This is the tip bowl we keep on our bathroom counter.
Who needs a tip bowl in the bathroom, you may wonder, and why is it filled with cereal?
Well, imagine you have a dachshund who is scared of the shower, and getting her bathed is always a stressful endeavor for both parties. One day, you get the brilliant idea to desensitize her to the unpleasant environment, so she’ll start associating the shower with positive things and stop being anxious about her baths. And because she’s a dachshund, the logical positive reinforcement is food. You keep some cereal in the bathroom and occasionally throw a few pieces into the empty shower stall when she’s around so she can go in there and get a free snack.
Now imagine you’re so successful that the whole approach backfires, and the dachshund gets so used to the routine that she follows you into the bathroom every time to collect her “tip”.
In the public bathrooms in Germany, they usually have a (generally female) bathroom attendant out front who has a little plate on a table for a small customary tip. Colloquially, they’re known as “Klofrau”. Well, we managed to train ourselves a Klohund.
On the plus side, she’s much better with baths now.
(The cereal is a high-protein, grain- and sugar-free alternative, not grocery store sugar bombs, in case you’re wondering about the health aspect, and she only ever gets two or three little pieces at a time.)
As per the usual outcome with all pets, the trainer has been trained by the trainee.
Here at Roseholme Cottage, when a hoomin is going to take a bath, a fluffy gray-and-white mat gets laid out on the floor.
Coincidentally Holden is this sort of gray color and is sure that the mat is spread on the floor for him. He is so upset when he gets herded out of the bathroom.
I think the porper name forthis bowl would be bribe bowl.
Which is perfectly acceptable for dogs aqnd baths.
Thanks, read about Alex today, very good,thank you.
Our newish rescue (maybe a Belgian Malinois? whatever) has learnt to open the fridge, and managed to consume around 250 g of Cheshire cheese in one go, she was found with the empty wrapper contemplating which of the other packets of cheese she had got out of the fridge to eat next . We are just about to fit the fridge lock that came today and will be able to put the two 5 kg weights back with the rest of the lifting kit instead of in front of the fridge door. She is working hard to train us to call her to come when she barks at passing dogs, and we are working hard not to train her to bark for treats.
We have regretted letting our cat train us into giving her a cheese tip every time we make a sandwich. She is very vocal in reminding us.
She’s got you well trained. Congratulations to the klohund.
What ever it takes. Same situation. Currently trying to wean a German Shepherd off of her fear of water as well.