Getting More Treats: Tips and Tricks

I asked my fellow Blogville residents to submit ways they pry treats out of their mostly unsuspecting hoomans, and the response has been great. Read and Learn:

First, from the pooch who started all this, my buddy Ray :

Getting treats now and then is easy as it only takes a cute look, or an offer to shake a paw etc. If, however, you want to develop treat getting to a fine art, then it will take some work…. but it is well worth the effort. Tip No.1 – Understand your humans’ routines and make sure that you are close by at all food times! The first, and most important step, is to understand (really understand) humans! They may come in all shapes and sizes, and all different personalities, but (contrary to what they believe) they all share similar traits which are useful to for us to understand and use for treat getting. They are, like us, creatures of habit! They establish routines and generally stick to them, so the obvious benefit is to note when they are involved with food. They may be snacking, or preparing food, eating from plates, but when food is on their mind… treats should be on yours! Once you know the routines regarding food, never ever try and go outside during those times because you will simply miss out. Believe me, if you are not around at that time, they will most likely not even think about you. Woof! Ray.

After thinking about this question some more, Ray has one more thing to say:

Tip No.2 – Remember what treats you are given.

This is really important because, although humans are habit driven, they often lose focus and/or forget stuff. As you may know from a recent Post, I got a treat at my usual time however, it was not the treat I usually got. Rather than be satisfied with the fact that I got a treat as usual, I decided that I still needed the treat that I was supposed to get. It worked! I had two treats instead of one!

 

My newest friend Kosmo gives this advice:

I just go in front of Dad and start to stare at his eyes. It normally takes a half minute and I have treats on my mouth. Mom is more difficult, if I stare, she asks, are you sick or what is the problem now, but after her two questions, Dad arrives and so on… I get the treats I wanted. Have a treatfull day!
Kosmo, a cat in faraway Finland

 

 

Reilly and Denny, my Florida Cowspot dog friends, have this to say:

BARK BARK BARK – and bark louder – thus the peep will usually give us a treat to keep us quiet – works every time

 

 

Christmas, our youngest and very handsome Mayoral Candy Date, gives this advice, although I must warn you. I think his Mom took over his blog, so beware:

Well, here’s a tip my mom told me to share with you all. We do lots of training every day…for da dog shows and for learning new tricks and obedience stuffs. Anyway, if I’ve had enough treats for da day or if she doesn’t want me loaded with treats, she won’t feed me da breakfast and instead she’ll keep my kibbles in a bag and train me for all my daily stuff for about an hour. I am a huge eater so I treat kibbles as if they are treats. It’s a great way to treat throughout the day! Your pal who would still rather have treats than kibble, Christmas

Kismet, my only fine feathered friend, gives sage advice, as usual:

Squawk softly.

Upon asking Kismet if he would add “and carry a big stick,” he replied, “Little stick. That’s all I can get into my beak.”

 

Hailey and Zaphod two more new friends, say this works for them:

In our house, Lady often falls for sad eyes, especially when she is eating something. We stand and we stare until she gives us things.

 

 

This, from my very first Blogville kitty friend, Purince Siddhartha Henry (whom I call S.H., he, he):

Not sure that katss have any speshell to way to signal thee Hu’manss fur treets Lexi; how efurr mee doess! Mee gets on thee counter an sittss UNDER the cupberd with mee foodabullss an treet bags inn it…mee sorta ‘chirpss’ an looks deep inn to LadyMum’ss eyess….. gets her efurry time!!!! Mew mew mew…. Oh an mee eatss Greeniess Dental Katnip flavored crunchie treetss an Greeniess Semi-Moist Chick-hen treetss….. Say it must bee time fur treetss rite???? Bee seein you! 😉  **paw patsss** Siddhartha Henry xxxxx Pee Ess: Iss amee-yow sorta chirp what LadyMum LUVS an it toe-tallee werkss fur mee 😉

 

Riley (my brother) doesn’t have his own blog but still wanted to contribute. He said, “I follow my Dad Andrew around the house, around the yard, or wherever we are, right on his heels to let him know I want a treat. If Andrew sits down, I sit next to him and stare at him – you know, that thing where we plant our thoughts in their heads – until he ‘gets it.’  I don’t stop until I get what I want.”

 

Sam’s Mom, Monika from Tails Around the Ranch tells us about this pawsome method Sam has:

I’m sure all dogs salivate at the thought of a treat and I’ve learned to work on that natural behavior with dimwitted Sam. His claim to fame is he will sit very patiently when we’re at the hospital [Sam is a therapy dog], staring intently at the high value Zuke’s training treats I bring and when I say, “lick your chops,” he’ll lick one side all the while staring intently. Then when I say “lick the other side,” by golly, he will do it. I’ll tell him to ‘do it again!’, and right on cue, there goes the tongue on the other side again. I think it’s just a reflexive thing [sic] but he seems to have made the connection and he now does it routinely on command. The patients and nurses sure love it. It’s the only trick he does. Paws and kisses, Monika & Sam

My cousin Piper doesn’t have his own blog, but he asked me to share his sure-fire method. In his words:

Simple. I use the schnauzer mind meld technique. It is similar to the Vulcan one, but I don’t have to touch Mom or Dad’s head to do it. It involves an intense stare and thoughts shooting out of my eyes into their minds.

 

 

That’s all for this time, friends. I am waiting for a video from Easy and there are more tips I hope to get in. That will be another post. Of course, we can’t have too many ways to ask for our treats!

I am Lexi with the upset tummy. (Let’s not say the word t-r-e-a-t anymore right now, OK?.)