When I watch TV in the evenings, Cali will often boycott. She’ll watch the first few minutes, then let me know how dreadful my taste is by simply walking away. She’ll hang out nearby, on a comfy dog bed in the next room, and keep her ears peeled for the sound of snacks, but … she won’t stay in the same room with me, much less let me cuddle her.
It’s distressing. And a bit insulting.
My friend who recently dog-sat for Cali for a couple of weeks has figured out the secret. When they spent time at a co-working space nearby, it became clear that Cali’s favorite show is …
A fake fireplace.
That’s right; she was mesmerized.
When she wasn’t watching the fake flames, she met all the other people in the building and showed them her new carrot toy. Exhausted from the socializing and the exciting viewing, she also napped quite a bit, I hear.
All the people programming Dog TV and figuring out how to teach dogs to make video calls should save their efforts … dog owners can just turn up the heat and watch their dogs tune out.
Happy New Year from The Thinking Dog!
The Thinking Dog 
[…] for openers, not all dogs are as easygoing as Cali, who enjoyed the amenities while visiting a friend’s co-working space. Some dogs will bark or whine, or even growl at people who walk by. Others are too energetic. Or […]
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Wow! What a difference from what Jaxson does when I start a fire! He is so attentive to everything I do and as soon as I get some logs to start one, he quietly gets up off the couch and leaves the room. He wants nothing to do with fire! Well, let me back up some, he used to be like that. Lately, as in the last one I started a few days ago, he stayed on the couch. He may have realized that the flames aren’t really coming after him, or that he was just tired, but he didn’t get off the couch. Surprisingly, he even went about two feet from the fireplace and never flinched or seemed concerned. It was a pretty good size fire too. I’m pretty proud of our boy…but I doubt I could ever picture him cuddled up next to Cali, on her comfortable looking bed, gazing at the flames.
Nice blog though! Love you, Martín
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears. Minoass proverb
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