Does your dog argue?

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Pix

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Generally speaking, when Loki is told off, he will pretend to look ashamed and then wait a couple of seconds before going back to doing The Thing That Is Prohibited. He obviously is incapable of feeling real shame as he will do Things That Are Prohibited whilst in the same room as you. With you watching him. An example would be shoving his nose in the kitchen bin. :rolleyes:

However, sometimes when he's told off for doing these terrible things he talks back. I would say it's true teenager style, accept he's done it since he was 8 weeks old. We have long winded and vocal arguements on topics such as 'this is mine, it's for human people only, get off it' and 'get out of there, for gods sake, how many TIMES!'.

An example:

Me: NO! Give that back! *Takes back stolen object*
Loki: Mmmmrrrgghhhrrrumph
Me: Don't talk back! (at this point, I must sadly admit, I tend to wag a finger at him. Think demented primary school teacher).
Loki: Grrrwooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrr!
Me: I'm not interested! I'm the boss in these parts!
Loki: *lips curl forward into a little 'O' of shock when faced with my audacity* AAArrrrwwwUUUUUppphhhhhhrworworgrrrrrummmmbbllleeeegrowraaaawwwwuuu!

Depending on the circumstances I either start to laugh (which I probably shouldn't) or have a serious verbal disagreement with him for a good while (before starting to laugh..... which I probably shouldn't).

So do your dogs argue back? And if so, what do you do about it? :)
 
Before I hit the hay!

I would say it is a breed trait, particularly in males - there is a dog in my picture thread (pale-ish sable, lying down, owner wearing pale blue jeans) who talks back to his handler every time he is given a command, so....

Sit!
BARK!
Stand!
BARK!
Away!
BARK!
Here!
BARK!

It's hilarious.

To be honest, I do think laughing might be making him think it is a good or fun thing to do, you're talking to him, he is 'talking' back, I would just ignore if you don't like it.

ETA - If I tell B to stop barking at people in the yard after I have verified their identity :p, he often emits a little grumbly 'meeeeh, I'm just doing my job' whiney-teenager thing afterwards, which I still count as a bark, so I tell him to shut up again :p
 
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CaveCanem said:
ETA - If I tell B to stop barking at people in the yard after I have verified their identity :p, he often emits a little grumbly 'meeeeh, I'm just doing my job' whiney-teenager thing afterwards, which I still count as a bark, so I tell him to shut up again :p
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Ah yes, we have that muttered arguement also, when he's told to shut the hell up because something, somewhere in the building made a vague knocking noise! :)

It doesn't much bother me to be honest, so long as he's actually doing as he's told/stopping what he shouldn't be doing then I'm fairly happy to 'discuss' it/argue the toss with him afterwards. Just interested in how many other dogs do it, and what people do/if they would consider it a problem or react differently :)

I have fit many / into this post, not relevant but worth mentioning because I'm sleep deprived and find it oddly amusing, yet somehow.... incorrect. Or disgraceful in some way. / seems lazy.
 
Pix said:
I have fit many / into this post, not relevant but worth mentioning because I'm sleep deprived and find it oddly amusing, yet somehow.... incorrect. Or disgraceful in some way. / seems lazy.
Click to expand...

yep thats lazy :D

But the talking back thing only one of my dogs does it-the terrier and I think thats in part down to the fact i cant just touch her or grab a collar like the others.....she can outrun me and has eaten her collar! but the talking back thing is more prevalent with the cats:rolleyes: and finger waiving seems to make her worse, often starts her doing cartwheels and handstands??;):)
 
Oh no, cats are dreadful for talking back. Or just talking. At length. Not so much an argument as being on the receiving end of a vitriolic telling off. Sad times :(

*imagines Loki doing a cartwheel or handstand*

I'd like to take this moment to share my lol :D
 
Jimmy answers back, the Vizslas talk any way and not quite the same but I used to pick Jim up as a puppy and kiss him and he'd growl so:

Kiss
Grrr
Kiss
Grrr

Lots more kisses just to annoy the puppy dog - he's very snoggy now :p

Nelson (horse) answers me back too :(
 
Saffie bless her always used to have the last word if I told her off for barking at rabbits. She would shut up and then have one last, quiet little woof just to prove that she wasn't stopping because I told her to but in her own time.:)
 
Our JRT boy does it. Oddly enough only when my OH is eating. He doesn't do it to me. He will sit and bark at him and if he is told to be quiet he grumps to himself. Our girl pup doesn't do it. She's a lady and sits quietly:)
 
Haha, yes Pads answers back all the time - I say he's going through his 'Kevin the teenager' phase :D

I do encourage it though :p

Pads doing something he shouldn't

Me: Erm Paddington *beckons over with finger*
Pads: comes and sits and looks up wearing his guilty face
Me: *bent over in his face and wagging finger at him* Now we've had this conversation before haven't we Paddington? You're a very naughty little man! :D

He then runs off and has to get the last little grumble in as if "what? is that it? bothered!" :D
 
haha, some of these have made me laugh. Poppy doesn't really talk back, but she does make the strangest little sighing noises as she settles down. Like "aaah, that's comfy" :)

She does argue when told to be quiet. We think she might have some chihuahua mixed in with the terrier (huge ears!), and she is VERY clear about what is her territory. The whole street. And if anyone dares go near her street, they have to be woofed at.

Poppy - Woof, there's someone out there
Me - Quiet, there's nothing there
Poppy - Growl into woof, there's definitely someone there!
Me - Shut up, it's people walking past
Poppy - Higher pitched woof, repeated 3 times, there's someone in the garden!
Me - No there isn't, now shut up before the neighbours complain
Poppy - Runs to the door, pretending to be a Dobermann, continuous barking as she stares out of the cat flap, there's someone breaking in!!
Me - losing patience now - Will you be quiet!
Poppy - looks at me, trots back, jumps back on sofa, gives a little whiney woof as if to say "Well there could have been and you'd have been no use at all mum!"

It's funnier when we go through the whole process with Poppy still refusing to move from under her nice warm duvet though :rolleyes:
 
Brig will surrepstitiously continue with the secret obsessive licking, Bear does as told until he forgets and Zak will roll round the bed, stretching and whining in protest, usually at being told to stay on said bed. He pushes the boundaries, the others generally accept and behave.
 
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