Pavlov's Beloved
Our house has two levels and My Beloved's office is downstairs and around a corner from the kitchen. It's hard to get his attention when it's dinner time without bellowing over the banisters or walking downstairs to fetch him. I'm lazy - I usually bellow.He came up with an elegant solution last week; he came home with this bright little bell, which now lives on the banister. It has a nice sound, not too harsh and yet nicely carrying. I just ring it when it's chow time and he comes right up. Conditioned response - works like a champ.
My questions - is this where Mr. Pavlov got the idea to try it with his dogs? And will My Beloved start to drool when he hears the bell?
posted by Zoomie at
4:08 AM
10 Comments:
I bought Mr Brown a bell once, when he was quite ill. I took it away from him within a day.
Love the little red bell! What a clever idea - and yes, he probably will start to drool because your cooking is so fabulous. Of course, you will also be training Cora -but you knew that already?
With all the good food you cook I am surprised he doesn't drool already. ;)
Very nice!
I bought a pair of oversized jinglebells (red!) and tacked them to the doorjamb, way down close to the ground, and tried to teach Bean Sprout to give them a swipe when he wanted to go out.
Turned out I was only training myself. He couldn't give a rat's heinie.
Ahh.. brings back memories. When I was a kid, my mom got tired of bellowing (we lived in a very large house in the country) so she bought herself a bell to ring at mealtimes, and it worked very well. Sort of like the old triangle at the ranch.
Morgan, that's funny! You try so hard to be a bitch.
Nancy, I hadn't thought of that, two droolers in the house may be too many.
Greg, good point - if he does, he does it quietly.
Cookiecrumb, I once knew a dog who did that, very clever. Give the Sprout a little time - he may learn it yet.
Empress, my mother had a distinctive whistle that brought us all to dinner.
My mom used her mother's school bell, with a big mellow sound. Grandma used it to call kids in from recess in in a rural KY school pre-1920. Boy did we run when we heard that.
My daughter has a vast house and (sign of the times) pages her older kids on their Blackberries when dinner is ready. Never thought I would see the day -- but it gets their attention faster than any bell or whistle.
PS Feel I should add that said "older children" are in college. They're not baby Berry users.
Anna, I know the kind of bell you're referring to - it would have called you in from three fields away!
Kudzu, I laughed out loud - sign of the times, indeed!
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