What is the most impressive thing your GSD can do?

2168 Views 26 Replies 23 Participants Last post by meisha98, May 14, 2009

ardavis324

Discussion Starter · Apr 5, 2008

This is surely going to be different for everyone, but what is the single most impressive thing your GSD can do?

Maybe some type of command you have trained him/her with, or even something he just does on his/her own that makes you think "wow, what an intelligent animal". If its something you trained, explain how you did it!

1 - 20 of 27 Posts

kaslkaos

· #2 · Apr 5, 2008

I've taught her many things, but I'm always most impressed watching Dynamo catch frisbee's in flight. Obviously, this she learned on her own. The most impressive thing is seeing how she can calculate and track trajectories of in flight frisbees, especially when she correctly anticipates that it will hit a tree and correctly calculates the direction it will bounce off it, and changes her trajectory before the frisbee hits the tree. Wow!

G

· #3 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

For friends and visitors Odin's most impressive trick is to get a can of soda out of the fridge and bring it to them. I like Coke but DW likes Pepsi. He will bring the correct can to us and if a vistor asks for Pepsi or Coke he knows which is which.

That's pretty good alright. It's not only complex and shows an understanding of something being different, but for me his most impressive trick is knowing what the words "last one" mean. I can use it for anything. The last treat he's going to get, the last toss of a stick, the last trick he has to do etc. This shows an understanding of time. I think that's his best. A favorite story I have about that is from one day when we were at the park and I had been tossing the frisbee, throwing the ball, and tossing a stick (his favorite) with him for quite awhile in an open area that families often share. I said, "Okay, last one!" and Odin dutifully put the stick back in the woods and dropped it there, grabbed his ball and put it in the frisbee and then grabbed that like a plate and jumped into the stationwagon I had at the time. A young mother obviously being pulled in several directions by three little kids yelled over "Can you teach THEM how to do that?!?".

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Elmo's Mom

· #4 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

I saw this thread this morning and was hoping there would be an Odin story here.

What an amazing dog!

Elmo is about 15 months old so he's still learning. He knows the name of all of his toys and some by their color (red Cuz versus green). I just taught him how to dunk his ball into a basketball hoop.

I've read about dogs opening doors by turning knobs and then I look at my goofy Elmo. If the door is shut but not all the way, he looks at me to open it for him. He doesn't realize he can just push it open.

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butch33611

· #5 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

I think the most impressive thing about Sarge is how him and I communicate with eachother. I say it and he does it, or he wants something from me and I can tell from his actions what it is hes trying to convey. An example would be, when we'er having snacks and theres no more left, hes sitting in front of me waitting on the next one. I brush my hands together and say, all gone, no more. He just walks away because he knows theres no more.

butch33611

· #6 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Originally Posted By: GSDadFor friends and visitors Odin's most impressive trick is to get a can of soda out of the fridge and bring it to them. I like Coke but DW likes Pepsi. He will bring the correct can to us and if a vistor asks for Pepsi or Coke he knows which is which.

That's pretty good alright. It's not only complex and shows an understanding of something being different, but for me his most impressive trick is knowing what the words "last one" mean. I can use it for anything. The last treat he's going to get, the last toss of a stick, the last trick he has to do etc. This shows an understanding of time. I think that's his best. A favorite story I have about that is from one day when we were at the park and I had been tossing the frisbee, throwing the ball, and tossing a stick (his favorite) with him for quite awhile in an open area that families often share. I said, "Okay, last one!" and Odin dutifully put the stick back in the woods and dropped it there, grabbed his ball and put it in the frisbee and then grabbed that like a plate and jumped into the stationwagon I had at the time. A young mother obviously being pulled in several directions by three little kids yelled over "Can you teach THEM how to do that?!?".

You should do a video of either one of those things and post it up here. It would be cool to see.

