Dear Dog Charmer,
My eight year old daughter Cloe and I got home from her soccer game where she scored two goals. As a celebration we came home with her favorite, bagels and cream cheese. By the time we reentered the kitchen after washing up there was Poacher, with just a small piece of bagel left on the floor. Cloe burst into tears and we ended up having lunch in the bagel store. To say this isn’t the first time is a vast understatement. Any suggestions?
Cloe and Dad
Dear Cloe and Dad,
Poacher needs to be introduced to Dog God. Dog God is a combination of timing and startlement, and often a mirror. Startlement can be two pots banged together, a loud horn, a loud whistle, any loud sound you can think of that will startle Poacher in the actual act of poaching. Set him up. Put the bagel laden with cream cheese on a low coffee table and walk out of the room. But, you set up a mirror so that you can see the bagel table around the corner. The moment Poacher is within reaching distance of what he perceives is an imminent snack, the two pots explode together. It can be an air horn, a loud siren, whatever causes him to break a high-jump record in startlement. If he’s one of those guys who’ll grab it anyway, put the bagel in a well perforated tupperware container so he can’t self-reward with it. Startle him when he sniffs it. Then you walk into the room as though you had nothing to do with the whole situation. You want Poacher to think your food has the Secret Service guarding it all the time.
Good luck,
The Dog Charmer
Have a question for the Dogcharmer? Write him at dogsrshelby@msn.com. Find him on Instagram @DogTrainingDiaries.
