Take This Cell And Shove It

Dear Dog Lady,

My wife and I have a 4-year-old Shih Tzu named Watson. He is very well behaved.

We just realized that when our cell phone goes off in the house he gets very upset and starts to tremble and runs to our lap for and will not calm down. We have tried to make him associate the cell phone ring with his wet food, but that does not seem to help. He even gets nervous if we change the ring tone or if the cell phone is on vibrate and goes off. He does not mind when the home phone rings.

Any suggestions would be of great comfort because it is difficult to see our Watson in such a state.

Joshua, New York, NY

Joshua, let us recall the first words used by Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, when he summoned his faithful assistant via newfangled instrument: “Come here, Mr. Watson!” Perhaps your Mr. Watson channels Mr. Bell by staying loyal to the landline.

Dog Lady sympathizes with the Shih Tzu. The ringing of cell phones can be a scary thing when a cascade of digitalized calypso, classical, or hip hop bursts forth from a purse or pocket. “Oh, excuse me, I think that’s mine,” says the person being called while everyone else is put on hold. So annoying.

Watson is only acting out what many of us feel. He must associate the cell phone ringing and vibrating with unpleasant stuff that even a spoonful of wet food can’t erase. You could try to continue to modify his behavior by making him sit while doling out more powerful goodies (freeze-dried liver chunks come to mind) when the cell phone rings. Or, in your home where the dog doesn’t seem disturbed by the regular phone, you could turn the darned cell off. This appears to be the message your singular Watson is sending you.

Posted by Dog Lady at September 15, 2008 12:22 PM