Buster's Newest Trick

Well, I can't offer any dog tricks, but I can tell you what my cats do. Shady normally doesn't meow. Her mouth opens and you can hear her lips smack, but no real sound comes out. But, when she's hungry or the water bowl is empty, she "rowls" - like a cat in heat...a deep throaty mrowl. Lately, it's been because her water isn't brand new since her last drink, so I'm not responding. Or, if she's decided at 4AM that she's hungry, she gets to wait, but mostly it's at meal times or if the water bowl is dry. Chloe, on the other hand, will test my patience if she isn't getting what she wants, be it food or attention. We don't have drawers at my apartment, so there she would open and shut the cupboard doors under the sink until I finally came out to the kitchen to put a stop to it and feed her. Here at Mom's house, there are drawers and the one closest to the food dishes gets opened and allowed to slam shut. Once in a while, she pulls it too far and I'll come out and find it open all the way. The other thing she does is when she's irritated about something, she'll tear up paper by taking big bites out of it - toilet paper was her favorite thing at the apartment. But, here, there are paper bags. I find bags I plan to use for paper recycle with chunks out of the top and the confetti residue on the floor nearby. She completely shredded the bag in the closet that held Mom's nebulizer meds until we needed them. That was stress since she was going through a phobia of unknown origin and hid in the closet out of view of whatever ghosties she was afraid of. Just like people, they each have their own ways of reacting to something to get someone's attention.

I had a Chihuahua named Leno a long time ago. When his water bowl was empty, and for some reason I didn't know it, he would always find a way to communicate. He'd jump up and down below the sink, making noise on the cabinets beneath. Which was his signal that he needed more water. Apparently he surmised that was where the water came from.

They're catching on... When Harmony wants something, she very clearly enunciates "I want"... then I have to guess what it is she wants. I've posted how she's trained me to clean her litter box every time she uses it. (http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1844869.aspx) And she wants her dindin (canned food) between 11:00 and 12:00.

Hi Bob, No my dog doesn't but our rabbit, Maggie does. She has a cat dish that is made of clay, and she puts her nose under it and lifts it up so it clashes against her aquarium. It makes enough noise to get every ones attention. Blessings Marilyn

They are so smart, aren't they?! I always remember the water bowl. It's the food bowl I have a problem with! I could put Cookie's food down and she'd eat as she was hungry and not overeat. But then Gus would eat it all, plus his, and beg for more. That dog would probably eat till he keeled over. When it's about an hour before supper time, he'll put his head on my knee, then in a few minutes he'll start to whine. Refuses to be petted or comforted, just whines and paces till 5PM arrives and he gets to eat!

That is a neat trick that buster has. I don't have a pet but I do have a pet grand dog. My daughter has a husky and the way she communicates mostly is by talking. I don't speak her language so whenever I am around and she is speaking to me I tell her to go tell my daughter or one of the grand boys. One of her best tricks is when she wants to go outside she will go get her leash and bring it to you in her mouth and that is to let you know that she wants out. If you ignore her she will put the leash down and speak in her language pick it up again to let you know she is definitely talking to you. Pets are real smart when they are loved and taken care of. They develop their own way of communication.

no that is what I call a really smart dog, good for him.

The cats mob us when we let the bowls go dry. Even Kit comes into the bathroom if we are in there. heck, the cats mob us if we let anything get empty!

Isn't it amazing how our furry friends have us "trained"?? Well I don't have a dog, but as you know I have two cats. My one cat, Kissy, likes to go into the kitchen and will open the one bottom cabinet door...yes, she manages to open it herself. Why she does that I don't know as there's no food stored in it, but all my "gourmet" and expensive cookware...could she be giving me a hint she wants me to cook up something special for her??

My dog has a large water container and his food dish is one of those with two sides on it and sometimes he will move it out in the middle of the floor when it is empty. My cat has a food container sort of like Buster's and when it is empty she just meow's. As for her water, she will drink out of the dogs water but mostly she likes to drink from the faucet

Mine used to.......drag it around the kitchen floor then come and stare at you until you got up and filled it...he would stare for a while...go back and drag it somemore or if you were really lazy...drink from the toilet if the lid was up!

Willow has a raised bowl on a stand and puts her nose under it to lift it then drops it! Hard to ignore as it's under the stairs and echoes along the hall. My part-time dog (my employers Pomeranian) pushes her water bowl around with her nose if it's empty but it's even funnier when she wants food. She has a metal dish and she puts her front paws in it and uses a digging motion which makes a noise as well as moving the dish around. She's 6 months old and a very quick learner, she knows just how to get what she wants but my boss says she behaves much better for me than she does for the other carers or him. Perhaps it's because I've had more experience with dogs than they have.

Hey Grandpa Bob! Good for Buster! He doesn't want to be ignored! He needs water and he let's you know! I think that he's a really smart doggy! My cat's have their own way of making me know when they want food! If I'm in bed they jump on me and yell until I get up and feed them! If I'm at the computer they yell and sit in their "eating position" until I get up and get their canned food! Those animals know how to get what they want! They are the bosses and they don't let you forget that for one minute!

dogs and cats do many things to get our attension when we are not paying much attension to then , so they think.. Sing a song in key, if you don't get it they will get WAAAYY out of key.. carry their water or food bowl to you and drop it on your lap or on the floor in front of you and look at you as if to say well are you busy,, are you going to do something about it.. stand like a statue absolutely still.. grab things you are doing and run with it to get you up to pay attension to them.. sing to a song on the tv or radio my dog's favorite.. so on and so on ..

That is so cute. They do have some things they do to show us that they need whatever it is that they need. My little one the baby will pick up his food dish and water dish if they happen to need something in them or he wants something. He will pick up his dish and bring it to us. He does the cutest things they all do and I have five little ones around the house, they all do different things.

That is so funny. My dog always stares us down and when we say, what?, to him, he nods his head towards his bowl or he does a circle and nods his head towards the bowl LOL. He also nods towards his treat bowl too.

Ah, sweet Buster. He's a smart one! My dogs have used such antics with me before. Makes me laugh.

I no longer have a dog, but we used to have a German Shepherd that would open his mouth real wide and roar like a bear (he even looked a little like one with his mouth open)when he wanted my daughter to play with him. Now all I have is a cat that stands in the middle of the kitchen and yeowls "OUT" until I ask her if she wants out. Then she heads for the door.

I don't have a dog but my cat eats the toilet paper or shreds it all over the bathroom if his bowl is empty. He also follows me around the house and tries to trip me.

Buster is too smart. My mums dog stamps it feet when it's water bowl is empty. It has to have fresh cold water also. If it has been sitting for half an hour or more, she will not drink it. Buster sure knows what he wants and gets it. He is just right though.