The silent messenger

[Sam I Am]

We have no idea how Rosie thought this one up. Scotties tend to be rather silent dogs, (never thought I would say this, but I miss the Cairn scream of death)unless there is a bad guy outside, or mr squirrelly, so wanting to go potty was always done by the silent stare. Out of the blue she has discovered a better way to alert her uprights to her needs. She stands beside you and taps your leg with gentle butts of her rather long nose. This also happens now when I am preparing her meals, just gentle tap taps on the leg, reminding me not to forget giving her her grub! How can you possibly ignore or miss that cue!

Edited November 25, 2014 by Terrier lover

[pkcrossley]

Very polite. I like her style. 

[hheldorfer]

Subtle but effective!

[Autumn & Lola]

Haha. This is a great cue and I agree, very subtle as well as cute! Lola likes to throw her head back so hard, I think her neck is going to snap!

[josie&holly]

Holly will sometimes use same technique, if I am reading usually and she thinks it is time for dinner, she will come and butt my legs, as if to say hey I am here and hungry!

[Hillscreek]

I guess Scotties know you don't have to bark or scream every time the uprights need a reminder.

[Malcolm's Dad]

Malcolm taps my ankle with his paw most of the time. He has used the nose-butt on my leg. Has Malcolm been talking with Rosie?

[kieiras mom]

Keira wil sit and stare at me, starting about 4;30, dinner time is 5 or 5;15. She is totally silent unless her Dad is home then she escorts him to her food bowl!

 

[sanford]

On November 25, 2014 at 4:44:27 PM, Terrier lover said:

... She stands beside you and taps your leg with gentle butts of her rather long nose. This also happens now when I am preparing her meals, just gentle tap taps on the leg, reminding me not to forget giving her her grub! How can you possibly ignore or miss that cue!

Adorable! Ruffy just sits and stares at me... And stares... And stares...

It's his "all-purpose" stare... "Feed me"!... "Walk me"!... "Play with me"!

[Vijo]

My Acorn does the "stare" too; it's adorable, but I usually don't know what he wants since his other "messages" are so specific.    

For "business" he sits at the door to our family room, looks in at us and makes little glances up at his leash hanging on the door.  If that doesn't work, he goes and sits at the top of the stairs and waits facing where he knows we are.

If he's finished all his water, he lays down in front of the water bowl and just waits.  If we don't know where he is for a while, it's always - Oops!  we must have let his water run out.

Food he could care less about, he eats when he feels like it and never complains.  Of course people food is the best, and at dinner, that stare's meaning  is very clear.  He doesn't cry, whine or beg though which is good.

And thankfully he doesn't bark to tell us he needs anything, because he does enough barking at a million other things: critters outside the windows, random noises nobody can hear except him, moving shadows, moving points of light, reflections from aluminum foil, people on TV fighting, music crescendos on the TV indicating something dramatic, the ceiling fan (can't use that anymore), leaves on the skylight, moving cars, moving bicycles, etc.  I wish I were joking but every single one of those is true.  I love the little rapscallion though.  

 

 

[Hillscreek]

You're a handsome dog Acorn and you've got the stare just right

 

[Sam I Am]

Love the name! Acorn.

[remltr]

Sassy will sit on the other side of the room and stare at me. If I ignore her and look back over at her she has by then moved 5 feet closer. Ignore her again and it is another 5 feet closer. I have no idea what she wants though. It could be potty, treat or play. More than likely it is a treat. Food is her motivation, period.