Doggone Etiquette—

Leave It Be!

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

No doubt like most dogs you believe in the Good Dog’s Property Laws. Written by an anonymous canine organization, they go in part like this:

“If I like it, it’s mine.

“If it’s in my mouth, it’s mine.

“If I can take it from you, it’s mine.

“If I’m chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.

“If I saw it first, it’s mine.

“If you put something down, it is automatically mine.”

And end with: “If I don’t like it, it’s yours.”              

In order to save all you dogs from prolonged solitary confinement in the Dog House, or worse, a quick trip to Doggy Heaven, your Very Important People have come up with a one-word response to the “it’s mine” theory. It’s “Leave-it” and if you are a nosey kind of dog, you’ll hear the command often. If you are not nosey, and are super-well-behaved, you may only hear it when you are near something dangerous. No matter which category you fall into, pay attention and LEAVE IT BE!

The life it saves may very well be your own.

A Word to the Dog’s Owners:          

Most of us tend to overuse the one-world commands we were taught in obedience school to make living with our dogs compatible. The reason we overwork these words is due to our own incompetence! For example, we say, “Leave it” and don’t follow through on getting an immediate response from Rufus, which only means that he’ll ignore it again the next time he hears it. This goes for all the routine words — Sit, Come, Heel, Stay, etc.

You drop a dog biscuit or bit of toast on the floor and the “leave it” command is somewhat casual, but must be obeyed because “Leave it” can carry the all-important message of danger. Whether it’s a mouse that died of rat poison or someone’s medication dropped on the floor, you must be sure you are able to get an instantaneous, affirmative reaction from your dog. We’re back to that oldie: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” — so true when it comes to protecting our dogs.

Antifreeze, which even in small amounts licked up off the garage floor is one of the first dangers people think of, and it can be fatal to dogs and cats. Gasoline, maybe stored for the snowplow, is a skin irritant. All those items you’ve put away for the winter — bug sprays, herbicides, etc — are harmful (often fatal) when ingested by pets. Store them on shelves at least a foot higher than your dog can reach with a jump, or better yet, in a cupboard with a safety latch on the door. You never know what reason may crop up when you’ll have to put Rufus in the garage for a time.

Another easy “prevention” reminder is to keep anything away from your dog that has a warning label to keep the item away from children. Plastic bags smother dogs just as easily as toddlers, and either can choke just as quickly when tiny objects are caught in the throat. These are just a few more reasons to be sure the “Leave it” command works when you give it. Some dogs, like their owners, are popcorn addicts, but dogs often inhale as they open their mouths for food (especially treats) and inhaled popcorn can easily cause choking. Yes, you can use the Heimlich maneuver on dogs. I know because I had to do it on an Airedale — and it worked!

Until next time — Be Good!

Bardi McLennan bred, trained, and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award this year.