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Your cheatin’ heart
By Kim Campbell Thornton
September 26, 2008
My dogs love the neighbors. I don’t mean love them in a tail-wagging, ‘glad to see you’ kind of way. I mean love them in an obsessed-stalker kind of way. They stare out the window and bark when Jim or Jen come home from work. They race downstairs when they hear Mary Lou’s voice outside and throw themselves at the screen door in an attempt to get to her. When we go for walks, they first drag me to the neighbors’ doors, in the hope that they’ll be seen from the window and given chicken jerky or liver-flavored training treats.
So that’s what I wrote my column about this month. Turns out that my girls aren’t the only pets who “cheat” on their people. Oh, sure, there are some animals who stand aloof from all but their beloved person, but others are, well, let’s just say they have a flexible definition of loyalty. Here are some stories of pet love gone wrong–with tips on how to make your dog love you best (or at least pretend to).
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Every visitor is my male cats new best friend. He will totally ignore me when someone comes over whether he knows them or not. He even sleeps with overnight guests whether they like it or not.
My female cat tends to be shy of strangers but OK with folks she knows. Once in a while she’ll suprise me by jumping into the lap of a new visitor.
and yes, I do feel a little jealous when they are snuggling up with someone else.
Comment by 2CatMom — September 26, 2008 @ 10:56 am
I watched my sister’s neighbor kids help her house dogs (one is her new puppy, one is a temporary visitor) get under the fence and play with them for about a half hour the other day. This goes on regularly, and has been cleared with all parties.
At one point, the kids’ dad came out and gave each kid a treat to give to the dogs. They don’t have a dog, but those were honest-to-gosh “dog treats” rather than just a piece of food.
The concern is that the kids might learn how to climb the fence and it will work that way too.
Comment by Christine S — September 26, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
One of my dogs has a love affair with a friend of mine. I think it’s really based on her selection of Cabot’s Hunter’s Favorite extra sharp cheddar cheese to treat the dogs with when we go for walks! There are 3 of us, and anywhere from 9 to 12 dogs. We go off lead and work recalls so someone is frequently reaching into their pockets or bait bag and providing a moveable feast.
My dog ignores me ( even when I make a real effort to buy the ‘right’ cheese), or he works both of us being ever the opportunist. I do work him on leash, and reward him for looking at me when I call his name, as well as recalls. However, the two have a bond. Sometimes, I think he thinks he’s an afterthought in our household which has an element of truth, and actually as long as he is with me and he listens/focuses on me, I really don’t care if he has a crush on my friend.
Comment by Anne T — September 26, 2008 @ 3:38 pm