[tobysmommy]

Ok, I know Goldens are smart (and I think Toby is a furry little genius), but this is ridiculous. I finished decorating my tree last night and Toby has retained last year's training to leave it alone. He does ... except for one ornament.

In the gift shop at the tree farm where I got my tree, I bought a little Golden Retriever ornament (see below) and it's hanging at the front of the tree. Toby is fascinated by it. He keeps sniffing it and gingerly poking it with his nose. You're kidding, right? He can't possibly be recognizing a 3" blob of coloured glass as a Golden - can he? I know he recognizes dogs on TV and sometimes the pictures on this forum, but a Christmas ornament? Come on!

Do any of your babies seem to have amazing powers of recognition?

 

[BriGuy]

That's funny! I got a Golden Retriever refrigerator magnet, and I had to move it to where Cookie couldn't see it. She noticed it one night and started barking at it. Once I looked closer, I realized that it was kind of giving a hard stare.

 

[Ranger]

Haha, smart boy! My old golden retriever would leave all the ornaments alone except for these red wooden apple ornaments. He obviously recognized them as 'food' and he'd gently pick them off the tree, go to his bed, and then chew on them for a bit until he realized they weren't food. The ornaments would get put back on, and the whole process would start again. We'd come home to find him on his bed with 6-9 apple ornaments around him and teeth marks on every one. He was getting old and wasn't moving around too much anymore, so we always kept them at the bottom of the tree just so he could reach them. Over the years, they got more and more mangled until we only had 1-2 left...I think we only have one now and every time I put it on the tree, it reminds me of him.

 

[tobysmommy]

Amazing. Not only that these dogs can recognize their breed in small man-made items that are, at best, imperfect depictions of Goldens, but that Cookie would even react to the look in your fridge magnet's eyes! It's incredible how smart Goldens are. My dense-but-loveable Rusty had trouble recognizing himself in the mirror!

 

[tobysmommy]

I think we only have one now and every time I put it on the tree, it reminds me of him.

Aww, that's so sweet. And it's lovely that you hung the apples low enough for your boy to be able to reach them.

 

[BriGuy]

Here is a picture of the magnet that Cookie hates. The magnet-dog does look a little menacing!

 

[Ranger]

Haha Briguy! Ranger did the same thing when we were out at cabin. There were a bunch of bear statues around and Ranger didn't care until we came across this one:

and ranger flipped out! Barking, growling, charging it and snapping...he caused such a commotion that people came running out from the stores and condos thinking there was an actual bear in town. Apparently the cartoonish looking bears were okay, but not this one! Ranger growled at it every time we walked past it for the next week. Even in this pic he's growling at it (while i look a moron and am pretending the bear is killing me).

Funny how they pick up on 'stares'. The magnet and this bear both have threatening expressions!

 

[BriGuy]

It is good that Ranger will protect you from 15 foot-tall bears, and Cookie will protect me from 1 inch tall magnets!

 

[harrym]

Amber sees her reflection in the fireplace doors and wants to get inside to play with the other dog. When she can't find a way in, she will crouch and bark at it.