Please Help...My dog understands English.

[SrirachaGhoul]

Lucy has cottoned on to the fact that the words "Go, ready, walk" and any sort of irregularities involving coats/shoes signal that a VERY EXCITING WALK is imminent (to be fair, she's correct half of the time). This sets into motion a frenzy of barking, spinning and grabbing of random things (gloves, keys, homework, human appendages) that is making me CRAZY (and possibly permanently damaging everyone's ears). I've had some success with asking her to sit while we put on shoes etc., and then rewarding her, but most of the time she seemingly just cannot contain herself. We come and go through our (tiny) mud room and it's like a having a bull in a china shop. Aaaaagh! Anyone else dealt with this successfully? Should I make her walks more boring so she doesn't get so wound up?

I put the lead on my dog.
Calms him down while he waits.
(or confuses him to no end, who knows)

Ah Srira.......wish I had words of wisdom . Lucy sounds absolutely lovely.
All my dogs have read my body language when walks are due and went cracker dog

To be honest I embraced their enthusiasm and dodged a lot . Maybe hide the homework and keys though. I may be not the best advice you need ..but in this awful world of political correct behaviour and restraint ...I love that sheer joy our dogs show for a walk with their loved human .
So nowt wrong with doggy enthusiasm and it is infectious dont you find ?

puppy dances with daft hound

. I love to witness the madness that overtakes my dog the second i say "park".

Attach lead and banish to the garden whilst the rest of you get ready?

Mine not understands "walk" and "take him out" and also "do the honors"

He can also spell!!!

All you have to say is "w" (double you ) and his ears perk if you then say A he is at the door!

Mine watches me like a hawk.
He knows me so
well by now.
He also knows when we're going in the car.

mine knows that we go out after i speak to my parents on the phone - so to him bye mum is his cue

Cracker dog. Yes. That's it! She's quite a bit bigger than Trickie-Woo though, which makes things a bit more hairy. It is fun to watch her enthusiasm at the prospect of walkies but it makes me feel SO stressed out as we're already in a mad, chaotic rush and her barks are deafening.

Mine did this and also could spell. We calmed the excitement by getting ready for a walk and then sitting down in the lounge to watch tv as a family ready for a walk. We also had a day where you couldn't say a sentence without the word walk in. He soon realised that the cues he thought meant walk didn't anymore and now sits and watches us in the hope that it may be an actual walk

Pfffffft....I just spat my coffee all over the kitchen . That is brilliant.

Humph. My dog HIDES when it's time to walk. Then often dawdles all the way. It's not fun She's weird.

She is, however, bilingual and goes nuts when she hears Japanese spoken. And we have to spell out the word c.a.t. otherwise she goes into hunting mode.

at bilingual japanese speaking dog . An akita ?

b.a.t.h had to be spelled out in this house or dog was off like a rocket launcher .

Can you try doing things like picking up your keys, putting your shoes on etc at random times, so she doesn't associate them with always going for a walk?

I know what it's like though - BearDog has a remarkable ability to detect what we're planning to do. He also understands what various letters mean (w for walk, d for dinner etc). And he knows what day it is, and what time it is, and what's supposed to be happening at certain times, and likes to remind us

at bilingual dog. That's fantastic.

I set some simple rules (lead won't go on unless you sit, door won't open unless you sit, I don't walk forward unless you sit). Enough times of just standing and ignoring the puppy, and he realised that things move a whole lot quicker if he sits for his lead. So, he runs to the door and plants his backside!

We are seeing a bit more excitement now that he has figured out that evening + mini-headphones = walk, but I'm just continuing to ignore any wild antics until he is sitting for his lead.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try bits from all your suggestions...will let you know how we get on

Bassetfeet no, close though - she's a Shiba Inu, born & raised in Japan even though we no longer live there. She has a very long memory

Just off to stalk her around the house so we can go for a drag walk.

One of mine is psychic. A few times a week, we go out in the car and have a massive walk along the beach and over the sand dunes, with my Dad and his dogs. My dogs love this.

As soon as my Dad texts to say he is ready. my dogs flip and start running around the house barking in excitement and diving on me to try and get me to hurry up.

I have no idea how they know he's coming. It's not the day, because we go on different days, we go at different times, I wear the same shoes/coat etc as for regular dogs walks, it's not the treats I prepare because I always prepare treats, sometimes just for training in the house.

I have no idea what I do to indicate that they are going on their long walk within the next 10-15 minutes, sometimes I don't even get up. I try and prepare everything ready to go on a lunchtime, so they don't bark continuously on an evening while waiting for the car, it doesn't work, they still start pacing, circling and barking.

I obviously do something slightly different while I am getting ready/waiting to go, but I haven't the first clue what that something is.

Mine is also psychic. I only have to think about taking him for a walk and he's sitting at my feet. Any time, day or night, so I know it's not a routine thing. He's an old man now, but still loves his walkies.

Yes! Our Westie has ESP. Before the arrival of Lucy I would only have to think about taking Shonagh for a walk and she'd be sitting at my feet expectantly (much more dignified in her enthusiasm than Lucifer Lucy).