Brightelf

· #7 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Grimm is intuitive to the extreme, combined with being a supersnuggly nurturer. He singles out the very aged, the very infirm, the disabled, those with mental and psychological impairments, and babies. He makes himself available to these people, with or without my permission... or, he tries to. He will pass three vigorous, healthy, preoccupied people on the street, but then sit and lean towards an ancient grandma toddling slowly up the sidewalk, offering himself for petting. He lays down flat-- chin between paws-- on the ground for babies, trying to look tiny. (hard when you are rhinocerous sized)

Grimm strongly gravitates towards anyone with a hurting body, mind or soul-- and offers his warmth and care.

G

· #8 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Originally Posted By: butch33611

Originally Posted By: GSDadFor friends and visitors Odin's most impressive trick is to get a can of soda out of the fridge and bring it to them. I like Coke but DW likes Pepsi. He will bring the correct can to us and if a vistor asks for Pepsi or Coke he knows which is which.

That's pretty good alright. It's not only complex and shows an understanding of something being different, but for me his most impressive trick is knowing what the words "last one" mean. I can use it for anything. The last treat he's going to get, the last toss of a stick, the last trick he has to do etc. This shows an understanding of time. I think that's his best. A favorite story I have about that is from one day when we were at the park and I had been tossing the frisbee, throwing the ball, and tossing a stick (his favorite) with him for quite awhile in an open area that families often share. I said, "Okay, last one!" and Odin dutifully put the stick back in the woods and dropped it there, grabbed his ball and put it in the frisbee and then grabbed that like a plate and jumped into the stationwagon I had at the time. A young mother obviously being pulled in several directions by three little kids yelled over "Can you teach THEM how to do that?!?".

Click to expand...

You should do a video of either one of those things and post it up here. It would be cool to see.

Quite likely to happen, Butch. My father-in-law asked what we wanted most for the baby we have due this summer and we both said "A digital video camera!". LOL!

tracyc

· #9 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Most impressive to me:
Luca's ability to walk off lead and be well-behaved among strangers.

Most impressive to others:
Catching ice cubes that I spit into the air! (yes, that's our parlor trick at cocktail parties!)

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tibvixie101

· #10 · Apr 5, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Think i'd have to go with a similar answer to Butch and Sarge. I talk to Mya when asking her to do something as if i were talking to a person. A simple "hey move for a second?" promts her to get up and move out of my way, watching to make sure she doesnt get under my feet. This works great when im climbing the basement stairs with a basket piled high with laundry and i cant see where im going. She also does the "all done" if i take her to BK for some chicken nuggets, she gets to come to the front seat to snack, but when i say "all done" and sighs and climbs into the back of the truck. She's really smart at knowing what i want from her, and she seems to know a large vocabulary of "commands" i ask of her throughout the day. Our pitbull teddy is in sort of a rehabiliting phase, and her help to show him what behavior im looking for is amazing. He gets really excited when going outside and jumps and flails around when i try to put his leash on. Asking Mya to sit and wait (NILIF -me going 1st through the door, etc.) actually calms him down so that he will follow her lead.

The company favorite: her trick "acting bashful". She will lay INTO your lap and start covering her eyes with her paws making a cute groaning sound like she NEEDS to be pet or she'll just die! LOL It works everytime, and now she does it without command. The second our guests butt hits the couch, shes right there showing them just how cute she can be!

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BrennasMom

· #11 · Apr 6, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

The most impressive thing Brenna can do is to amuse me as much as she does. hehe She is such a goof when she wants to be.

If you mean it in more of a side show act, she is collapsible, she will get into this itty bitty crate at work and then Mollie goes in with her.

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Lin

· #12 · Apr 6, 2008

2

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

This isn't something I taught her, but it was pretty amazing

I was at the dog park one time. I had a new foster dog (Italian Greyhound) so I had the leash in one pocket and harness in another just in case I needed to leash him (I clip my GSDs leashes to the fence coming in). A dog ran up and stole the leash out of my pocket. I said "HEY!" or something like that and started jogging after the dog. When he took of faster I gave up and stopped. Tessa started running after the dog and after a bit he dropped the harness. Tessa grabbed it and ran up to me to give it back. Everyone was really amazed, myself included! It was probably a coincidence, me running after the dog and the dog dropping the item having Tessa retrieve it as if it was a toy for fetch... But maybe she understood exactly what was going on

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Ursa Lunar

· #13 · Apr 6, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Oskar can tell when a woman is pregnant - before she would even guess at the possibility because of, ah-hem, things missed.

