Why can't my family

[belindarose]

Get basic dog commands right!!!? My 3 year old can do it (I can hear her trying to explain them now). My parents are here and just cannot remember the right commands. They're pretty basic - sit, down, in your bed, wait etc. I'm feeding baby upstairs and can hear them getting annoyed because they're talking to him like a child and he's not responding! Poor confused dog. He's so pleased to see me when I make an appearance!

Why are they giving him commands?

Oh, they were just with him downstairs while I was busy with baby. I wasn't being hugely serious.

It's because they're the dogs grandparents and must spoil him and talk baby talk to him.

Unless you have my mum and a previously fear aggressive terrier in which case it's "Get away. Away you horrible dog. Away. D0oin, get it away, it's going to bite me." Well, yes I imagine he will if you keep shoving him like that. "He keeps jumping up, get him off. Off you horrible dog, off. Away. Away. He's jumping at me get him away" He tends to do that when people screech hysterically, he thinks you are playing with him. You could try "Bed" or "Settle" you know, commands he actually knows?

It's not that bad, Dooin, fortunately! I must say, they are very good with the actual children, just not the dog.

He only does it to her and my Dad. Mainly because my Dad adores him and immediately engages in a game of tug with him. And the first thing my mum does when she walks in is call his name followed by a string of commands he doesn't know all in a squeaky voice. e.g "Scruffy, Scruffy. Away. Away. Off (to him this means get off the sofa) Down (he lays down at her feet wagging his tail) AWAY (he jumps again) OFF. (he gets confused) AWAY AWAY AWAY (this is the most funnest game EVER)"

He is trying to earn a treat, because she keeps squeaking commands at him, some of which he knows to mean something different to what she wants and some of which he has never been taught, so he flits between jumping on her or showing her his entire range of tricks, whilst trying to figure out what the funny squeaky woman wants him to do.

Could be worse - my DP is doing it to the puppy...he's 9 weeks old, I'm delighted he knows his name and sit, DP keeps telling him to go lie down or fetch the ball

Tell me about it, I have this problem with DH.

DH opens boot and says 'stay', dogs ignore him because the command is 'wait'. Little dog jumps up at him, DH says 'down' dog continues to jump because 'down' means to lie down and the command should be 'off'.

I swear he screws up my training every weekend.