Anyone who thinks that dogs do not learn by watching has never had two dogs. For that matter, dogs learn perfectly well by watching humans, too, but that is the subject for another blog.

I can give you endless examples of dogs learning from each other — for instance, my mom’s dog, Daisy, who hardly ever barked. Then she got a little brother, Buddy.

Buddy is a terrier mix. Which means that he barks. At everything. Now Daisy does, too.

A more compelling example might be our dogs and the mulch in our yard. Jana has always liked to munch on sticks. I’ve never really understood it, but I have failed miserably at stopping her. We now have a large yard, huge sections of which are covered in delectable mulch. Soon after joining us here, Oriel was observed delicately sampling small pieces. She is now a compulsive mulch eater. And if that weren’t enough, today I noticed Wiley gnawing on a choice piece of his own. I drew the line when he brought it in (through his prized dog door), wanting to recline on an indoor rug to enjoy his snack. It is cold outside, after all.

This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2010.