# Poking around the house trying to find things to get into.



## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Misha looks for things to mess with when he's bored. He will probably stop if he gets more mental engagement through playing or training or puzzles to work on. If he's had lots of engagement already but still continues, he may benefit from some enforced nap time in a crate.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I would really like to get him to a point where he can be trusted by himself in the living room. I would also like for him to be comfortable by himself too. He always has to be around and close to someone to feel okay (okay, not everytime, but I would say 85% of the time). I know he has to have anxiety because he will either lick and or chew at himself even while he is resting and even after getting good exercise.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Raindrops said:


> Misha looks for things to mess with when he's bored. He will probably stop if he gets more mental engagement through playing or training or puzzles to work on. If he's had lots of engagement already but still continues, he may benefit from some enforced nap time in a crate.


Okay, thank you! I have been looking into puzzles. I'm taking a timeout from him and hiding from him. He has a ton of engagement everyday, but probably not enough mental engagement, that can be hard because of him getting frustrated with training.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I meant Interaction (probably too much from me)


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Can you try clicker training? Both Annie and I get way less frustrated with clicker training. 

I also learned to do multiple things in a session. So practice sit/down stand for 2 -3 repetitions, then work on luring bow for 4 reps, then practice "cross your feet ", then down stay, then peekaboo. Or whatever. A bunch of mini practice sessions rolled into one 5 to 10 min session. Otherwise I found she just got boted/frustrated and stopped trying. I find it amazing that she wont get something at all one day, and I will be SO frustrated, and the next day she immediately does it perfectly. It's like she needs time to mull it over and figure out what I want.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Meet the dog where he is. When Sisko is being disobedient, what does he choose to do? Can you channel these rebellions into a game?

Heres an example. The other day Galen was running around mindlessly yipping and jumping on poor Pogo. It was obvious he wanted to move. Working on "sit" would have just frustrated both of us. So, I worked him only on things that involved running and jumping.

He already knows how to walk through a hoop and touch the end of a targeting stick. I added extra movement by running around with the hoop and the stick. He had to chase them in order to go through the hoop and reach the end of the stick. He thought being able to chase and "catch" the toys was really fun. I made sure to stop before he got bored.

Next I taught him "hop up" and "get off" using a low stone bench in my yard. For five minutes he simply jumped on and off tthe bench. Just burning excess energy while becoming familiar with two new commands. Again, I stopped before he got bored.

I then introduced him to "heel" as a chase game with treats. I quickly walked around the yard, sometimes running, weaving around the shrubbery. If I looked down and saw a puppy at my side he got a treat. Again, burning energy by doing something he wanted to do anyway- run and chase- while channeling it in a useful direction.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

He likes to poke around and hunt for things. Can you hide treats? Can you enlist your little brother and play hide and seek?


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Can you try clicker training? Both Annie and I get way less frustrated with clicker training.
> 
> I also learned to do multiple things in a session. So practice sit/down stand for 2 -3 repetitions, then work on luring bow for 4 reps, then practice "cross your feet ", then down stay, then peekaboo. Or whatever. A bunch of mini practice sessions rolled into one 5 to 10 min session. Otherwise I found she just got boted/frustrated and stopped trying. I find it amazing that she wont get something at all one day, and I will be SO frustrated, and the next day she immediately does it perfectly. It's like she needs time to mull it over and figure out what I want.


Yes, I can! I have 4 clickers! I don't know what to do with the other ones since no one else uses them, but me🙃. Maybe I can get my youngest brother to start using the clicker too😁. 

Okay, thank you!! I will try this!!


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Fenris-wolf said:


> Yes, I can! I have 4 clickers! I don't know what to do with the other ones since no one else uses them, but me🙃. Maybe I can get my youngest brother to start using the clicker too😁.
> 
> Okay, thank you!! I will try this!!


Be careful letting your brother use the clicker. If he's like many 10 year old boys he will get excited and click randomly, repeatedly. That will ruin the sound as a marker. Set both him and Sisko up for success. Think about a specific task within the attention span of both a wound up dog and a wound up boy.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

cowpony said:


> He likes to poke around and hunt for things. Can you hide treats? Can you enlist your little brother and play hide and seek?


Yes, I can do both! I wonder if Sisko would like noseworks too🤔


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

When Peggy starts poking around like that she's either bored or tired. Assuming I've already given her ample exercise and engagement for the day, both can be quickly solved with something good to chew on in her pen.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

PeggyTheParti said:


> When Peggy starts poking around like that she's either bored or tired. Assuming I've already given her ample exercise and engagement for the day, both can be quickly solved with something good to chew on in her pen.


Okay, thank you😁 We tried giving Sisko a yak cheese chew last night be himself and he didn't want it🥺 maybe some peanut butter in his Kong instead or a bully stick.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I have found that my Spoo really hates it when the house is too orderly! His favorite times have been when I am working on a project like painting, or having repair work done, and things are chaos. 

