Dogs and creative thinking
Aug. 23rd, 2009 07:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crysania4I'm reading Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs and this anecdote about a Newfoundland's rather unorthodox solution to a problem she was having, really made me laugh. I thought I'd share it here.
Another tale told to me involves a great black Newfoundland dog named Peggy who was living alone with a young woman. One day, a friend of theirs came to visit and brought along her own dog, a tiny white Maltese (whose name I never learned). The Maltese was clearly in a frisky mood and nipped around the Newfoundland several times, offering to play by making hyperactive dashes between the larger dog's paws. At one point, the little white beast dashed toward the big dog, and Peggy, apparently getting annoyed, simply dropped one large paw over the Maltese's back. With the small dog pinned to the floor, quiet reigned in the room for a few minutes. The little dog would not, however, stay put and eventually wriggled free. Loosed from her confinement, she became even more dynamic and active in her play. Finally, Peggy could take the pestering no longer. She stoop up and, as the Maltese went streaking in front of her, she reached down and grabbed the small dog by the scruff her neck, in much the same way a bitch will carry her pups. The white dog instnatly went limp, probably from fear, and while the two women watched in amazement the Newfoundland strode out of the room with her burden. Peggy walked deliberately to the bathroom, which contained one of those old-fashioned bathtubs that stand on lion's paws and have very high sides. She dropped the little dog in the tub and watched for a few moments while the Maltese tried, without success, to jump out. Then she turned, walked back to her resting place in the center of the living room, settled back into a comfortable position, and fell asleep, while the two watching owmen convulsed with laughter. Certainly, of all the myriad actions that one might imagine the dog using to solve the problem of her annoying guest, this was one of the most creative and nonviolent, that the dog could have hit upon.
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This reminds me of Dahlia's solution to my trying to teach her "drop it." I did as the instructor told us. She had a toy in her mouth and I held out a yummy treat and said "drop it." She leaned forward, sniffed the treat I had in my hand, rushed off to the living room, where she dropped her toy, and then came back for the treat. Quite creative!
Another tale told to me involves a great black Newfoundland dog named Peggy who was living alone with a young woman. One day, a friend of theirs came to visit and brought along her own dog, a tiny white Maltese (whose name I never learned). The Maltese was clearly in a frisky mood and nipped around the Newfoundland several times, offering to play by making hyperactive dashes between the larger dog's paws. At one point, the little white beast dashed toward the big dog, and Peggy, apparently getting annoyed, simply dropped one large paw over the Maltese's back. With the small dog pinned to the floor, quiet reigned in the room for a few minutes. The little dog would not, however, stay put and eventually wriggled free. Loosed from her confinement, she became even more dynamic and active in her play. Finally, Peggy could take the pestering no longer. She stoop up and, as the Maltese went streaking in front of her, she reached down and grabbed the small dog by the scruff her neck, in much the same way a bitch will carry her pups. The white dog instnatly went limp, probably from fear, and while the two women watched in amazement the Newfoundland strode out of the room with her burden. Peggy walked deliberately to the bathroom, which contained one of those old-fashioned bathtubs that stand on lion's paws and have very high sides. She dropped the little dog in the tub and watched for a few moments while the Maltese tried, without success, to jump out. Then she turned, walked back to her resting place in the center of the living room, settled back into a comfortable position, and fell asleep, while the two watching owmen convulsed with laughter. Certainly, of all the myriad actions that one might imagine the dog using to solve the problem of her annoying guest, this was one of the most creative and nonviolent, that the dog could have hit upon.
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This reminds me of Dahlia's solution to my trying to teach her "drop it." I did as the instructor told us. She had a toy in her mouth and I held out a yummy treat and said "drop it." She leaned forward, sniffed the treat I had in my hand, rushed off to the living room, where she dropped her toy, and then came back for the treat. Quite creative!
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Date: 2009-08-23 11:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-24 01:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-24 11:16 am (UTC)I'm always amazed at how smart dogs can be. When we first got Aramis I had to keep him locked in a room with me while Patrick and his dad moved some heavy furniture from a truck to the basement. Aramis, of course, wanted to be where Patrick was. He scratched the door, he jumped at the door and he tried to use the door handle. When all that failed he jumped onto the table, grabbed my keys and threw them at the door, he then looked at me and whined!
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Date: 2009-08-24 02:01 pm (UTC)