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how smart
2K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  Dennijt1216 
#1 ·
Just curious to hear some funny and interesting stories. How smart is your golden? I believe I have read that they are the third most intelligent dog breed. Correct me if I am wrong. We have had our babies since 8 weeks old - now their one year birthday is coming next month. I spend (as I have mentioned many times - I don't know if I'm complaining or bragging but it's a long time) 12 hours a day with my girls. I watch them carefully and we try and teach them to understand what we say to them. People say dogs don't understand words, it's all in the voice tone. I beg to differ and here is why.

We (me and the girls) take two walks a day. I was walking both at the same time until they started taking turns being obstanate (sp) and simply refusing to walk. So now I take them one at a time as does my wife. She started telling them "one at a time" every time she did that. So now I do it and we tell the other to go look out the window. When we harness up one, we point to the window and tell her to look out and they go straight to the window. On return from our morning walk I always say "lets go check the mail" - our mail box is across from our house in a row of several similar white boxes. When I tell them together or separately they walk to OUR mail box and sit down in front of it. If I say (in any tone of voice) the word swimming, bath, squirrel, cat, Tom (my son), whose's here or stop, just to mention a few, they react as if they are going swimming or my son is coming over or there is a squirrel outside (or cat). They have a red rubber ball that flashes a light for 20 seconds when thrown. They love that toy and incredibly it has held up for two weeks with no damage. If I say "where's the red ball" they will search the house until they find it (that red ball) and bring it to me or us. If I were to say black ball they would look at me because they do not have a black ball. So how smart is your doggie? Interested in hearing.
 
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#3 ·
I think dogs can easily learn English words... my old dog Josh (Australian Shepherd) used to jump around excitedly anytime we said the word "walk"... so then we had to start spelling it, til he learned that "W-A-L-K" meant walk. Then we had to start just saying "I'm gonna take..." then kind of motion to the dog.. and he learned that meant walk too!

My dogs now are just dummies... the only word they know by heart is "cookie" :rolleyes: lol
 
#4 ·
I strongly believe they understand everything we say.

We have hardwood floors and if Molly is chewing on one of the hard bones it makes a heck of a racket. If we say "Molly chew your bone on your pillow" she gets up and takes it there. The first time she did it my husband and I were shocked, I only said it jokingly and didn't actually expect her to do it.
 
#5 ·
These four legged fur balls are absolutely amazing. Every day I scratch my head and think....how did they do or know that. We too spell walk because they know that word but haven't learned how to spell it yet. Our KC who passed @ 16 yoa knew so many words that we took to spelling in front of her, especially bath because she hated water, unlike the two I have now. My wife was using the toilet in the hall the other day and (we have to leave the door open when home alone) Karma came in and climbed in the tub then looked at the faucet, scratched with her paw and put her mouth under it. When she checked she found that their water bowl was empty. That's where they get their bath and often take a drink while bathing. They are goofy but incredibly smart - their vocabulary grows every day. thanks for sharing.
 
#6 ·
I'm always amazed at what Merlin knows! Other than the normal stuff he knows gramma and grampa in any tone of voice, and his cousin Maddie. He knows we go to the mailbox on our 2nd walk of the day and leads the way himself! Heck, he knows what I'm going to do before I do it sometimes. That tells you a lot about body language right there. :)

They are amazing creatures!
 
#7 ·
My Danny is a tattletale. If one of the dogs, cats or fosters is doing something they shouldn't, he immediately comes over to me and stands in front of me with a worried expression on his face. He is not happy until I get up to investigate.

If Jasper wants the chair Danny is sleeping in, he goes to the window and barks, even though there isn't anything there. When Danny gets up to look, Jasper jumps up in the chair.

If one of the dogs is playing with a toy that Jasmine wants, she will grab another toy and start throwing it up in the air over and over again until the other dog comes to see what she is playing with. Then she takes their toy.

So yeah, I would say they all are pretty darn smart! LOL
 
#8 ·
That is funny.....KD is very needy and wines if she is not getting attention while lying around. Yesterday Karma was lying next to my wife on the couch getting some love. KD came over, looked @ Karma and barked. When she got nothing in return she grabbed a rope toy and brought it over to Karma then began slinging it at Karma striking her in the head. Karma still ignored her so she jumped up with her front paws on the couch and grabbed Karma's cheek with her teeth (something they do when they are playing...ouch) and pulled on her cheek. Karma had enough so she got down and they started in with each other.....this drives me crazy....lucky I was asleep. After the fracus Karma went on her bed to lie down and KD got her way jumping up on the couch to lie next to my wife for some loving. They are sisters and fight like siblings. The play fighting is annoying but when they get into snarling and all, I will not tolerate it and yell "stop it." They go their separate ways.
 
#9 ·
you know, there is an online list of tests you can do to see how smart your dog is.

in one of the tests you take a high value / favorite toy and show it to them. then, put the toy under a towel (yes, while they are watching) and you time how long it takes them to get the toy out from under the towel.

well, Faith just stood there wagging her tail and staring at the bump under the towel. it finally occured to me, that she was being so good and had put herself in a "wait" - when i gave her her release command, she got all excited and even barked at me and danced around, excited to get the toy. but, still didn't try to move the towel.

so, i had no idea how to score that! :curtain:
 
#10 ·
These are great!
My two are very intelligent. We have to spell many words around them and we know it is not our tone of voice. We have tested it !

