Since we got home on Sunday evening, Henry’s been having a blast. He runs around looking cute so we’ll pet him, he snuggles up to us on the couch, and he plays with his toys with gusto.
But he’s taken to barking at any sound outside once everyone (INCLUDING HIM) is in bed.
I do not like this.
I thought Sunday evening’s round of barking was just a protective “my parents are home and I will keep them safe” thing…but he did it last night, too. Maybe he IS feeling insecure since we left him for four days, so I think I’m going to put him in his kennel the next couple nights, instead of letting him sleep in his doggy bed, so he can get regulated.
Poor little monster.
Before the barking fiasco last night (which, I might add, my dear husband slept right through…I get scared out of my socks by Henry barking just as I fall asleep and Joey doesn’t know a thing!) Joey got out Henry’s crack treats and managed to get Henry to do his new “trick” without getting it confused with all of his other “tricks”.
I say “trick” because anything we manage to teach Henry (be it “sit”, “come”, or any of that) takes so much work to drill into his dense little puppy skull that it becomes a a “trick”. He’s not very bright, but he’s cute and we love him. (Seriously, Shih Tzus are known for their non-intelligence. Out of 79 breeds of dogs, Shih Tzus come in at #70, making them one of the slowest-learning breeds of dogs.)
Henry will do anything for a crack treat, and he’s not above doing every trick he’s ever learned in rapid succession before you give him a command, just in case that might make him get a crack treat sooner than actually waiting to be told.
Joey was so proud of Henry, though, that he wanted me to video it. Here is our tiny little boy performing his new trick….”Stand”.
I don’t know about Shih Tzus but we have never been able to teach our cocker spaniel more than sit and stay. She won’t even play ball. She will chase it but won’t bring it back!