Bailey's Greatest Hits

I have always said that Bailey is an extremely intelligent dog. Many people agree with me, though they might be just as biased as I am. :o) I thought I would list the commands that Bailey knows, and throw in a few of his quirks as well.

1. Sit
2. Come
3. Come-Sit
4. Stay
5. Lay down (probably not grammatically correct!)
6. Speak
7. Shake
8. Go get _________ (insert toy's name here, yes he knows all 3,597 toys by name!)
9. Drop it
10. Uhhnn! (means stop whatever you are doing immediately!)
11. Do your trick (where he takes his tennis ball, rolls over onto his back, holds the ball in his paws, lets it roll down the back side of his legs onto his chest and turns his head to catch it in his mouth - this is his aunt's favorite)
12. Go get your floppy and bring it inside (this is mommy's favorite - he will remember exactly where the frisbee is even if he can't see it, go get it, bring it to the gate and drop it, wait for his leash to go on, then pick up the frisbee again and carry it inside!)
13. Sing your song (If you're happy and you know it, say woof woof! "Woof woof!" etc. - I wish I had a video camera with sound to record this one! I do at least have witnesses.)
14. This side (keeps him from walking on the other side of trees, mailboxes, etc. and tangling his leash)
15. NO!BARK!!!!! (This is Bailey's least favorite, and the one he has developed selective hearing to avoid obeying.)
16. Out (Usually "OUT of the kitchen!" lately because he wants to sleep in the middle of the kitchen floor while I am cooking, but this command also works when he is in the foyer giving the UPS man something to fear for coming anywhere near his territory)
17. Wait
18. Back up
19. QUIT TANGLING YOUR LEASH WITH THE SEAT BELT BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE MOMMY 15 MINUTES AT THE PARK TO UNTANGLE YOU WHILE YOU YELL AT ME THE ENTIRE TIME FOR ALLOWING YOU TO BECOME TANGLED AND NOT BEING ABLE TO UNTANGLE YOU INSTANTLY (Oh wait, he hasn't learned this one yet! Here's hoping . . . :o)

(I'm sure I left some off this list...)

Bailey is also teaching mommy the "come" command. Lately, I will be in the living room watching TV and hear Bailey barking from the back of the house. Thinking that a toy has rolled under a bed or something, I go in search of the unhappy puppy. Every time he has done this lately, I find him resting on my bed, no toys dropped on the floor, no major needs, nothing! I think this is his way of getting back at me for having to learn all of the above. He just wants to be able to tell me to do one thing and have me do it. So far, I'm doing an excellent job with my training! Wonder what he will teach me next . . . .

One day this weekend, as I was putting off cooking his food for the week, I asked Bailey, who was resting quietly in the floor, what he thought about switching back to dry dog food. He promptly stood up, looked right at me with his nose in the air, barked at me three times, and walked out of the room. Now tell me he doesn't understand every word I say!!! I literally did nothing to provoke this barking, other than suggesting he go back to the food he's eaten most of his life!