My dog is playing tricks on me

[nadine_mn]

Jazz, our 14 yr-old Lab, just "ding-dong-ditch"ed me! She was hooked up outside to potty and to bark at random stuff then she banged on the door (her signal to us that dammit we better bring her in). I was talking to my husband so I didn't immediately jump up to bring in her highness, but I got up within 1 min of the knock. For years, this is the ritual and she never varies - she either keeps banging on the door or window. We had had to replace many screens because she is so forceful in her "open the door now" knock. Open the door - nothing. Now its dark out and she is a black Lab so I call her. Then I see it - a flicker of tail as she trots to the other side of our car parked outside. Call her again...nothing. No noise, no barking (rare) no jangle of collar. I close the door and tell my husband she is hiding from me. A few seconds later...bang bang on the door.. I get up, there she is wagging her tail and smiling away like she had been there the whole time.

This was not a case of "oops I forgot to do or sniff something" because 1) she was hustling around the car and at 14 she only hustles if she is going to bark at something, and 2) there wasn't enough time for her to do anything but hustle, hide, wait for the door and then for me to go back inside, hustle and come back.

More importantly - the look on her face. You know that happy face that dogs have - esp the innocent, love me face. Usually there is no happy face to come in - just her usual cute face.

She is still pretty with it and she seems rather proud of herself.

[irisblue]

1. messing with the human

[shenmue]

2. Squee!

[magical thyme]

3. funniest trick my lab-x ever played on me was at the dog park

There were half a dozen-plus pups named Jake at the park at the same time that day. All the dogs, Jakes and non-Jakes, probably a couple dozen, were running around the field, playing as usual.

The hoomans stood in a crowd in the middle of the field, gabbing as usual. When it was time to leave, half a dozen-plus people called for "Jake" and all the Jakes came running. Which is right about when it got silly, because each Jake simultaneously went to the wrong hooman, and looked up at us all innocent like nothing was wrong.

And after giving us a moment to looked around confoozled, one of the pups gave the "secret sign" and all the Jakes simultaneously ran to the right hooman.

One look at my Jake's mischievous grin and I knew we was setup!

[nadine_mn]

4. oh that is awesome!

I love it! Dogs have a sense of humor and it can be wicked great!

My lab mix Lienie (who passed away in 2010) was hilarious. The best prank he did was regarding dog training. We were going to obedience classes and I treated our "homework" training like I treated homework in school...instead of practicing all week, I waited til the last minute and tried to "cram" with Lienie. The week's lesson was sit and it was not going well. Finally he sat on command and I was so excited and praised him like crazy. When he sat, though, he also wiped his nose with his paw. So then every time I told him to sit he would cover his nose with his paw (sometimes sitting and sometimes standing).

When my boyfriend (now husband) came to take us to class, I was frantic and in tears. I said - "look what happens when you tell him to sit" and of course - nose wipe.

You can imagine the end of this story. Panicking in class that my dog would be the only one who couldn't sit, we gathered around in a ring and gave the command. And Lienie sat perfectly - no nose wipe, nothing. Just an instant perfect sit...every time. And I swear he winked at me when he did it.

[magical thyme]

5. they are so freakin' smart!

and they love to jerk our chains, don't they?