Selka is so smart we think he is human. Gunner tends to take toys out and forgets to bring them back in. When he does (cause Gunner isn't THAT smart!) I say to Selka, "Gunny forgot the toy Selka" and Selka goes out and gets it!

I know there are many other examples but MY BRAIN can't think of them right now! LOL!
 
#11 ·
My Gus had extraordinary memory for objects. He could leave a tennis ball in the woods and run straight for it months later when we visited the same spot again. We figured out once that he knew something like 50 distinct words, including knowing each of his toys by a different name. He knew the difference between when I put on work shoes (stayed on the couch and sighed) and hike shoes (pranced around with a toy).

And, a couple of times, when logic would dictate there was no way he could understand what we were talking about, he would let out a terrible sigh, as if he was disappointed in our decision not to go for a long hike out of state the next day.

I'm fond of saying that they come close and maybe match us in certain kinds of intelligence (like associations), and they have access to sense data that we don't, so sometimes they're outright smarter than we are. We're all familiar with the example of the dog who gets up and goes to the door long minutes before a beloved family member actually arrives.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Well, Amber has figured out some things that have surprised me to say the least. Such as she knows how to unzip the main compartment to my softsided breifcase for my laptop which is where I keep her treats when she is in my office. She has figured out how to put the windows up and down inside my truck when she wants to get some air to the point I had to lock out the controls so she would stop putting the dang window down whenever we stopped at a light! She knows to ring the bell to go outside to pee and how to grab the corner cabinet handle with her front teeth and pull to open it in order to access her food, treats, and where I store toys she cannot have without supervision, although she will never touch anything inside it, she will go from the cabinet to me and back again until I figure out that she opened it and wanged something from it such as a cow hoof...etc. When I need to give her heartworm meds I just say "open" and she'll gently open her mouth and let me pop it into the back of her throat. She knows how to clean up the sticks in the yard when I take her outside and tell her to "go get the sticks" she'll get them one by one, bring them to me, drop it, then go get another one and do it over and over until they are all piled up. She knows she has to sit and look for cars before crossing the streets(she must have seen me looking both way and has started at lesat making the motions, that look as if she is looking for cars). She knows that when she comes back inside from going out to pee at night to wait inside the door and lift her rear left leg for me to wipe under(she has an allergy to her own urine that burns her skin if I do not wipe and powder her a few times a day). If I say the word "powder" she flops down, sighs and rolls on her back and "splays" her rear legs so I can apply baby powder to her nether regions lol. I can't think of any others at the moment. Theres always the word associations but like most goldens here theres too many to name, like knowing the names for her toys..etc. Just too funny how well these pups can learn things just from watching us.
 
#14 ·
Gibson doesn't seem very bright because he doesn't like learning new things and isn't very motivated or driven. But there are moments when DH and I think he must be a genius. The trainer we're currently taking classes with thinks Gibson is smarter than he lets on and is playing dumb so he can get away with more. Hmm, who knows?
 
#15 · (Edited)
They learn words and phrases we use often.. they remember cues in our day to day lives... they remember cause and effect.. I say who wants pills.. and they come running for their salmon capsules..
Rusty will come nudge me till I get up to check on Penny if she is into mischief..I had a poodle that learned b-a-t-h meant bathtime and would hide.
At age 7 we introduced Buckwheat to a new doggie door.. He took 3 laps around the yard, picked up a 3 foot stick and headed for the door.. We cringed.. expecting the worst.. he ran right up to the door, dropped the stick, stepped inside and poked his head out, grabbed the end of the stick and dragged it in longways!
I watched my son's Chow squeak a toy ( he didn't play with toys ) to get Rocky to come running, then stole Rockys chewbone.
They are truly amazing!
 
#16 ·
I watched my son's Chow squeak a toy ( he didn't play with toys ) to get Rocky to come running, then stole Rockys chewbone.
They are truly amazing!
Thats just way too funny! lol It's always incredible to see how they are able to figure out just what they need to do in order to manipulate other dogs to get their way or what they want.
 
#17 ·
Beloved Bruno

Our beloved Bruno who had to be put down last year, was the smartest dog we ever owned. One day without asking, he began bringing my husband and my slippers. Although he would have to make 2 trips up the stairs, he always brought one pair at a time and gave them to the right person without being told. Even when my mom stayed with us, he'd bring hers too. We had to be careful anytime we mentioned the word bath, because he would quietly tiptoe up to the 2nd floor bathroom and wait for us in the bathtub. When my husband and I walked him in the neighborhood, about a block away from the house, we'd drop the leash. Bruno would then pick it up and walk himself home to the front door step.
He loved to retrieve 12 inch softballs in the field. My husband would hit them with a bat and Bruno would never come home until they were found. Sometimes they'd get caught in a tree and my husband would have to go find Bruno in the woods. Bruno would sit under the tree where the ball was stuck...until someone came to retrieve it for him. He was such a remarkable dog. We live on a dead-end street and my parents used to live across the street from us. When my husband and I rented a video, we'd share it with my parents. When told to go to gramma's house, Bruno would pick up the video and take it to them. Of course, he'd always come back with a treat. - I truly believe they are intelligent to understand our feelings and thoughts. What a remarkable dog. I can only hope our new golden puppy is half as great as Bruno was.
 
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