We are attempting to refine Macula's training as to the taking of treats:
until now its always been enough that she wait until it's held out to her
and that she takes it gently (no teeth)--but with two pre-verbal kids on the
scene right now, she was mistakenly(?) assuming that biscuits etc held by
the kidlets were being offerred to her, and more than once a rugrat would be
happily waving a cookie around only to find their hand suddenly empty :-}

So until Macula can be taught a cue-word for accepting food, and learn to
wait for it, we simply keep her away from the boys when they're eating
unless they're in their highchairs (where food is out of dog reach unless
dropped--at which point it's fair game).

The boys have just finished a snack of animal crackers, seated at they're
little table in the familyroom. Macula watched the entire time, with her
chin leaning on the babygate, whining softly everytime a crumb dropped. She
is eagerly awaiting the gate to come down so that she can fullfill her
one-doggie mission in life: that is to be the best furry vaccuum cleaner on
the planet :-) But first, I have to clean up the *huge* drool puddle on the
floor by the baby gate :-)

Marie

"Marie" wrote in message
e.rogers.com...

So until Macula can be taught a cue-word for accepting food, and learn to
wait for it, we simply keep her away from the boys when they're eating
unless they're in their highchairs (where food is out of dog reach unless
dropped--at which point it's fair game).

I grew up with a hungry older dog brother. I learned to run with my cookie
over my head. The boys will learn too.

"Marie" wrote in message
e.rogers.com...

So until Macula can be taught a cue-word for accepting food, and learn to
wait for it, we simply keep her away from the boys when they're eating
unless they're in their highchairs (where food is out of dog reach unless
dropped--at which point it's fair game).

I grew up with a hungry older dog brother. I learned to run with my cookie
over my head. The boys will learn too.

"Marie" wrote in message
e.rogers.com...

So until Macula can be taught a cue-word for accepting food, and learn to
wait for it, we simply keep her away from the boys when they're eating
unless they're in their highchairs (where food is out of dog reach unless
dropped--at which point it's fair game).

I grew up with a hungry older dog brother. I learned to run with my cookie
over my head. The boys will learn too.

Child wrote:

I grew up with a hungry older dog brother. I learned to run with my cookie
over my head. The boys will learn too.

A whole cookie snatching incident happened exactly once to the nephew
before he figured out that he can't go around waving stuff under the
dogs' nose. He started holding it behind his back between bites.
Finally, he has realized the power of 'No'. These days, he just tells
them 'Nooooo, Mine!'. Oddly enough, the dogs seem to get it, although
the humans often think he's speaking Klingon.

Suja

Child wrote:

I grew up with a hungry older dog brother. I learned to run with my cookie
over my head. The boys will learn too.

A whole cookie snatching incident happened exactly once to the nephew
before he figured out that he can't go around waving stuff under the
dogs' nose. He started holding it behind his back between bites.
Finally, he has realized the power of 'No'. These days, he just tells
them 'Nooooo, Mine!'. Oddly enough, the dogs seem to get it, although
the humans often think he's speaking Klingon.

Suja

Child wrote:

I grew up with a hungry older dog brother. I learned to run with my cookie
over my head. The boys will learn too.

A whole cookie snatching incident happened exactly once to the nephew
before he figured out that he can't go around waving stuff under the
dogs' nose. He started holding it behind his back between bites.
Finally, he has realized the power of 'No'. These days, he just tells
them 'Nooooo, Mine!'. Oddly enough, the dogs seem to get it, although
the humans often think he's speaking Klingon.

Suja

This is my one biggest obstacle in introducing Cubbe to the kids in the
neighborhood. Parents are so used to their children having cookies in
their hands all the time that they forget they're there. I now
carefully look for cookies before approaching with Cubbe. This is after
enthusiastic invitations. "Can we pet your doggie?" First I say sure
without thinking. Then I do the cookie inspection. Cubbe is
simultaneously gentle, polite and single minded when sniffing for
cookies in toddler fists.

--Lia

This is my one biggest obstacle in introducing Cubbe to the kids in the
neighborhood. Parents are so used to their children having cookies in
their hands all the time that they forget they're there. I now
carefully look for cookies before approaching with Cubbe. This is after
enthusiastic invitations. "Can we pet your doggie?" First I say sure
without thinking. Then I do the cookie inspection. Cubbe is
simultaneously gentle, polite and single minded when sniffing for
cookies in toddler fists.

--Lia

This is my one biggest obstacle in introducing Cubbe to the kids in the
neighborhood. Parents are so used to their children having cookies in
their hands all the time that they forget they're there. I now
carefully look for cookies before approaching with Cubbe. This is after
enthusiastic invitations. "Can we pet your doggie?" First I say sure
without thinking. Then I do the cookie inspection. Cubbe is
simultaneously gentle, polite and single minded when sniffing for
cookies in toddler fists.

--Lia