Now I realize that most dog people know that dogs are quite intelligent, but there are people out there that don't believe that dogs can think and only rely on instinct. Well, even those of us that do believe dogs can think and reason still get amazed at what they can do sometimes. Here's a few stories that I think are amazing that have happened with my dogs.
One day as I was out playing with the dogs in their field, I noticed that some of the blackberries where ripe, so I started to pick and eat a few of them. Well, the dogs were watching what I was doing, so they began to investigate what was on the bushes that I was eating. When they discovered the berries, they started picking and eating them themselves, and they most often picked the black ones, not the unripe ones. I was so surprised that I brought my video camera out with me the next day. When I got to where the berries were, they didn't wait for me to start picking, they started picking and eating their own while I taped it. Now, I don't call that instinct, I call that reasoning.
Let me start this story by saying that my dogs live a pack life, very much like wolves do in the wild. I keep them all together in about a 1 1/2 acre tree studded field. They have the kennel building to go into for food and water, which is air conditioned during the hot months. Their food buckets are down and filled all day, so they can eat when ever they please. When evening comes, they all come into the house and stay in until morning. Living a pack life like this forms a strong order of dominance and watching them is very interesting. That said, here's the story.
Up until I had Renny, I never knew a dog that wouldn't breed his mother when she was in season. Renny is a big exception. Like in a wolf pack, he will not breed his mother. She can come into season and he will just stay away from her. He has very high respect for her always. His mother, Layla, is the kennel boss. Females are always the ultimate boss. The top male is second in command. Layla still washes all of her kids and will still disipline them no matter how old they get.
Early in 2000, I had three litters all at once and one was sired by Renny. The pups are never with the adult dogs until about 9 weeks old when the pups that are sold leave. What's left are my keepers and I put them out with the pack. I kept two pups from each litter except from the Renny sired litter from which I kept just one female. Renny had never seen these pups (up close anyways) until they were put with the pack. Within a short time, he singled out his daughter and made her his favorite. He'd play with her, wash her, and just pay a lot more attention to her than any of the others.
About a month later, I came home with two more pups that were nine weeks old from a litter that someone else had that was sired by Renny. I naturally put them right in with the pack. It didn't take Renny very long to do the same with them as he did with his other kid. He would spend his time playing with these three pups and washing and caring for them. He liked the other four too, but he wouldn't wash and care for them like he would his own three kids. I'm totally convinced that he knows his own kids and this must be through their scent. It must be a similar scent as his own, so he can identify them as his. I will also say that I've never known a dog that knows as much as Renny. He's been an amazing dog since he was 5 months old. That's why I kept him.
Like I said in the last story, there's a strong order of dominance in the pack. Crystal has placed herself well above Ebony. Heck, she's about two inches taller and out weighs her by a lot, but that doesn't always determine dominance. Anyway, when they're in the house during the evening, I hold several of them, in turn, while I watch tv. Crystal doesn't want me to hold Ebony, in fact she hates the thought of Ebony getting any attention that she could've gotten. Whenever a tricolor gets on my lap, Crystal comes right over to make sure it's not Ebony. She doesn't come over if the dog on my lap isn't a tricolor, so she knows her colors. One evening when all the dogs were presumably asleep, I had no dog on my lap. Ebony was laying on the futon behind me and Crystal was clear across the room. I called Ebony, but she won't move in fear that Crystal will come over and boss her, so she just layed there still. However, Crystal came flying across the room, went straight over to Ebony, and blocked her path just in case. It seemed as though Crystal knows Ebony's name is Ebony. So to put it to a test, later in the evening I went to another side of the room when all the dogs were sleeping. I was now in a different corner from Crystal or Ebony. I called Ebony. Ebony again didn't move in fear of Crystal. Crystal got up, ran right over to Ebony, not toward me, and stood in front of her to block her way. So, now I'm convinced that at least some dogs know the names of other dogs, not just their own.
This story is from the people that now have Oscar and Clancey.
Let me tell you about Oscar. He is a great kid, the
smartest one I know. When he was 1 1/2 years old we
adopted little Clancy. The other two dogs were
naturally stand offish and actually mean to him.
Oscar took pity on him immediately and began their
friendship by giving Clancy his favorite toy to play
with. Over the course of weeks I noticed that when
Cody, who really wanted nothing to do with Clancy,
would growl at him, Oscar would get between the two
and right in Cody's face and just stare him down.
Occasionally it became a growling match but Oscar
wouldn't back down until he knew Clancy was ok. Then
as Clancy got older and started "exploring" things
with his teeth it got really interesting. One day I
was working on the computer and Oscar came running in,
picked my hand up off the key board and stared at me.
I asked him if he wanted to go out, there was no
reaction except he did the same thing again. So I got
up and followed him into the livingroom where we found
Clancy happily chewing the antena off the cordless
phone. Oscar immediately got between me and Clancy to
protect him. So he isn't a snitch but really
understands the difference between right and wrong.
Other times he has alerted me for things like Clancy
running through the yard unraveling toilet paper as he
ran, Clancy chewing on various socks he stole out of
the laundry basket, etc. The sweetest
thing is in the morning Oscar and Clancy greet each
other with "kisses" on each other's faces and cuddle
before attacking us to wake us up. Why has Oscar
taken to this puppy as he did? Does he know the scent
from the kennel where he was also born or is he just a
good big brother who remembered how hard it was to be
accepted by two older dogs when he came to live with
us. All I know is Oscar is an example of how dogs are
feeling, caring and loving creatures. Please don't
treat your pet as anything less.
These guys never cease to amaze me. I wonder if humans amaze them?