08/18/2026
The easiest way to teach a dog what to do is to create a routine and a pattern.
Think about mealtime. The dog sees the food bowl come out. Watches with anticipation as you place food into the bowl, walk to the designated spot and place the bowl on the ground. Some people have encouraged their dog to sit when the food is presented. Some don't care. The entire process is a routine performed twice a day created by steps leading to a predictable pattern and outcome.
Let's say your dog likes to do what I call door dash (part-time jobs help these days 🤣). In this case, I mean bust through the opening with great joy and energy. Sometimes you are on the end of the leash and sometimes you or the other resident dog gets bumped and jostled.
How could you create a new routine? Work on the pieces first. Have the dog learn to sit while you stand at the door. Work on staying seated in a designated spot while you open the door. Teach them a release that means they are free to move about the building like...OK. Now when you approach the door, the dog sits in their designated spot, waits for you to open the door and gets up when they hear OK. You've made approaching the door a cue. The dog knows what to do in that situation.
💕What does all this have to do with Jessie sampling persimmons? Mother Nature has her own routine and patterns. My dogs have been checking this shrub out for months. They knew the fragrance when it bloomed. They checked out the green globes as they grew each time they passed by. Now they look for the dark fruit, take a sniff, nuzzle it a little and if it falls off.....gobble it up. They especially enjoy the dried fruit that was knocked off by the birds or night visitors.
And what have I learned? Every time we walk in this spot, each dog needs to check to see if opportunities exist for a snack. That's our routine. Do I yell at them to keep moving or pull on them when they stop? No. It's not being disobedient to stop and smell the persimmon tree. It's been highly reinforced through the enjoyment of random finds. The joy of orange, teeth, tongues and poo..... just for a few more weeks.
I've seen some wonderful dogs trained through everyday living , patterns and routines. Mistakes and adjustments were made to help the dog figure out what they needed to do in a way that encouraged the dog to keep trying. Not one of these dogs needed 'corrections' or was felt to be exerting their dominance.
Dogs came into our lives because we threw the leftovers just outside the property line. They learned when to show up and when to hide. Predictable.....🐾🐾🐾
