Tuesday, April 15, 2008


Doggie Intelligence.
A funny thing...the other day I was mowing the yard. The mower/slasher which we use had been broken for a while so now fixed, it was pushing through pretty long grass. I was doing it all in a big square working inwards, keeping an eye out (for snakes!!!) for the doggie's toys... he has about three or four rope pull type toys and loves them dearly. I noticed that much of the time I was mowing he was rolling about on his back in the middle of the diminishing center of long grass. He'd get up and go away sometimes and then come back.

When I was finished... I hadn't run over much less found one single toy...they'd been about when I played with him earlier.
When I went down to the shed to put the mower away, here next to his most recent bone, and almost lined up in a row were the three favourite toys. I'd been keeping an eye on his but hadn't noticed him quietly and with intent "saving" his treasures. Almost secretly.
To his eyes the mower would have seemed like it was chewing everything up maybe... I usually lock him inside when the big slasher is going because the man who rides this is likely not to see Thorn and the old dog is slow to get out of the road, but what I was using Thorn was unused to, and also unused to seeing me do it...its been broken that long.
I just wonder what he was thinking and please anyone who says that was instinct... if he'd just put them out of the way...maybe... but to line them up methodically some distance from where I was mowing... hm.

11 comments:

Jules said...

What a clever dog!!

He's lovely.

Sling said...

..doesn't surprise me in the least.
Dogs make the natural assumption that we are at least as smart as they are,and arrange their priorities accordingly.
I sometimes wonder at how often we fall short of their expectations.

Cazzie!!! said...

He is such a good doggie :)

Anonymous said...

OKay, MC, GG has her toy basket, right? Forget Mimi...it's not hers nor will it ever belong to her...anyway, toys strewn all over the carpet to chew on and play fetch and taunt Mimi..so when I go and pick them up and put them back into the toy baskie, so I can vacuum, she pulls her favorite ones OUT and puts them on the sofa or bed. Just the opposite from Thor...as if she is telling me, "No Mommy, don't put those away...we need them to play...do I have to train you again today?" Yup, and she is physic too...really!

rosemary said...

The difference between your dog and mine.....Penelope would have been rolling in moose, bear or deer poop.

Middle Child said...

Jules...glad you noticed ; )

Middle Child said...

Sling - I think I just did. I bought the doggie home a huge bone fromt he butchers. still dripping (yummy) full of ,marrow which he took with great delight no doubt imagining the size of the beastie I had just killed with my own teeth...he pronced out barely able to carry it, shred it amicably with the three maggies in our yard... came up panting and pleased...drained the water bowls (yes bowls)... started looking at me as if to say..time to go down and throw that bit of rope with the squeak at the end of it... which I did - he tiores easily sadly... then when I came in here to use the xomputer he followed me in and pushed my hand up off the keys with hus muzzle so I patted him a bit...then satisfied (although I sense he wanted more) he flumped down on the floor...I still feel like I fell short of his expectations...

Middle Child said...

Cazzie... he is that and a very good doggie... I love him

Middle Child said...

CS and psychic too mein gott will wonders never cease?

Middle Child said...

Rosemary... ours is too scared to go into the yard where the cattle are to roll in their poop they chase him.

Mal Kiely [Lancelots Pram] said...

Sounds like a well-loved member of the family. Yay!

Cyalayta
Mal :)