Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 09, 2023

Sorry Puddles, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks; Frank’s too smart for that.

Puddles is always number one!

Ur-in for a treat Puddles!

Ever have a day where you stay up late to catch the new strip and are so underwhelmed that you regret having stayed up so late?

Can Puddles outwit Frank Degroot?? ⭐️

It’s Sunday…has anyone seen little Shannon? Usually she’s a Sunday feature.

Yeah puddles isn’t learning to inform you he wants to go out, he’s learned how to trick you into giving him a treat for telling you he wants to go out.

Isn’t she a genius?

With luck, even Greg got tired of her.

So what will tomorrow’s new arc be about??

Back to Tiffany and Kip?

Bernice and Luann?

Something else?

Has anyone noticed that Luann’s legs have grown longer recently?

…one of the problems with behavioral psychology. Sometimes it turns out you’re reinforcing the wrong behavior.

And who’s gonna clean up Puddles’ puddle??

Greg Evans comic art has evolved over the years – from big heads to more normal looking people. But Puddles has remained exactly the same.

Frank looks clueless cuzz he hasnt been trained yet

It may have been wise to let ll know the code.

Exactly! Pudd is the one doing the training (conditioning)

Dogs are adorable manipulators, especially when it comes to food. I love to see how who does the strip definitely has lot of experience with dogs. Puddles is so cute!

Wunderin where Bets and Gun are off to in their Smokeswagen

This is my pooch in the morning!

Clever like a kid.

Maybe that same method can be used to train Luann to clean her room.

Maybe TOO smart…

Puddles will do anything for a treat or a pat on the head.

Just one little treat wasn’t filling enough.

Our dogs figured out that trick pretty quickly.

Eventually, pets get their owners fully trained.

“Do your job?”

Is Pud earning a paycheck now?

yep, moms dogs do something similar with me. :J

Uh.. .here’s a clue, Luann. Dogs are delivered already knowing how to whine.

Nice plan, Puddles. One problem, Frank doesn’t know that you’re supposed to get a treat when you return from a trip out to the nearest hydrant.

Our Dearest Ann❤️Eiffel does something similar with dupe lowly worms (we know who you are) promising a treat and not for taking a whiz. One of the many reasons we ❤️ Darling Ann❤️Eiffel! And we are all so thankful that Foxy Ann❤️Eiffel is passing along the Tricks (see what The Count did there?) of the Trade to disciples like the ❤️Eiffeletts with her “Seduction for Fun and Profit” seminars and tutorials. What’s this, you say". You want to sign up? HA! Gorgeous Ann❤️Eiffel laughs in your face and it’s hard on a face when it gets laughed in. You’re not worthy. Stunning Ann❤️Eiffel… the Woman all men want and all women want to be like. Some men. too, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Eat your ❤️ out. With that, Yrs Trly, The Count, will depart until tomorrow… same time…same station. TTFN and See You in Church… Count OUT! P.S. More Puddles, less dweeb loser guy characters.

Pavlov would be proud.

This reminds me of a story I read where someone’s mom was raising some baby goats and she taught them to pee in a litter box by giving them a treat afterwards. Except, they didn’t register the connection of the litter box to getting a treat, so every time they saw her, they just started peeing.

Nancy is the one that taught Puddles new tricks.

Atta boy, Puddles……..

My sister in law has a female dog (a yellow lab) approx 12 years old. She keeps dog treats in her basement and when the dog comes back in the basement door after doing her business she gives her a treat. Sis also has an upstairs door she lets her dog out but there are no treats there. So the dog has learned no matter which door she is let out, to come in the basement door so she gets a treat.

Our younger dog learned quickly to jingle a bell that hangs from the front doorknob to signal that she wants to go out. On her own, she figured out to jingle every night around 8PM to signal she is ready to go to her crate for the night. Our older dog just goes to the front door and gives a pathetic “yip” as his signal to go out. When the younger dog signals it is time for her to go to bed, he finds a corner to hide in in hopes we don’t send him; but around 10pm when I’m ready to hit the sack, he sees me closing down my laptop and starts heading for his crate.

Love it! Puddles even makes a special face when he does his trick!

our dogs figured out that trick to get free treats whenever too

He learned a new trick alright.

One of our daughters has a rat terrier chihuahua mix. Being an apartment dog, they would keep pee pads in the bathroom and taught him to go use that when they weren’t home. He would get a treat every time he went to the pad. When he would come to stay with us, we would put up the same pad. As soon as he got in the door, he would run to the bathroom and piddle, then run back into the living room and spin around until he got his treat. This evolved into him running into the bathroom every few minutes and running back out for a treat. He went so many times (because “Grammy” would always give him treats no matter what) that he wasn’t even going. He’d just go through the motions dryly. XD

This reminds me of a real-life story. One of the authors of Freakonomics, who regards economics as the study of motivation was the parent of a toddler. He told his wife, because he was an economist, he should be responsible for potty training. He rewarded his daughter with a candy when she used the potty correctly. He unintentionally created a toddler with extraordinary bladder control. She would use the potty, stop the stream, collect her reward, and then go again, and collect another reward.

I had a dog like that she would go outside just to get the treat when she came back in : (

I go out with my dog. Otherwise, I don’t know if she went or not. After initial training, no treats for doing what is expected. My dog is a beagle and they are pigs. Mine gets a treat at 7p, an extra one at 8p on dog therapy days since she burns up a lot of calories at the hospital, and I generally share a bit of whatever I eat since beagles need variety. I have a very calm, happy, well-behaved dog who almost never barks. She has a bell to go outside but I try to take her out roughly every 3 hours anyway, unless she is asleep or doesn’t want to go. It sounds like I am a rough taskmaster, but I am just used to the beagle personality, since she is my third. She is my best friend and we walk about 5 miles a day together.

Yesterday I took my dog for one of our walks. She likes to greet neighbors she knows, and she did, but we saw one we don’t know and she went right to him. He happily petted her, and she licked his hand. First I asked if he had just eaten, and he said no. Then I asked him if he was OK. He said he was just fine. I asked if he had been sick or something recently. He said yes, he was in the hospital two weeks ago for a major heart attack. He asked me how I knew. I didn’t – my dog did. She’s a therapy dog, and also a champion hunter. I think she smells out illness, but a heart attack two weeks ago is surprising even for her. She doesn’t lick people, except one person per visit in the hospital, usually. Sometimes none, sometimes two. The licks will be one little gentle lick on the wrist. She licked my wrist a week or so ago when I was having some pain in the middle of the night. He wasn’t old, looked very healthy. We had a nice chat and we finished our walk. If he is ever outside again when we walk by, she will want to greet him.

Puddles might be small but he’s a smart cookie!

Although, had Luann taught Dad to let Puddles out when Puddles whines?

Smarter than the average non-speaking dog in a comic strip! But where did Puddles learn it all? Not form Luann, who is, alas, dumb in the other sense from Puddles’ being dumb (non-speaking)….

Aww, Puddles trained everyone so well! What a good boy.

My dog used to do this. My dad would give her treats whenever she would go potty, so she would scratch at the back door to go out and she’ll walk around and come back in and sit at the pantry waiting for her “good girl” treat lol