[Melina]

We all know Shepherds are an intelligent breed, but Koda being my first is teaching me a lot about just how smart they really are. There are the little things he's done, like learn some things incredibly fast. He learned not to door dash in about a half hour. Learned shake and down in about 10 tries, etc. Then there are the things he does that completely amaze me. Like when he when he wants so badly to stay in my room with me but I want him out for some reason or another. I can't coax him out, no, he will sit in my room and won't budge until he hears a certain number of footsteps down the hall. Then he knows I'm actually leaving my room and wants to go with me. Then he knows I'm not trying to trick him out of the room to then run back in.


Recently, he learned something else that lends proof of his intelligence. We have inside toys and outside toys for obvious reasons, to keep the inside ones looking semi-clean. Well, every time I went to open the slider to let Koda out back he would run and attempt to grab a toy to bring out back with him. Adorable, but not kosher. So I'd stand there with my hand on the slider door saying, "Drop it" incessantly, with little success, until I would finally give up and just grab the toy out of his mouth, let him out, and chuck the toy across the room.

A couple days ago, however, I noticed something...

I went to let Koda outside, he did his usual routine in grabbing a toy and I thought to myself, Gotta grab the toy, that's the nice new one I got him...But to my surprise he got to the door and just dropped it. It took a second to process what happened. I gave him this look like, Really?, and went to open the slider a bit thinking he'd pick it back up and dash. Nope! He didn't go for the toy, so I let him out. He's been doing that with all of his toys since.


Trivial, I know, but it's another thing to add to the list. I can't wait to see what else he has in store for me. I'm just wondering what kinds of things yours have done that have just left you scratching your head in amazement...

 

[paulag1955]

Shasta does something similar. She carries her outside toys (or her latest favorite stick) to the door when it's time to go in and then drops them before she comes inside. They are fairly clever, aren't they?

 

[gsdraven]

I do this too! Raven knows to drop whatever bone or toy she has in her mouth before going out the back door. I don't even have to say anything any more.

Good boy Koda!

 

[JustMeLeslie]

Victor also does this. He knows not to bring his outside tennis balls in the house so he drops them at the door. I don't even have to tell him anymore he just does it. He knows I have to wash it off before he can play with it again. He watches to make sure I pick it up and take the ball in the house and wash it for him.

 

[Lilie]

Hondo knows he isn't allowed to play with the Doxie when she is sitting on my lap. He gets her too slobbery. So what he has learned to do is pick up one of his toys and drop it on her head. If she grabs it, tug is on...if she ignores him, he'll go get another toy and repeat his action until she responds. If I pick up the toy and throw it, he'll fetch it but come back 100 miles an hour and jump full body on top of me and the doxie. Either way, he wins.

 

[smdaigle]

Rennie leaves at least one stick outside each door and there's usually an inside tennis ball inside each door. These little things fascinate me!

 

[ZAYDA]

My girl will go to the couch and look back at me and I say nothing because mommy doesn't want them up there so then she comes back around me and was going in the kitchen so I thought I would test her and I said Zayda it's ok and she went and laid on the couch. It was a full minute later when I told her it was ok and I didn't do if before.

She also tries to bring a toy out but I just say hey and she drops it but when we have company she will do it to them all the time.

 

[Melina]

Hondo knows he isn't allowed to play with the Doxie when she is sitting on my lap. He gets her too slobbery.

I need to teach Koda this one! Man, he goes after Riley all the time. The fur around her neck is so gross because of it. If I don't brush her out it looks like someone isn't taking care of her, you'd think she was a stray dog that hadn't been bathed in weeks. Save for the fact that she's slightly on the heavier side so you know she's eating well and not out of trash cans.

 

[JazzNScout]

I think the "most intelligent" thing that got me laughing was years ago when I had Tyler and Morgan. It was spring time, so I'd sleep with the sliding glass door open to the backyard. The dogs were bugging me early on a Saturday morning. After a lot of "shushing," and "no's," I decided to play a dirty trick on them:

I said, "Go get the kitty cat!" Tyler BOLTED out of the house.

Morgan, though, jumped up in bed with me, moved the curtain with her nose, looked out the front window for the cat, looked at me like, "Yea, right," and plopped herself down on the bed.