What has your smart dog figured out?

Get to know other Positively members here.

Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost

Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by Erica »

Or, hey, what has your less-than-smart dog figured out? Sometimes dogs learn things that we think are beyond them...what are your examples?

My Opal has astounded me with her intelligence. I'm quite honestly surprised she hasn't tried to open the door yet - unless she only does that when we're not around!

She has figured out her toys are sorted into groups. With only our "Ooh, you've got your dragon! Look at that dragon! Kill the dragon!" squee-ing whenever she plays with a toy, she's figured out that:
1. Squeaky toys are toys that make high-pitched sounds when you bite them
2. The "Giggle ball" is that one funny ball that, if you throw it just right, makes funny sounds when it bounces
3. Dragons are the fabric toys without any stuffing, but are still fun to tug and fetch
4. Ropes are her FAVORITE! In fact, if you ask her for any of her toys, she'll bring you her rope first, then go get the other one. ;) This was her first self-learned word.
5. "New toys" are food-containing toys - I accidentally labeled them when I encouraged her to play with her "new toy" after I showed her how to work the Kong Wobbler.

Speaking of the Wobbler, Opal figured out that if the Wobbler's anywhere near an air vent, she could loose her treat down it! It is solely for this reason that she learned how to pick it up by sticking one fang in the hole and gripping tightly with her other teeth. She'll move it away, put it down, then get back to playing. :)

One walk in the forest taught her "wait" means stop at that obstacle and wait for me; "this way" means to go to the side of the tree I'm pointing to; and "easy" means slow down. :)

Onyx, our uninspired mutt, learned to counter-surf only when we were out of sight and earshot, without our even seeing him SNIFF the counter when we were around! We only found this out when we discovered him with a piece of pizza. The box was still loosely closed and on the counter, though whether that's his intelligence or just plain luck could be debated. ;) I bet he knows lots of other stuff, but he doesn't feel any motivation to put that thought into action.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by Fundog »

My Annie is an "Einstein dog." I could not even begin to tell you what she knows. She has an at least 60 word vocabulary. :shock:

Dottie is our "cottonhead." Seriously, she's retarded, due to the abuse and negligence of her original owner. :twisted: But she just recently learned the word "water." She starts dancing around, and we ask her if she wants water, to which she dances even more... so we have to go into the kitchen, where she does not like the flooring, and bring her water dish onto the carpet so she can drink. We've had Dottie for two years, and she is currently four years old. And she just learned the word "water." We've been trying to teach her "paw" for as long as we've had her. She just doesn't get it. Annie not only knows "Paw," but "other paw" as well. I have to make Annie's puzzles extremely challenging, but I have to make them super super simple for Dottie. It's kind of a pain to make up two different sets of puzzles at a time, but that's how it has to be done....
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
wvvdiup1
Posts: 3397
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:31 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by wvvdiup1 »

It's ironic that when we think our dog is "dumb" or "retarded", they actually surprise us with their intelligence! :lol: Maybe they think we're the "dumb" ones! :lol:

I don't know where to start with when speaking of the smart things my dog has figured out, because she has done so many. She knows the difference between my van, my truck, and my house keys; she figures out way to get to her treats; she doesn't bother with the cat's food; heck, she even puts her bed away when she's done with it for the time being, by putting it on my bed! :shock: Those are just a "few" of the things she's figured out, too! :shock:

No, I can't even begin to write a list of what's she's figured out; that would probably take me days to do! :shock: So just remember when you think you're dog is "dumb" or "retarded" that they will one day surprise you! 8) Just don't forget the treats or the rewards when you're dog figures out what you want and does it! :D
Image
Image
"Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius." -author unknown
JudyN
Posts: 7018
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:20 pm
Location: Dorset, UK
Contact:

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by JudyN »

I've tried teaching Jasper words like 'toy', 'ball', and so on, but he's a bit slow on the uptake. He's still got a pretty large vocabulary, though.

