Don't make me beg

We teach our dogs lots of things. Some commands, such as "sit" and "stay," are essential for a well-mannered dog. And some, such as "roll over," "play dead" and "beg," are just tricks for kicks. We think they're cute, and some are, but one is downright bad for dogs: begging.

I had a hound who would beg at the drop of a hat. Whoever had Jethro as a puppy had taught him this, and I used to think it was cute. Until he got older and had back problems.

It was the day after a family gathering. We had ordered pizzas, and Jethro spent the day begging for "pizza bones," the tasty crusts with little bits of cheese stuck to them. The next day he could hardly walk. I took him to the vet, and he was diagnosed with disc problems. He was put on medication and we went back in a week for a checkup.

I told the doctor that Jethro appeared to be getting bettter, he was able to "sit and beg." And that's when Doc Mossler gave me a good scolding.

"Don't let him do that," he said. "That's the worst thing he could do. Dogs are meant to be horizontal and when they sit up like that, they compress their spine and get disc troubles."

DUH! It had never occurred to me, and I felt like such a bad dog mom. I tried my darnedest to break him of it, but it was ingrained in him and he had back troubles the rest of his life.

So if you're thinking of teaching your puppy to beg, please don't. And if you make him sit and beg, please stop. It will save him a lot of pain in later life.

Please don't make me beg!