The Little Pack

Jack has a unique way of begging… by not begging. What is that you ask? Let me explain. Jackson is basically a good dog (although his hearing has become a little selective over the past few years) who can not knowingly disobey. When he first came to me, he had a terrible begging habit (amoung other issues) and I worked very hard to break him of the habit. In his previous home, he had no structure, and it seemed as though he was only fed scraps. At 6 months old he didn’t even have a name for crying out loud. So he would beg, and drool over everything, one time even forming huge spit bubbles at the sides of his mouth for pepperoni pizza and another time just about taking my hand off when I offered him a piece of steak. Putting a stop to this habit was very easy because he wanted to please me so badly. I would eat right in front of him and make a point of refusing to look at him or acknowledge him or make eye contact. He got the hint, but in the year’s that have followed, I can always tell when he really, really wants something because he will sit by me, and turn his head away, making a point not to look at me, as though he is punishing himself for wanting what I have. I laugh every time–and in case you are concerned, of course, I always share with him when he does this. After all, he isn’t begging.