Folks mistake smart for being able to pick up commands. It reminds me of a story about ants. A dead ant gives out a smell of formic acid. The ant colony would diligently bury an ant that smelt of formic acid. Folks thought of this to mean ants know death and could comprehend the attendant diseases that would spread in the colony due to a dead body. But when the scientists poured formic acid on live ants, the other ants would carry them off to the grave and bury them kicking and screaming! Smart should be exclusively reserved for acts show the ability to put two things together to arrive at a conclusion. For dogs I prefer easily trainable.
Bullcrap. Tonight i was in my jaccuzzi, after my 3rd whiskey and water, drunk as a lord. It was dark outside and the moon wasn’t out. It was dark and the stars were freaking amazing.
So I look over at the patio and see my dog Charlie sitting there, looking straight up at the stars just like i was.
The dog was studying the stars. I saw it with my own eyes and almost couldn’t believe it myself.
That dog wasnt following any command. It was intelligent.
“Smart should be exclusively reserved for acts show the ability to put two things together to arrive at a conclusion.”
In 1993, my woodstove backdrafted while I was asleep, filling the whole house with dense smoke.
I was out cold but my Ibizan Hound Minny ‘brought me back’ by jumping on my chest repeatedly.
I came to gagging and coughing and managed to get myself and the other dogs out into the subzero night where we huddled under a quilt until the house cleared out.
I got double pneumonia from smoke inhalation and severely bruised ribs but I’m alive.
[I pulled her out of the shelter -literally- 15 minutes before she was supposed to die]
That is proof of intention and intelligence.
What kind of dogs have you had Raj? Mostly I've owned GSD's. I've only owned a couple of labs and mutts. All of my dogs were easily trainable, but that didn't make them smart. My GSD's? They're smart.
I agree with you about trainability vs. smart...BUT...believe me....I had a cocker spaniel who did something I found unbelievable....I was getting ready for work in our master bath....and he came in, checking on me...I casually said, “Gus, where’s my watch?”...I had lost my watch and couldn’t find it for a few days. He takes off, and I don’t think anything of it, UNTIL a minute later he shows up WITH MY WATCH in his mouth. We didn’t even know he KNEW what a watch was, let alone that he would retrieve anything.
I came home one day to find my dog Mike unusually affectionate. He came over and buried his head besire my leg and the arm of the chair I was sitting in. He was acting sheepishly. I thought this over a bit and finally the light bulb came on.
I went into the back yard, and sure enough, newly dug holes.
Mike had done some definite thinking.
First, he'd done something he knew was wrong, and remembered it (digging). Second, he was trying to ameliorate the problem by embarassed, ingratiating behavior. Third, he was anticipating future behavior - punishment - because of his actions.
Don't tell me some dogs can't think.