time to build a great hunting dog.NY pheasant season is in two days along with ruffed grouse rabbit,hare etc.in my hunting areas.I still feel like a child anticipating Christmas.This will be our first time out this year.No misery here this is the most wonderful time of year!
Kelmitch — Best of luck. I know you'll have a blast. And laughing out loud about the sleeping on the platform comment. Too true! Knock 'em dead.
Got black labs. When the phone rings, Tank will raise an ear but that's it. Jessie on the other hand, will try and answer it herself!
Friends who call now, know if a thump is heard through the hand set, it's Jessie...they know to just hang up and call right back!
Whata ya gonna do?
when ever Jade my lab breaks off her chain (which is usually really early morning it seems like) she'll find everything she can and take it to the back yard. Newspapers, neighbors lawn ornaments, deer skulls. Only good thing though is she doesn't tear the newspaper up. Mean while my beagle goes nuts wanting to run around with her
SKUNKS ARE EVIL, ENOUGH SAID
Roxy is my new English Setter, 4 months old. She loves rabbit turds. They must remind her of the dog food - same size and shape. She can sniff out a pile in no tie flat.
The vet said that there is plenty of good protein left in the pellets. Rabbits are great recyclers and have been known to eat them too during times of dense snow pack.
Wild Turkey, Pritch enjoys rabbit pellets, too. Glad to hear there might be some protein leftover. -D
I've got a wirehaired pup named Dutch. He will sniff out and eat any turd that isn't his.
Obviously, most dogs struggle with the eternal dog question - eat it, or roll in it?
My dog, Buster, a Brittany, also likes to roll in stuff too,his weirdest habit though, is in the morning when I brush my teeth, he comes in the bathroom and licks all around the outside of the toilet bowl...guess that's his way of brushing his teeth.
My hunting dog Zip is a saint! LOL
However, I do have an Aussie named Cheese that sits on the cat when the cat is sleeping.
I had a Jack Russell/Boxer mix that I swear was part mountain goat. He wouldn't jump on people (corrected very early on), but he couldn't stand to be on the ground if you weren't paying attention to him. He'd jump up on the truck toolbox, retention wall or just straight into the air at eye level. He was a springy little joker. I sure do miss that little guy!
Ours is Heidi just being nosey. We had only cats for 19 years. Then we got a dog. Half raised by cats.
Now, especially near the full moon, she runs around whenever a cat goes on patrol.
Post a Comment