Knock, Knock

...who's there?

Belle, barking her fool head off every time the doorbell rings.


A new cue that Belle and I are working on is "Go To The Rug". This cue is used when someone knocks or rings the door bell. The trouble is, how does someone who receives as few visitors as I do, practice this cue in real time?

I asked Mr. Postman to help.

Every day when he delivers the mail he rings the doorbell. On or about his usual time, I practice the new cue with Belle. When the doorbell rings, I tell her to "Go To The Rug". Yesterday, I completely lost track of time and when the doorbell rang taking us all by surprise, not one dog noticed! Hey, it would have been really cool if she had gone to the rug, but baby steps, right? Not going postal at the sound was huge, really huge!

And isn't there something about "odd requests from postal customers" somewhere in the postal motto, "neither rain, nor snow, nor odd requests, shall keep the carrier from their appointed rounds?" If not, there should be. After all, how else can we teach these dogs to be a carrier's best friend?