Thinking Dogs.. Somebody's got to start it - Page 12

**Chatty** · 03-13-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brumwolf

We used to have a police k9 handler on here who said and I quote "that they didn't use many Dobermans as k9 dogs because unlike a GSD they would try to THINK their way around situations" and that came from someone who is "working" with dogs in situations almost every day.

The man we bought our house from is a K9 sheriff, his working dog was Malinois. He told us the same exact thing about dobermans. He said it's because they think about the situation before they act, which is very risky in police work. He would say they are the most intelligent dog out there.

lolonurse · 03-13-2009, 08:58 PM

Thank you, Von. I hope I wasn't too forward, and your answer probably helps us all understand you a bit better. I appreciate the "old school" way of doing things myself. It's how I was taught, and my grandfather did it that way for 80 years, and taught me from the time I was a little girl, so I've been doing it that way for almost 50 years myself!! When I helped him teach his classes, he was always so patient, but SO firm in his replies to people who wanted to rush things, move ahead because they felt their dog was too advanced or too smart or whatever. He would always tell them that they were welcome to enroll in anyone else's classes that they wanted to, but if they were in his class, they had to train his way. There were only a couple of people, in all the years, who were wiseguys and left to do it on their own - and all but 1 actually came back to him after a time, sheepishly, asking for help with their "problem" dog. I have often kicked myself for not following in his footsteps. Lois

lolonurse · 03-13-2009, 09:10 PM

My dogs are very smart, very thoughtful, very clever, and absolutely do think, reason, problem-solve and have wicked senses of humor. And since each of them has or had entirely unique personalities, I have no doubt whatsoever that each was or is an individual, with a heart, a soul and an active brain. I remember, years ago, people would say that animals don't have memories, and so if something happens in their lives, they just move on, because it's forgotten. But that isn't why they move on - they move on because they live for the now. In that respect, we could learn a lot from them, since most of us live in the past, waiting for the future. Not very Zen of us.

I also want to remark that animals understand language. They are capable of learning multiple communication methods. I have had friends who had hearing assist dogs who learned American Sign Language, and would respond to it not just from their own human, but from other AmSLan users. Our dogs respond to sentences, individual words, and sounds. We have also very carefully listened to the vocalizations they make during certain activities, and mimicked them when we wanted them to display those activities - and it works. They have specific sounds they make for certain types of play and activity, and we use those same sounds to rev them up and get them involved. It's great to speak more than one language!! We speak Doberman.

Linda H · 03-20-2009, 05:08 PM

I know this is old but I have to bring up the hummingbird that comes to the door when the feeder needs refilling.
The dog that brings its bowl to you because it is hungry.
My house broken dog that went to the door and peed while staring at me defiently(his eyes sure looked that way)because I kept putting him off since I wanted to sleep a little longer. Not the ususal door he went out of, which was out of my sight, but the one right in front of where I was laying.
The time he was in the water and a boy thru a tennis ball for him to fetch and it hit him by mistake. He was looking at the boy, then at the ball, at the boy, at the ball. About the third look I realized he was trying to decide if the boy hit him on purpose or not and he was going to nip him if he decided it was on purpose and told him to get the ball that was right in front of him where it had floated after hitting him.
I could go on.......

MaddiesMom · 03-20-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paws

So Tre had just found a chewy that was lying in some corner of the room. The MIn Pin meanwhile finds a tennis ball. SHe could care less about the tennis ball. But meanwhile she gets up on the couch and flips on her back and holds that ball between her paws, and sort of juggles it around on her feet, altogether acting like she is having the most amazing time with this ball. I mean, give her the Oscar, she is the picture of giddy contentment with the ball. So Tre who is a little slow (he's ony 4 months) comes up like a big goof (doh dee doh dee doh...) to see what is going on, chewie dangling nonchalantly out the side of his mouth... Min draws him in with her juggling trick, she is mesmerizing... she is having such an insane amount much fun that he has to have that ball. He finally can't stand it, he drops the chewie for the ball, Min fast as lightening grabs the chewy and takes off at top speed to enjoy her victory prize. Tre looks on dumbfounded as the ball drops out of his mouth. She does stuff like this with him all. the. time. He doesn't stand a chance.

My chinese crested does the same thing to my poor guy, and he's over a year now...he's not dumb but she is SO good at making what she has look better....craftly little dogs.

**RedFawnRising** · 03-20-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda H

I know this is old but I have to bring up the hummingbird that comes to the door when the feeder needs refilling.
The dog that brings its bowl to you because it is hungry.
My house broken dog that went to the door and peed while staring at me defiently(his eyes sure looked that way)because I kept putting him off since I wanted to sleep a little longer. Not the ususal door he went out of, which was out of my sight, but the one right in front of where I was laying.
The time he was in the water and a boy thru a tennis ball for him to fetch and it hit him by mistake. He was looking at the boy, then at the ball, at the boy, at the ball. About the third look I realized he was trying to decide if the boy hit him on purpose or not and he was going to nip him if he decided it was on purpose and told him to get the ball that was right in front of him where it had floated after hitting him.
I could go on.......

Ooh, did you see the story on the egrets (I think, some sort of smaller water bird, maybe a lesser heron) that were fishing in new way?

They were going and getting bread that folks had tossed for some other birds, breaking it into small pieces with their beaks, dropping it off the pier onto the surface of the water, and then nailing the fish who came to the surface to feed on it.

Linda H · 03-20-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedFawnRising

Ooh, did you see the story on the egrets (I think, some sort of smaller water bird, maybe a lesser heron) that were fishing in new way?

They were going and getting bread that folks had tossed for some other birds, breaking it into small pieces with their beaks, dropping it off the pier onto the surface of the water, and then nailing the fish who came to the surface to feed on it.

I did happen to catch that. I guess we people have been the dumb ones all along.