I realised one day when he was mucking about on the lead that he understood and responded to 'walk nicely', though I'd never tried to teach it and only said it in irritation several times. Makes me wonder why I bothered with all the time spent trying to teach 'close' which he thinks means 'Come to my side, pester until you get a treat, and bog off again.'

One day I'd eaten an apple and the core was next to me, out of Jasper's reach. He went to the back door, gave his 'I need to go out' woof, I came over to open the door and as my hand touched the handle he belted back into my office and nabbed the apple :roll:

Once in the New Forest we put him on lead as there were a couple of hobbled heavy horses at the side of the track. We walked a hundred or so metres further, with Jasper not looking back and going forward keenly, and I said to OH 'I think we can let him off again.' Before we'd made a move to take is lead off, Jasper stopped and his head whipped round to size up the horses.

I did hear of one dog who, coming back from a walk in the car, if the owner reversed into the drive instead of going in forward, wouldn't be able to work out how to get to the house and would walk back down the drive instead, all confused :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
MissCarla
Posts: 181
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:17 am

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by MissCarla »

Casey is too smart for her own good and it is exhausting keeping her occupied. :lol: Bear, while smart, is pretty lazy. He will bring me his Kong or raw bone (eww) when it get's too difficult to get the good stuff out and seems to say "Hey human, please use your opposable thumbs to get my delicious treats for me!"

Casey knows all the basic commands and a few extras, like 'Go get Mike!' (my husband), Where is your ball, banana (stuffed), bone, and Kong.
ladybug1802
Posts: 1991
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:39 am
Location: Surrey

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by ladybug1802 »

Dylan has figured SO much stuff out that makes me amazed and laugh at the same time! But what makes me laugh a lot is how he has learnt that in order to get loast bits out of one of his kongs, or his kong Genius, he can pick it up, drop it heavily from a height so it bounces and a bit of the food often loosens itself and comes out! Its hilarious watching him go around the room picking the kong up, throwing it down, waiting then eating the food, picking the kong up again, dropping it and doing it al over again!
jacksdad
Posts: 4887
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:48 pm

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by jacksdad »

Jack figured that one out too...maybe I should check and see if Dylan and Jack are exchanging Emails. NOW that would be a pair of smart dogs :lol:
Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by Erica »

Oh gosh, dropping the kong...Opal tried that with her wobbler a couple times. For those not familiar with the wobbler, it's a really big Kong, but hard plastic instead of pliable, and has a hole in the side that the treats come out of. Instead of chewing/licking the kong, to dog knocks it around with their nose or paws. Once Opal figured out how to pick it up, she tried throwing it around. It is SO LOUD. I'm glad she stopped!
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Sarah83
Posts: 2120
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:49 pm
Location: Bad Fallingbostel, Germany
Contact:

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by Sarah83 »

Rupert figured out trading. I'd trade him something really good for something boring that he had. Then one day I was eating and he brought me a mouthful of his kibble and dropped it at my feet. Then stood staring at me expectantly as if to say "well I brought you this, trade!"

He can also open doors and slide bolts. He knows if he hears something outside while he's on the bed he can run to the balcony and get a better look. He quickly figured out that throwing his kong around the room made bits of food fall out. He learned the sound of the ice cream van and would run outside, run back in, stare at us, run back out and repeat until either the van had gone or we got him an ice cream.

He is baffled by the double barrier of a mosquito net and a glass door however. He pushes through the net without a problem (once he'd been shown how) but now if the doors closed he stands there pushing at the glass with his nose and looking puzzled. And he refuses to acknowledge that his toys have different names each. Ball, Wubba, rope and toy are all just toys and he'll grab whichever he fancies. I'm sure he COULD learn which was which but I don't think he wants to. If that makes sense.
ladybug1802
Posts: 1991
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:39 am
Location: Surrey

