Monday, March 5, 2012

Sports + Dogs = Treats

When we took Badger to UMass Lowell's Pucks & Paws night, he was amazingly well-behaved. He walked unfazed through a huge crowd of people. He sniffed politely at the other dogs or ignored them. He listened to our commands and didn't try to pull us up or down the stadium steps. He accepted us putting a bright orange bandana around his neck.

But the one thing that scared terrified him was the thunderous applause from the crowd. So we started giving him treats every time our team scored a goal. At first he was too busy cowering under the seats to take the treat, but he quickly learned that loud scary applause = treat time!

Check out all those two-leggers trying to fetch that flat, black ball!

This has carried over to watching sports at home as well. The dogs get treats when our team scores, which is especially lucrative for them during the basketball season. (Embarrassingly, I praise the dogs as if they were actually the ones playing the games, like "Good three-pointer, Dirk Mushroomski!"*) Badger will actually watch the game while Mushroom prefers to lie down and wait for the treats to appear.
*Bonus points if you know which player this is.

*yawn*... Why don't you watch something important, like the Republican primary debate?


Do your dogs watch the game with you like Badger?
Or are they disinterested like Mushroom?

6 comments:

  1. My pups love to watch anything on Animal Planet. Especially if it involves lots of funny animal noises. Tess understands that it isn't real, but Schultz is constantly getting up and patrolling the house trying to find the source of the funny noises :)

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    1. Whenever I watch Youtube videos of dogs, mine don't understand that they're not really here and start barking and howling.

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  2. G and I always watch Syracuse games together and I strategically scratch her as part of our Good Luck Rituals.

    Best guess: Dirk Nowitzki?

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  3. Oooo...I don't think I would like all that loud clapping either. My mom yells and jumps up and down when her favoritest team plays. At first it skeered me a little but then I got used to it and now I just sleep right through. But I think lots and lots of people all doing it at the same time would freak me out! I think you did a good, Badger!

    Wiggles & Wags,
    Mayzie

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    1. Badger would like to add that he was NOT scared because he is the bravest dog in the world. He says his tail was just tired, so he was holding it between his legs to give it a break.

      Mushroom is rolling her eyes.

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