He's done that with me, and more recently with a friend of mine who wasn't sure yet if her invitro fertilization treatment had taken.
That friend is not a dog person so Osk never snuggled her like he does most women he's familiar with, but when she was 1st pregnant he wouldn't leave her side while she was here - big goofy smile the whole time.

That's how he "tells" you what he knows, he leans gently against them, gives the big goofy smile and sniffs their bellies. I think he adores pregnant women because he loves children so much and they're bringing more children for him to moon over.

The sad part of this talent (and I didn't say anything to my friend when I saw his reaction) was when she miscarried the baby from that invitro ... Osk would not go near her after first greeting at the door. He just looked at her mournfully from across the room.
She called a few days later to tell me, I cried, had hoped for her Oskar was wrong.

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DSudd

· #14 · Apr 7, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

DH has taught Rocky a few cool tricks. We did not teach Rocky this one, but if you say Cheese he will run to the fridge and as soon as you open the door he will show you exactly where the cheese is. We make him do all kinds of commands to get his treat. DH will also toss treats to him. If Rocky misses a treat and it hits the floor, he will not take it until we tell him "paid for". He will just sit and wait for that command. Dh and I have even left the room to see what he will do and he still sits and waits for it.

DanL

· #15 · Apr 7, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

It's not much, but it's convenient on rainy days- every morning Gunnar will go out and get my newspaper. It's his little job and he takes great pride in it. When he finds it and picks it up he prances back to the door, all puffed up and proud. The best was the morning it was buried under the snow and he found it.

He's good at object finds too. I can show him a toy, a stick, a hat or glove, then hide it somewhere in the yard and tell him to find it. He can usually locate it in under a minute. A particularly good one is hiding a stick in our huge pile of sticks we keep for kindling, and having him bring the right stick back to you.

raysmom

· #16 · Apr 7, 2008

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Kaiser loves to take toys, balls, etc. out in the yard with him. Sometimes he'll end up having 5 or 6 things out there. We tell him to "Go get your toy and bring it in" and he will go and get each one and bring it in until he's got all of them back in the house!

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jone

· #17 · May 10, 2009

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

just found this post. Fun to read. Makes me so happy to be raising a GSD again. My former was amazing. Many things about her were awesome, she's of legendery status in my home. The kids bemoan that they never knew her. One of my favorite things was when my girlfriends and I would be upstairs getting ready to go out and party, we'd tell Cherry - Tell me when the taxi is here. She'd sit by the living room window and bark excitedly to announce the taxi pulling up. Another time she escaped from the house, I never did figure out how, and tracked me across town, over busy city streets. We were having brunch at a restaurant when I looked up and saw her staring at us from the window. I was in a panic at how much danger she had passed thru to find me. I had no leash or vehicle and had to step outside and tell her to sit and wait, which she did. On one of the busiest sidewalks on one of the busiest streets. She sat dilligently, never taking her eyes off me while we ate.
I could probably go on and on about the amazing feats of the lovely Cherry Berry. RIP.

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Brightelf

· #18 · May 10, 2009

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

Grimm can retrieve something that I drop when I ask him to, and he can carry an object for me while heeling.

SuzyE

· #19 · May 10, 2009

Re: What is the most impressive thing your GSD can

ok well my GSD is a genius and she does A LOT of impressive things but one of the most impressive is that she can open the zippers to a two room tent to get herself out.

doggiedad

· #20 · May 10, 2009

my dogs attitude is impressive to me. he's very friendly with people and other animals. he's very calm in the house and active outside.
training my dog was so easy. i'm impressed with my dogs tempermant and his ability to learn so quickly. i'm impressed with
the GSD's looks, trainability and versatility.

1 - 20 of 27 Posts

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