Big Trouble

So many experts say that if you correct a dog, you have to correct it while it is doing the bad act otherwise the dog won't link the act as being something bad. Dogs tend to forget within seconds of doing something and have a very poor short term memory.

That may be true for most dogs but it is the furthest thing from the truth when it comes to our Dakota.

Take this morning as a prime example of my argument. My husband was waking me up when all of a sudden the Lab Brats hear me move and they come charging into the room. The first hint of their presence in the room was Cheyenne jumping on the bed. Oh no she didn't!! Our Labradors are not allowed in our bedroom let alone on the furniture. So, my husband told her "Off!" and she jumped off but I my ears caught the sound of a stampede coming around the bed from the other side. It was Dakota walking around the bed to say good morning to me.

I sat upright in bed so fast and my superhuman "God" voice bellowed "OUT!". After the word left my lips, I saw nothing more then a chocolate streak heading towards the bedroom door. She heard me and heard me good.

It has now been an hour since I have gotten out of bed and although Cheyenne acts as if nothing happened, Dakota is walking around the house sulking. If I call her over to pet her, she walks over slowly with her head down and with the cutest "Sad Sam" face. She doesn't just sit in front of me but gives me her paw slowly as a sign of her asking for forgiveness. No matter how many times I take her paw and massage it (my sign for her being forgiven), she continues beg for my forgiveness in the same manner over and over again.

It is for that reason I always laugh when I hear an expert say that all dogs don't remember what they did for more then a few seconds after they did the act. Sure, some dogs like Cheyenne don't but other dogs, like my Dakota, can hold onto it for hours. Well, either that or she is milking it to make me feel so guilty I will have no choice but to give her extra cookies throughout the day for being such a bad mommy... *laugh*