Also, ... He loves to play hide and seek, either with me, or with his ball or some other toy. I tell him 'washroom' and he goes in the laundry room to hide where he can't see me (you can spend time training this!), and then I sneak around and either hide myself, in the dark, or his object, either in daylight, or now in the dark, in harder and harder places. While I am hiding something I walk all over and touch different things with the object so he has to do a lot of sniffing to find it. First things were in plain sight with the lights on, and now under and behind and in things.

So this uses tracking, scent work, thinking, etc and he absolutely loves it.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Hide and seek is what I was about to write about, but Kontiki beat me to it. By all means, play hide and seek. It's fun for the dog and reinforces recall, which is always a good thing.

You were asking when Sisko can be trusted to be alone in the living room? I'd say somewhere between 18 months and two years is when the snoopy phase starts to fade. Young dogs aren't trustworthy anymore than a four-year-old child is trustworthy. Eyes on the dog, or the dog is in a crate. That being said, poodles are people dogs that shadow their handlers. It's in their nature to want to be with us. It's our job to teach them how to do that in ways that don't drive us crazy.

Does Sisko know how to settle on a mat? It's one of the foundation behaviors I train young dogs. I want them to be addicted to the mat on the floor. Noelle, to this day, gets so excited by her mat that I have a hard time putting it on the floor. And when I do put it on the floor, she dives on it, lies down, and does not move off her mat until I ask her off. How did I do this? By making being on the mat incredibly rewarding.

You'll need a dog mat, the highest value treats you can think of, like warm leftover dinner bits in a bowl by your side. treats should be the size of a pea, remember. Small treats, but good ones. Put the mat on the floor, and click when the dog notices the mat, and give a treat. Dog steps on the mat, treat. Ask for a Sit on the mat, treat. Ask for a Down on the mat, 15 treats one after the other. Toss a treat off the mat. Toss a treat on the mat and see if Sisko offers a down. If you get a down, 15 more treats.

Here is where the addiction is created. When the dog is down, put a piece of food by his paw every other second until you run out of treats. If he gets off the mat, the magic treat fairy disappears. As long as he is lying down and on that mat, the magic treat fairy drops the tastiest things in the world every other second. The next day, same game, but every third second. Eventually, gradually, gradually, get to the point where you put food on the floor during commercial breaks while watching TV.

Dogs like to have a job, and lying down and staying on a mat is a job. The nice thing about a mat addicted dog is you can put it on the floor in a busy area, and the dog is content to stay there. It has a high reinforcement history and makes the mat the place to be. I bring Noelle's mat to dog shows and put it under my chair. She's content to stay on her mat and watch the world go by. I think in the living room, having your dog like being on a mat would be useful. 

Dogs need to learn how to do... nothing. It's something we forget to train, but sometimes having a dog that does nothing is a blessing. Introduce Sisko to his off button by giving him a mat. Create an incredibly high rate of reinforcement on the mat. I don't put chew bones on the mat. Nothing happens on the mat except random treats from me. So, Noelle just hangs out on her mat happily waiting for a treat to appear. And they do, because I'm fair. I started giving treats every other second. Now it's every half an hour or so. 

Raise criteria gradually, but raise it steadily. Not every level is a boss battle, so if you are raising criteria all the way to the top, next treat comes easily. One second, two seconds, three seconds, one second, two seconds, four seconds, one second, three seconds, five seconds, one second... See? If you are asking for more than you have ever asked for before, that's a boss level. Drop criteria to nothing after that. Dog training should involve as little frustration as possible. Challenging yes, frustrating? No.

You got this. Keep it up.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Peggy's absolutely not to be trusted these days!! Funny how they can make so much good progress only to abruptly grow little devil horns. Today she stole a dish towel, happily traded it for a treat, and then promptly stole a facecloth. Hmmmm.... I wonder if I'm being played.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

kontiki said:


> I have found that my Spoo really hates it when the house is too orderly! His favorite times have been when I am working on a project like painting, or having repair work done, and things are chaos.
> 
> Also, ... He loves to play hide and seek, either with me, or with his ball or some other toy. I tell him 'washroom' and he goes in the laundry room to hide where he can't see me (you can spend time training this!), and then I sneak around and either hide myself, in the dark, or his object, either in daylight, or now in the dark, in harder and harder places. While I am hiding something I walk all over and touch different things with the object so he has to do a lot of sniffing to find it. First things were in plain sight with the lights on, and now under and behind and in things.
> 
> So this uses tracking, scent work, thinking, etc and he absolutely loves it.


Okay, awesome thank you!! Sisko and I play hide-n-seek, and we love it, and I add his toys in it sometimes. I haven't played with the lights off yet(We have neighbors downstairs and Sisko likes to run almost everywhere like a toddler😫)


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

You just taught Peggy the game of grab the cloth and trade for a treat!


