This might sound cruel but when I get a puppy I walk by dragging my feet. When they get in my way, I don't even slow down and they get "kicked" (shoved really). Two or three hits later, they learn to steer clear and it is never an issue again for the rest of their life, or until they are very old at which point I carry them from place to place. I hate that we outlive them by so much.
Meanwhile, my cat: "oh damn he didn't see me, nearly kicked me to death, lemme get right back in-between'is leggies"
Cat: "Damnations, he survived! Until next time, hooman."
Seriously, this is why I will NEVER agree with anyone who says cats are smarter than dogs.
Cats are pure instinct. I've kicked (on accident) two cats around the house several feet on multiple occasions because they'll straight up run and try to rub on my legs while I'm in full stride. It's seldom a soft contact, so I doubt they want to get tossed.
My sister also constantly complains how the males predate on the females. You know, cats. Literally predators, as in that is their instinct!
They're just stupid predators, and all the cat people that defend them are in denial or just as instinctually dumb (emotionally reactive, in human terms).
Mine still doesn’t get the message.
Sometimes he really gets ploughed out of the way when I’m moving between rooms, still doesn’t stop him from pushing in front of me all the time though…
Our big dog will sometimes run between your legs when going outside. He's the sweetest giant oaf, but he's too big (and kinda dumb) to understand any consequences of what he's doing. We try to mutually watch out for each other, but he gets excited sometimes and isn't afraid (or aware?) to throw his weight around.
But on the other hand, it really seems like he understands something we don't. The dog stares at clouds while his ears blow in the wind and lays down with 5 week foster kittens (never steps on them, but apparently WE'RE fair game). He's our buddah dog
I drag my feet with my cats for a similar reason. They're both black so collisions are inevitable at night, but by keeping my feet <1 inch off the ground I avoid stepping on their tail or anything but they still learn that sometimes I can't see and they should be careful.
When my dog was a puppy, he used to always be under my feet (because he's needy and the best). And he still kinda does it, but he understands the risks now
But when he was still learning: I was walking out the kitchen one day and he came from the side hall... and I was just walking, not trying to train. My poor dude got fully kicked by my stride, kinda literally body slammed into the wall. Like, foot to whole body... lifted and kicked against the wall :(
And he learned something that day... watch the fuck out, for self-preservation's sake. We never had an issue like that again. I never tripped over him anymore; he instead learned how to maneuver. He'll still get under the feet sometimes, but he never gets "kicked". My dude learned that day, how to be aware and dodge.
He's currently sniffing under the bathroom door while I poop and type this. He's old now, and I'm heading to bed, so I'ma scoop him up into my bed and give him some snugs.
So yeah, never any ankle-breaking tripping after that little lesson, but still my needy boy. Did I mention he's the best?
I've got a lurcher. They have an annoying habit of doing extremely close, high speed flybys. It wouldn't be an issue except he kept messing it up and you'd get a glancing blow from a 30kg+ bullet.
The solution was slightly evil, but effective. We started sticking a foot out in front of him. It took a few tumbles, but he learnt to leave a meter or so of clearance.
Unfortunately, despite 6 years of effort, we have yet to break him of the high speed mud skids (Running towards us, then slamming on the brakes. He then skids to a stop in the mud in front of us, before accelerating away. This tends to spray us with mud).
All day every day. My dog has to walk at most 20cm in front of me at any given time, which causes quite the panic if she doesn't guess the right door and has to catch up. Carrying soup has become an extreme sport
my cat loves to run ahead of me when going downstairs, I've tripped many times
Our dachshund is 14, epileptic and has degenerative disc disease. The old man doesn't give one single fuck. He's all black and burrows under blankets (or whatever he can find to root in, like a black t-shirt).
I have almost broken my life and limb on so many occasions, because I go to take a step... and holy hell, it's a weiner dog under there! But I don't want to step on him and hurt him, so instead I have to kinda go limp to avoid him.
He's our dog that will trip tf outta you, and he firmly expects for you to evade... because he ain't moving. He has little handicap ramps and everything, for him to go outside, because we love him... but hot damn, that dog EXPECTS you to know to watch out for HIM.
He has us well trained, ngl
From what I understand, this is typical dachshund behavior. They have so much personality for such a small stature. Ours also loves to burrow, it’s so cute.
My cat cuts me off more than bad drivers
He is also a bad driver
