Lassie set the bar too high

[Steve Carlton]

I used to love watching that show. This morning my standard poodle Zora impressed me with her advanced intelligence. I recently had found my other dog Oscar's squeaky stuffed carrot, which he adores. So funny to see him trotting around with this oversized, stubby carrot. This morning while fixing their breakfast I look out the window and Zora is in heaving bounding around the yard enjoying Oscar's carrot. Then she sets it down and moves away from it. When Oscar tries to get it, she uses her superior speed to get it first. Not just tug-of-war or you-can't-have-it, but taunting him with her enjoyment of it. It was remarkable.

Please share your dog stories!

[craigster59]

I've got a Chocolate Lab that can tell time like he's wearing a wristwatch. 3:30 am means let me out to pee and poop and sniff around a little. 7:00 am means it's time for chicken. 4:30 pm means it's time for Mom to stop working. 7:30 pm means it's time for Cheez-its.

He's never more than 5 minutes off, no lie.

[john70t]

I used to think my young dog could be forced into something.
He fought me all the way.
Maybe he won.

Now I know that consistent standards and rules mean so much more, to every form of animal.

[asphaltgambler]

I bet Lassie could never pull this off for Christmas

[john70t]

Billie fell in the well, you igiot. Imma gonna repeat myself.

[Seahawk]

Heelers by and large are very smart but lack non-situational awareness, meaning if they are engaged in a task they are brilliant; in the space between they get anxious and needy, looking for the next task.

My Labs have been the absolute kindest souls to ever visit the Earth but, unlike 59's pup, only knew time in terms of naps...they were more Wheel of Fortune than Jeopardy.

Jack Russel's: We are on our third (my fourth) and if bluster was IQ, we'd know all about the Sixth Dimension. It is not so we don't. JR's operate like a Patriot Missile: See the target, kill the target, next.

The new rescue is, and I know I have been posting too many pictures of her, is the smartest, most in tune dog I have ever owned in my life. She is a cross between a Heeler (which she was marketed as - she is maybe 25%), a GS and whatever dog, like a Standard Poodle, has common sense...throw in mutt for some savvy and that is her.



We got really lucky.

[oldE]

Casey was a Lab Husky mix we picked up from the shelter. He had decided we were his people and life was good. A while later we took on Brindle, a Beagle Boxer mix who had been badly abused. One day shortly after getting the second dog, Mrs oldE got home from work and found no dogs in the kennel, but evidence the dogs had dug under the fence and escaped. After a search we found them a mile from home and Casey came to us, but Brindle wouldn't let us near. The wife guessed if we let them go, they should head home, as it was supper time. When she released Casey, he trotted over to Brindle, communicated to her in some way and led her over to my wife to be loaded into the truck! Sort of "Come on girl. It's time to go home!"
Every now and then we still think about that amazing dog.

Best
Les

[GH85Carrera]

Actually there was never an episode where Billy fell down a well.

[Steve Carlton]

Billy or Timmy?

[Jims5543]

My stupid poop machine.

[asphaltgambler]

Timmy

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

My stupid poop machine.]

My [should be dead] cat is a more advanced turbine machine than that pooch

[Superman]

Our velociraptor is about 20 months. Like Paul said, when she is engaged upon a task, she is well over 100% focused. When there is no task at hand, she needs one. I wish we had cattle. We do have a rigid plastic ball, about 12-14 inches in diameter. That ball lives a hard life.

Mercifully, the velociraptor has something close to a 24-hour bladder. She drinks water like a fish, but doesn't need to go outside when I get up, or even when I finish my coffee and start the work day around 8. She's going to be a really good dog. She's trying really hard.

[billybek]

When our old border collie girl was a bit younger, my son tried something with her that really impressed me.
He dropped a chew rope that was knotted only on one end through the umbrella hole on an outdoor table, the knot prevented the rope from passing through the hole. Peps immediately grabbed the rope from under the table, tugged on it twice, let go and went to the top of the table, pulled out the rope and played with it with great enthusiasm.
Not rehearsed, never had done it before and the puzzle was solved in less than 3 seconds.

[Steve Carlton]

They say border collies are the smartest breed of dog.

[Baz]

I've really enjoyed reading the posts in this thread.

I read somewhere that the Poodle is the smartest breed.

I've never owned a Poodle, but can attest that Heelers are incredibly smart! They are so alert too - you can't do anything without their knowledge! And they never forget anything.....and I mean never.

Here's one of several videos I put together about 10 years ago featuring my 2 girls. We lost Billabong - the smaller one with the docked tail, a year or so ago to Lymphoma. She was a rescue from Louisiana that showed up on Petfinder back in '06. The footage of her on the futon wrestling with my other Heeler, Winkipop, was taken just a day after we picked her up. Amazing how well those 2 got along from day 1. Of course Billabong knew right away Winkipop was the Alpha. Pack mentality!

Winkipop turns 17 in March!

As to the thread theme.....this breed routinely uses their hands, something I found pretty remarkable. Check out Winkipop at the 2 minute mark working on her Mini-Kong to get at the peanut butter.......

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by Baz

...I read somewhere that the Poodle is the smartest breed...

IDK on that. We're on our second standard - and he's about as dumb as a dog. Perhaps it's the humans in his loop and the subsequent training lapses but I'm not getting many "woah smart dog" vibes.

He is soft, loving and very gentle with our kid so I can't complain. I don't think we have a big future in agility or other doggy-sports though.

HOWEVER!!!! - Can I scream it to the world? What's up with ???-oodles? Just get a poodle. They're good dogs, there's no reason to mix them up with lesser breeds like golden receivers and labrawhatevers. Man up. Get the poodle that you wanted in the first place.

(challenging pups though - good thing they're cute 'cause they might not make it otherwise)

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by Baz

I've never owned a Poodle, but can attest that Heelers are incredibly smart! They are so alert too - you can't do anything without their knowledge! And they never forget anything.....and I mean never.

We were toodling around N NM with some friends one day and came across some sort of a sheep herding event. They were eager to get everyone involved so our friends dragged out their >10yo sheltie - and, yet never having seen a sheep in his coddled suburban life, the old guy clicked and started to do sheep-dog things. It was so cool to see...

In comparison, our std poodle smells his farts and makes funny faces because he didn't know where that smell came from.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

I bet Lassie could never pull this off for Christmas

Are you kidding? Lassie would have made sure that no two bulbs of the same color were next to each other, and the lamps would be sequenced and strobed to the theme song from the original tv show - as whistled by a world champion whistler.

[asphaltgambler]

Lol^^^^