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Hide and seek is what I was about to write about, but Kontiki beat me to it. By all means, play hide and seek. It's fun for the dog and reinforces recall, which is always a good thing.
> 
> You were asking when Sisko can be trusted to be alone in the living room? I'd say somewhere between 18 months and two years is when the snoopy phase starts to fade. Young dogs aren't trustworthy anymore than a four-year-old child is trustworthy. Eyes on the dog, or the dog is in a crate. That being said, poodles are people dogs that shadow their handlers. It's in their nature to want to be with us. It's our job to teach them how to do that in ways that don't drive us crazy.
> 
> ...


Okay, thank you! He is 2 now, but will still sniff around and look for stuff to get into (SNOOPY POODLE😬😖)

He doesn't yet, but I have a mat that we can use for this, and I have treats that Sisko LOVES. I mean like really really loves. 

Okay, thank you, so much. I will start this tomorrow😁


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Peggy's absolutely not to be trusted these days!! Funny how they can make so much good progress only to abruptly grow little devil horns. Today she stole a dish towel, happily traded it for a treat, and then promptly stole a facecloth. Hmmmm.... I wonder if I'm being played.


Oh, no! I know right?! I think Peggy is playing you🧐


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Peggy is a very smart trainer!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

kontiki said:


> Peggy is a very smart trainer!


Truly!

Now I'm wondering if those few resource guarding episodes were all part of an elaborate plan.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Get Peggy to help you with the laundry now that she knows the game of grab a cloth and trade it for a treat. Drop a sock, wait for her to get it, trade it for a treat. It's her job to make sure the socks get in the washer.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Get Peggy to help you with the laundry now that she knows the game of grab a cloth and trade it for a treat. Drop a sock, wait for her to get it, trade it for a treat. It's her job to make sure the socks get in the washer.


That would be so cute, but I've not quite figured out how to train it. As soon as the treats come out, she wants nothing to do with the laundry anymore. Hmmmm.... Maybe I need to revisit her "Get it" command. So far it only works reliably on edible things (or toys if there are no yummy things around).


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

if Peggy knows the, ”Get it,” cue, by all means, use that. If Peggy is too interested in your treats, train sit and down for a bit. Then drop a sock and say, “get it.” Trade the sock for a treat. Back to sit and down. Drop the sock again.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Click-N-Treat said:


> if Peggy knows the, ”Get it,” cue, by all means, use that. If Peggy is too interested in your treats, train sit and down for a bit. Then drop a sock and say, “get it.” Trade the sock for a treat. Back to sit and down. Drop the sock again.


I was forced to practise this a few times yesterday (she's been giving me lots of opportunities, sigh) and today she literally _threw_ a sock at me. Lol! Definitely a first. 

She also finally led me back to her "stash." I had forgotten about a pile of unmatched socks tucked away in a basket.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Your next step, now that she likes fetching socks, is next time you are doing laundry, accidentally on purpose drop a sock next to the washer. Wait for her to get if for you and reward like crazy. After she's good at doing that, teach Peggy to put the sock in the washer.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

My Spoos reward IS getting to take the laundry down to the laundry room! It is favorite job, racing down the stairs with it. No need for a treat  I don't let him take anything I would be upset if it ended up with a little hole.


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## 2BoyzNow (Apr 27, 2020)

Fenris-wolf said:


> He doesn't yet, but I have a mat that we can use for this, and I have treats that Sisko LOVES. I mean like really really loves.


 Ooooo what are those magical treats?! I haven’t found any so far. Sure gets expensive trying so many different ones! Lol.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

2BoyzNow said:


> Ooooo what are those magical treats?! I haven’t found any so far. Sure gets expensive trying so many different ones! Lol.


Human food. Tiny bits (<1/2 a pinky nail) of chicken, cheese, hot dogs etc are magic treats, and dont get boring because you change them based on what is in your fridge. The smellier better. Dried beef lung or liver are also good.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

2BoyzNow said:


> Ooooo what are those magical treats?! I haven’t found any so far. Sure gets expensive trying so many different ones! Lol.


Lol. It does!! Don't you hate when you get an expensive one, but you're dog doesn't like it as much as the other ones? Sisko really likes this dog food that can also be used as a treat. It looks like a sausage. Okay, I just looked it up, it's called Redbarn dog food. I got the rolled one.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

2BoyzNow said:


> Ooooo what are those magical treats?! I haven’t found any so far. Sure gets expensive trying so many different ones! Lol.


Peggy LOVES string cheese and chicken. If I don't have freshly cooked chicken on hand, I can use PureBites, which she goes nuts for:









PUREBITES Chicken Breast Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Treats, 11.6-oz bag - Chewy.com


Buy PureBites Chicken Breast Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Treats, 11.6-oz bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com





She also consistently responds well to True Chews, even with distractions. These have the added bonus of being easy to break into small pieces, even on a walk. No knife or attention required.

