So that's how you train a dog...

My dog Tyson knows some commands and some words. I'll be the first to admit, I could probably teach him a whole bunch more, but I have just grown complacent and enjoy spending time with him.

Here are the words he knows (some better than others):

• sit
• down/lie down
  
• stand
• stay
• come
  
• off
• OK!
  
• out (as in drop whatever is in your mouth - obviously more effective with some items than others)
• ah ah (kind of like no)
  
• walk
• bang! (as in "bang your dead" and he flops over and plays dead)
  
• bed (as in "go to your bed")
  
• ball
• Bango (the cat's name)
• cat
  
• Nancy
• Christopher
• cookie
• treat
• whoops!

Yes that's right - he knows the word "whoops". I was definitely the one responsible for teaching him this word.

Whenever I am cooking or eating in the kitchen and drop something or make a mistake, I just blurt out "whoops!". The first time it happened if Tyson was in the kitchen he probably came running over and I let him eat/lick up whatever had hit the floor. If he wasn't in the room at the time I probably called him to come over to enjoy the fruits of my clumsiness.

And now, whenever I happen to say "whoops!" he comes running, often with this cute look on his face as if to say "what did you do, where is my snack" :) Sometimes the "whoops" isn't as good as others. It's not particularly interesting when I knock my recipe book to the ground, but it can get pretty good and those are probably the times that give him all the positive reinforcement that he needs to remember the word. See - dog training is easy!