# Is your dog a tattletale??



## Meb (Oct 18, 2005)

Shay is!!! When I went to Wolf Park last month for a 3 day dog behavior seminar Ken McCort our instructor said that "Very Smart Dogs" are tattletales. He said to always praise them for being a tattletale and to never punish them. These dogs will let you know when something isnt right. Well Shay is a tattletale "everynight" when we let our cat Norman outside and when Norman wants to come in (usually around 3-4am) Shay comes to my side of the bed and wakes me up. Norman will be sitting outside the front door. I let him in and we all go back to sleep. Tonight Norman snuck outside too early and Meb and Shay were outside. Shay was with me and Meb was out in the field (probably digging a hole) and Norman ran under my car and I couldnt get him out and Shay couldnt get at him either so the next thing I know Shay takes off and a few minutes later here comes Meb running to the car with Shay after him. I wonder how Shay told Meb about Norman??? 
Is your dog a tattletale--I hope so!!!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

Gia's a tattletale but not always in the best way - I compare her to one of those kids who are always telling on someone else to distract the parents/teachers from what they're doing (or going to do)...

Gia's specialty was letting me know when one of the other dogs tore something up, or had an accident in the house, then when i'm busy cleaning up or punishing the culprit - i'd return to Gia in the cat box or eating their food.

Now she just tells when Tilden or one of the cats is laying on her bed. She comes and stares me down with those dreadful puppy eyes, then does a happy dance when i get up and make them move.

Such a spoiled brat!


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

Oh, Gunner is my informant! He just loves to "rat out" Riley and the cat. 
It was so nice when Riley was a pup, because Gunner was my second pair of eyes and ears. I didn't have to supervise Riley at all times and I didn't have to rely on a crate. If he was in the other room chewing up a toy or about to get into something, Gunner would bark at him, as if telling him "Oooh, we're not allowed to do that!" and alert me. It was really a huge help.
Same went for the cat when we adopted him. If he jumped up on the countertops (where he is NOT allowed to be) Gunner would always hear him doing it, even when I didn't, and would run out into the kitchen, barking. And it was so funny - I only had to squirt Jake once with the squirt gun for Gunner to understand that I didn't want that to happen. From then on, he alerted me.


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## Sean Rescue Mom (Jan 24, 2004)

I agree, tattletale = smart dog.







Sean thinks it is his job to be a detective and find out where our cat, Neely, is at all times. If she's up to her usual pranks he can't wait to come and get me. He literally gives me a sign that I should follow him and can't wait for me to scold Neely. He's one super tattletale!


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Barker the eldest is a tattletale! When her senior partner had accidents, she'd come pester me "Some one messed in the house and it wasn't me! It's disgusting! Come clean it up!" Other things too, she's the one that will tell me if Barker the Younger needs more food, if they need water, if there is something out of whack. She's the one that first heard people in the neighborhood yelling late at night. If something's out of whack, she knows it.

Of course she comes to tell me they need to go out and will pester mercilessly. Spoiled? No. She's the one that's going to talk about how hard it is to train a human but she's a dedicated trainer!


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## Meb (Oct 18, 2005)

Oh, Shay has also woke me up once at night acting like he "coundnt hold it" and when I let him and Meb outside Meb ran out and went potty. Shay just sat there and didnt even have to go. I wonder how they communicate that to each other???


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

Yeah I heard Brady Barking in the middle of the night didn't think of anything until the Morning the Lab Sh*t and peed all over my living room


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

My old Corgi was a tattletale, but it was great, she noticed ANYTHING out of the norm, one day she came up to me barking and jumping up and down and it was so obvious I had to follow her, she led me to a stall where the horse inside had his hood slide down and completely cover his eyes, the horse was terrified and trembling, he would have been like that for hours as I was leaving the stables late at night. We than started calling her the Sarge, as the horses weren't allowed to even paw a stall or she would tattle. LOL!!! My JRT Riley tattles on my Chihuahua when he's being selfish and taking his Cuz away, he comes to me and stares and starts to whine and plead, he only does this when his Cuz is being held hostage by the Chi, who has no interest in it, only to terrorize the JRT. Dogs are such a trip, and people who don't have them have no idea what they're missing out on, or the intelligence they possess. !!!!


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

Mandalay tattles on the cats, but only after she instigates it. I have given in to using an e-collar to teach her that they do not like her to chase them, hump them or slobber on them. Now she will go up to them and make them growl and hiss at her, but she will not growl or hiss first, nor will she actually touch them. Then when the cats growl at her, she will whine and come running to me as if to say that one of the small cats was just about to eat this 65 pound 7.5 months old GSD and had her scared.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

My mixed breed is -- she tells on Max the GSD all the time. Now I can just look at her and tell that I need to go see what he is up to!


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2008)

Yep Odin sees his job as informant as being part of his job as the guardian here. He tells on both Frigga and Hop Sing often. So far he hasn't had any need to tell on Baldur as it's readily apparent when it happens lol!


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## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

My boys don't tattle on each other at all. I have to listen for them at all times, and when it's too quiet when Zeus is around, I know he's up to something! lol.


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