The Stinky Command

The Stinky command is a new one. It’s not in the book. Like other commands you can pick your own term. “Stinky” happens to be the euphemism I used when my kids were little. It stuck in our family.  When my boys come back from walking our dog I always ask if she made a “stinky”.  It’s important to keep track of such things. Our dog has heard the word enough and may have already put 2 + 2 together to understand the meaning.

The usefulness of this command depends on your situation. At the least it can add to your dog’s vocabulary. After all communication is one of the highest needs your dog has. It’s easy to teach, too.  When you walk your dog and it’s doing its business, simply repeat the command.  When the job is done pat your dog’s back near its tail and repeat the command. Your dog will learn the meaning quickly.

As commands go, Stinky is not one that corresponds to an immediate performance or trick. However when your dog understands, you can use it to encourage your dog to get to work when you take it to the proper location. Your dog will understand what you want it to do and might just speed things up instead of spending extra time sniffing and searching for the perfect spot. You’ll probably never know for sure, but you can be pretty certain that your dog understands the word, because it is so easy to learn.

Another possible way Stinky can have practical value is to use it to ask your dog if it needs a bathroom break. If your dog is nosing or staring at you, say Stinky in an inquisitive tone and see what happens. If your dog understands the word and gets excited, you’ll know what it wants.