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by ladybug1802 »

jacksdad wrote:Jack figured that one out too...maybe I should check and see if Dylan and Jack are exchanging Emails. NOW that would be a pair of smart dogs :lol:
I THOUGHT my laptop had been used the other day!!!
Erica wrote:Oh gosh, dropping the kong...Opal tried that with her wobbler a couple times. For those not familiar with the wobbler, it's a really big Kong, but hard plastic instead of pliable, and has a hole in the side that the treats come out of. Instead of chewing/licking the kong, to dog knocks it around with their nose or paws. Once Opal figured out how to pick it up, she tried throwing it around. It is SO LOUD. I'm glad she stopped!
Dylan tends to knock the Wobbler round for a while, then picks it up (he grabs the narrower end in his mouth and sort of drags it more than carries it!) takes it to his bed or in his crate, and then pushes it round the bed! Whenever I come home and have left it with him, its always on his bed or in his crate! But yep...it is very loud when it gets knocked against walls, so being thrown about must be deafening!! :D
Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by Fundog »

Annie throws stuff too. She can take the lids off canisters by grasping the edge of the lid in her mouth, then throwing the canister, without releasing her grip on the lid. Then she tosses the lid aside, stuffs her whole head inside the canister, and gobbles up the goodies. Puzzle solved, in the blink of an eye.

And trading? Yep, she's always bringing me her rawhide or a bone or a toy, hoping I will trade up with what I'm eating. (Sorry, Girlie, not a chance!) :lol:
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
SLWeber
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 9:01 am

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by SLWeber »

Our Red has figured out that he can move the furnature in the living room. He fancies himself an interior designer. He likes to move the papasan chair over by the door so he can look out and greet everyone who passes (because of course, he loves everyone, and everyone was put on this earth to give love and attention to the Reddog). The love seat gets pushed over to the window, and he takes the cushions off so his friends (a formerly stuffed hedgehog toy, and stuffing-less racoons and foxes) can have a comfortable place to lay, too.
Suzette
Posts: 1518
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:45 am

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by Suzette »

Piper is only four months old, but she has figured out what my three cats can and can't scratch on. If they claw at either of their scratching posts, she completely ignores them. BUT . . . if they dare to scratch on my sofa, she's on the job! No matter what she's doing (even napping), she'll run over to the sofa, barking and jumping at them until they stop. Once they stop, she'll instantly stop barking, look at me very satisfied with herself and go back to whatever she was doing before they rudely interrupted her. :mrgreen:

She and my cats get along great, one will even curl up with her at nap time, but when it comes to those claws, Piper rules that little roost. :lol:
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by Erica »

Suzette wrote:Piper is only four months old, but she has figured out what my three cats can and can't scratch on. If they claw at either of their scratching posts, she completely ignores them. BUT . . . if they dare to scratch on my sofa, she's on the job! No matter what she's doing (even napping), she'll run over to the sofa, barking and jumping at them until they stop. Once they stop, she'll instantly stop barking, look at me very satisfied with herself and go back to whatever she was doing before they rudely interrupted her. :mrgreen:

She and my cats get along great, one will even curl up with her at nap time, but when it comes to those claws, Piper rules that little roost. :lol:
That's pretty awesome! Our dog, Onyx, used to break up the cat fights that our two female cats had. Now the two cats live in different areas of the house, but back when they used to interact, it was nice knowing that Onyx would stop the fights before they got too bad...:)
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
PHOENIX
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:16 am

Re: What has your smart dog figured out?

Post by PHOENIX »

Hi All,

Ringo has learned and/ or figured out so many things it is difficult to remember all of them.

He knows how to open his crate, and he knows how to open the apartment door (it opens into the hallway).

He loves being vacuumed and if he feels he has not been sufficiently vacuumed or I haven't done it long enough or I have been vacuuming too long without vacuuming him again, he will turn off the vacuum. If I tell him to turn it back on, he looks down at the button and then looks back up at me. He won't turn it on until I get the grooming attachment.

He also alerts me that the phone is ringing. He will run back and forth from the bedroom to the kitchen letting me know the phone is ringing. This is something he taught himself.

Actually, everything I mentioned are things he taught himself, though opening the door is NOT encouraged.

I have pictures of him sitting at the computer so my suspicions that he goes online have been confirmed.

I'm still trying to convince him that his license is not a license to drive.



Phoenix & Ringo
Post Reply