Further evidence he's really just a cat
A few nights ago we made pasta and had planned to record the trick where I tie Chuck's snout shut with a noodle of spaghetti, but before we could get that far we realized that a better video might be one that shows something you can't really see in a photograph: Chuck doing a half-assed job of obeying a command.
The first trick he ever learned was to sit and then in quick succession he learned most of the other ones, to come and to stay and to lie down. But we waited probably too long to teach him how to roll over because now he routinely gives up in the middle of it and expects us to give him the treat anyway. I guess his thinking is that maybe we missed the part where he didn't roll all the way over, it could happen, we might have blinked, and he's much too lazy to not exploit that possibility.
Here I'm tempting him with the pan I used to cook the pasta sauce, and I have to tell him nine times to roll. Four of those times I even give him a visual with my hand to go THAT way. I won't be surprised if while you're watching this video your dog rolls over just to get that damn woman to stop yelling ROLL fer chrissake! MAKE HER STOP.
Chuck sort of rolling (flash file)
Chuck sort of rolling (Quicktime movie)
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FM Living
Amybobamy said:
I need a dog, JUST for this reason.
04.13.06 - 05:00 PM / 1Amybobamy said:
Wait, edit that - My kids let me do fun things too!
Who needs a dog when you can do that!
04.13.06 - 05:02 PM / 2vinsanity said:
Yes!! Dogs! Yay Chuck!
04.13.06 - 05:02 PM / 3Snigelfutz said:
Freaking hysterical! Your dog totally makes me want a dog! Also, is that Jon laughing! He has an infectious laugh. As if you don't already know that!!
04.13.06 - 05:05 PM / 4Julie said:
The roll is too cute but the floor! The floor is great. :-)
04.13.06 - 05:07 PM / 5suz-at-large said:
Oh, Chuck's such a handful. But so cute and sweet. I'm about a year away from having a dog again - looming life changes. I miss my late sweet pooches, and enjoy all the vicarious dog-therapy I can find. Friends' and neighbors' dogs, and of course online the Hon. Chuck. Thanks.
04.13.06 - 05:07 PM / 6NotWithoutArt.com said:
the talent!
niether of my yellow labs can do that trick - or the half trick
04.13.06 - 05:09 PM / 7bellabugs_mom said:
ah, a dogs life...... i'm jealous. i would roll over for food all day long and then lick my crotch and sleep for the rest of the afternoon
04.13.06 - 05:10 PM / 8Territorial said:
Adorable that dog is! I too will roll over for a good tomato sauce!
04.13.06 - 05:10 PM / 9Bronnie said:
aww gorgeous!
I'd love another dog :)
04.13.06 - 05:11 PM / 10Rose said:
LOVE your new haircut!
Chuck rolls better than my supermutt, Chocolate.
04.13.06 - 05:13 PM / 11liquidsilver said:
Hey Heather, has anyone ever told you that your voice sounds kinda like Charlize Theron?
Dooce on sister!
04.13.06 - 05:15 PM / 12Elizabeth Superfantastisch said:
oh my god, i need a chuck in my life. a rolling chuck. or a half-rolling chuck.
04.13.06 - 05:16 PM / 13Carrie said:
While my dogs didn't roll over at your command, they both heard the jingle of Chuck's collar and got so excited they ran around barking, thinking he was visiting us. Even my dogs love Chuck!
04.13.06 - 05:35 PM / 14Jason said:
Hey, can you post on how you make the flash file? It looks really slick!
04.13.06 - 05:16 PM / 15notarockstar said:
is there a name for that move?
it's almost like he is break-dancing.
04.13.06 - 05:18 PM / 16Peeech said:
Poor little Chuck! He looks so cute trying so hard for some food, it breaks my heart. Go Chuck!
04.13.06 - 05:19 PM / 17trevordlb said:
I have a jack russell terrier, and they are supposed to be brilliant... You know, like Wishbone?... Well he's not... "Roll over" to him means, "Sit," along with everything else I say when I have a treat in my hand...
04.13.06 - 05:20 PM / 18cavemegem said:
he half-rolled! my dog half-rolled! And he only got the half that was audio -- if he coulda seen the vid he might have gone all the way over! Don't know why I cant'see your videos.
04.13.06 - 05:20 PM / 19the niffer said:
I think he was hoping that you might blink and miss it.
It's nice to see that angst-ridden malcontent looking happy and excited about something.
We love you chuck. Smewches.
04.13.06 - 05:23 PM / 20Nothing But Bonfires said:
Man, it made ME roll over.
04.13.06 - 05:23 PM / 21Jennifer in Ohio said:
Normally I'm not a big fan of southern accents, but yours is cute. It's kind of mix of southern, western and midwestern all rolled into one.
Chuck is one smart cookie. He knows you'll cave and bow down to his adorableness.
On a side note, what's up with the "hey look at my site too" comments?
04.13.06 - 05:24 PM / 22electricboogaloo said:
Ahahhaha! I tried to teach Mouse to roll a few years ago and gave up when I started getting calls from PETA. We finally compromised - instead of roll I'd say Bang! And he'd fall over dead... essentially the half-assed roll that Chuck is doing.
Except now he half asses THAT. I say Bang! And the little punk doesn't even lay down. He just kind of leeeeans over to one side like I am seriously that fucking stupid.
04.13.06 - 05:29 PM / 23ShimmyShea said:
My Yorkshire Terrier, Nina, does the exact same thing. It was further exacerbated by the fact that one time while dogsitting, my dad actually rewarded her for doing her half-ass roll over. So now, when you command her to roll over, she just spins in really fast circles and then acts like she's going to roll over.
Which is why I'm never having kids. I can already see how my dad would screw up his own grandchildren.
04.13.06 - 05:29 PM / 24kissmytiara said:
Oh man, I wish Chuck was my dog. What a badass!!
04.13.06 - 05:29 PM / 25Jonniker said:
I don't know how to say this delicately, but my cat rolls better on command than Chuck does.
No, seriously. He does.
04.13.06 - 05:30 PM / 26kate gee said:
That was awesome, I almost felt like nudging him over myself after those half-attempts. Your hair really does look fabulous by the way, especially in the About The Site page.
04.13.06 - 05:31 PM / 27Lauren McMahon said:
He probably likes to see you guys get worked up and make funny gestures, because then he can go downstairs and journal about how weird you are.
04.13.06 - 05:31 PM / 28nikki said:
Your dog and mine MUST be comparing notes. My dog does a half-assed rendition of "speak" where he believes that just by opening his mouth and making his teeth click as he closes it will suffice as the proper execution. Too funny!
04.13.06 - 05:31 PM / 29marymuses said:
Maybe I just watched too much America's Next Top Model this week, but I SWEAR it looked like Chuck was crumping. Maybe he's not lazy--maybe the crumping is just his lead-in to the actual roll.
Either way? GOOD BOY, CHUCK! GOOOOOOD BOY!!!!
04.13.06 - 05:31 PM / 30