2023, animals, Family, Games, pets, Uncategorized, work

Cesky Games

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I realized yesterday morning watching our Cesky Terrier shake, tug, and try to destroy his various toys that he is a frustrated scent hunter who wants to find, shake, and kill vermin. His play was very serious. When he insists we tug with him, he tugs as if his life depends on it, with all the accompanying growls and snarls. I wished we lived closer to places that had barn hunts for Kyrill to use his scent skills and have fun working.

We have had terriers for about 35 years, and their one defining characteristic is their turning work into play, as well as games.

Kyrill has turned getting taken for a walk into a game. He sees the leash taken out, and immediately runs twice around the dining room table, evading all efforts to catch him, and then dives under a living room lamp table and waits for Husband to grab him by the collar, attach the leash and go for the walk. Sorting laundry is also a game, as he waits for any opportunity to steal a sock or bra and chew it up. He is on tiptoes the minute he hears the dryer or washer open, follows us, and creeps up stealthily as though the clothing is vermin.

I can’t for the life of me figure out how we have behaviorally reinforced these things. We are psychologists, you know, and we ought to know this. Terriers can outsmart anyone!

What animal has outsmarted you? How do your pets turn things into games? How do you turn the everyday into games?

21 thoughts on “Cesky Games”

  1. I am amazed at the surgical precision with which he removes the underwires from my bras, leaving the garment intact with just a small hole.

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  2. This is hilarious, Renee! A California friend told of her… Yorkie?… who always had to “kill” dinner. He’s find a particular stuffed toy and, holding it with teeth clamped firmly, just shake it till it was “dead”. Ohly then could he eat from his dish.

    I remember having kittens jump out from around a corner to surprise me, or want to fight with my hand – little bites that got more problematic as he got bigger. And pouncing on any little thing that moved – a hand under whatever, a toe under a blanket….

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  3. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    Renee, remember to seek the reinforcers that are invisible to your eye, but part of Kyrill’s interior world. (Oh, the joys of learning Behavior Chain Analysis—or for autism, Applied Behavior Analysis). He must have an instinctual reinforcer for pulling, chewing, tugging. Phoebe has learned the joy of freedom, and she has taken up running off to explore the neighbors’ yards while evading us. At this point I usually would take her to the dog park to indulge her desire to run and explore,but the canine influenza is limiting that activity. From what I can see, sniffing and exploring is very reinforcing to her and probably to Kyrill. Food driven, Phoebe will return for a treat.

    Our late, great rat terrier, Coco, would bolt out of the house to escape and run free. She had come from a household in which they did not like her activity level, so they kenneled her all the time. The reinforcement of being out of the kennel was so strong, that I was never able to use an Operant Conditioning training program to replace the behavior. And then when I took her to the dog park she was terrified of the other dogs due to improper socialization, so she was glued to me in the one location it was very safe to run. I just took away from Phoebe the July tpt magazine with the programming schedule. She was chewing and ripping it. Tearing paper is her thing. (Ben found my Mother’s Day card, chewed up, under the couch while he played with her on the floor).

    I am gone for two days for the Memorial Service for my mother. The dogs are staying here with neighbors.

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    1. I have always thought that the movie Hook was one of the great 20th century legends teaching men to parent their children. I miss Robin Williams.

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  5. The Birds tear apart balsa wood toys.
    When I had cats, I learned that the Earth is not flat. If it were, cats would have long ago knocked everything off the edge.

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  6. My Great Pyrenees, “Wilson with a y,” loves to run around me and leap at me. A bit scary because if he leaped on me he would knock me down. He does the same thing to one of the horses who just raises her head above him. 

    Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

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  10. I’ve had a couple of very smart dogs. One was Princess the Wonder Dog, a shepherd/collie mix, who was our family dog during most of my growing up years.

    The other smart dog was my first dog as an adult, Katy Scarlett. Way too smart. And she could be sneaky too.

    Guinevere isn’t all that bright but she is fast. Another bunny bit the big one last week. Fortunately it’s all about the chase, so once she’s dispatched them, there’s no shaking and tearing – no bunny gore.

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  11. It’s late but The Birds are taunting me. I leave the doors of the aviary open all day. They come and go as they please. When they want millet treat, I get a fly-by. Rarely a landing on my head but a touch of wings. I shall now obey the summons.

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  12. Cows, chickens, dogs… they all outsmart me at one time or another…
    We had some tree’s trimmed yesterday. Both dogs love sticks. Now if I could just get them to take them to the fire pit…

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