We use this kind:









True Chews Premium Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Dog Treats, 12-oz bag - Chewy.com


Buy True Chews Premium Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Dog Treats, 12-oz bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com





And this kind:









True Chews Chicken & Apple Sausage Recipe Dog Treats, 12-oz bag - Chewy.com


Buy True Chews Chicken & Apple Sausage Recipe Dog Treats, 12-oz bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com





And for low-value indoor training reps, I keep these in a cookie jar on the counter:









THE HONEST KITCHEN Grain-Free Chicken Whole Food Clusters Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag - Chewy.com


Buy The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Chicken Whole Food Clusters Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com


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## 2BoyzNow (Apr 27, 2020)

Fenris-wolf said:


> Lol. It does!! Don't you hate when you get an expensive one, but you're dog doesn't like it as much as the other ones? Sisko really likes this dog food that can also be used as a treat. It looks like a sausage. Okay, I just looked it up, it's called Redbarn dog food. I got the rolled one.


Thanks! I’ll look up that Redbarn kibble 👌 And yes the treat trials are spendy! My dog trainer friend loves it because she gets a constant supply of healthy FREE treats from me! Lol.


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## 2BoyzNow (Apr 27, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Peggy LOVES string cheese and chicken. If I don't have freshly cooked chicken on hand, I can use PureBites, which she goes nuts for:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for that info! I’ll check into those. I agree Chewy’s is great. Customer service is amazing. I get a personal response within 24 hours! Thanks again.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Human food. Tiny bits (<1/2 a pinky nail) of chicken, cheese, hot dogs etc are magic treats, and dont get boring because you change them based on what is in your fridge. The smellier better. Dried beef lung or liver are also good.


Absolutely .... Any left over dinner meat in teensy bits. Way healthier, and definitely less costly than those store bought threats full of preservatives, food coloring, and chemicals.. Even little bits of steak are cheaper.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

In your grocery store check and see if they have any chuck steaks. They'll be off to the side from the real steaks like porterhouse and t-bones. Chuck steaks are chewy things and not very tasty to humans, but... if you take it outside and grill it up, then chop it into tiny little bits, you have an absolutely fantastic dog treat. Noelle eats a lot of steak and chicken. Dog treats are a rarity around here. I made a roast a few days ago and it came out way too chewy and almost inedible. Wrong cut, I think. Anyhow, I cut that roast into dog treats. Noelle is one happy dog right now.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Yes, I agree! I chop them up tiny, put in individual baggies in the freezer with about 10 of them. Lasts a long time, and it is REAL food


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

In training my dog to look me in the face, I sometimes stuff my cheeks like a chipmunk. I have no problem holding actual food in my mouth. Not gonna eat a dog treat, bleh.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Just a minute. Are you saying you store these treats to reward your dog with in your cheeks? I am trying to envision .... take treat from mouth with fingers, give to dog, ... put fingers back in mouth to get another treat?


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## Whoiscoconut (May 11, 2020)

If I’m not keeping pup busy, usually the kids are but I still like to
Hide the mini puperonis in around the house


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## Whoiscoconut (May 11, 2020)

Click-N-Treat said:


> In training my dog to look me in the face, I sometimes stuff my cheeks like a chipmunk. I have no problem holding actual food in my mouth. Not gonna eat a dog treat, bleh.


This made me think of when I was little, my mom got cookies for our dogs birthday and my brother told me they were our cookies. 😂 I totally ate them. I was like 4-5.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

kontiki said:


> Just a minute. Are you saying you store these treats to reward your dog with in your cheeks? I am trying to envision .... take treat from mouth with fingers, give to dog, ... put fingers back in mouth to get another treat?


Take out of mouth with one hand, drop treat into other hand, give treat to Noelle. Dog slime in my mouth? Nope. Not the most attractive method of training a puppy, but it sure teaches a puppy to seek your face. I don't do that anymore because Noelle learned eye contact is valuable as a puppy.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Take out of mouth with one hand, drop treat into other hand, give treat to Noelle. Dog slime in my mouth? Nope. Not the most attractive method of training a puppy, but it sure teaches a puppy to seek your face. I don't do that anymore because Noelle learned eye contact is valuable as a puppy.


I think Peggy would try to climb into my mouth to investigate if I did that. Lol. But I do also prefer human-grade/whole food treats, especially in class when we go through a ton. The cost alone is a good motivator, which I think a lot of people don't realize.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Real Meat doesn't have the magic word 'dog' on it.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Whoiscoconut said:


> This made me think of when I was little, my mom got cookies for our dogs birthday and my brother told me they were our cookies. 😂 I totally ate them. I was like 4-5.


🤣


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