Signs of Intelligence

Is Buster (the new dog) smart or stupid? You be the judge. O.K., yes, he's kind of goofy but in a loveable and affectionate way. And with his new haircut he looks a bit like a cartoon character - Deputy Dawg, perhaps.

As I said to Michael, how stupid can a dog be that knows how to open the slider? - both the screen door and the glass door, mind you.

The screen is easy. He kind of gets his long nose in there and pushes it to his right. So that doesn't demonstrate tremendous intelligence. But the glass door, that is something else entirely. He rubs his body right against the door - pushing against the glass for firm contact and he slides himself along side it backwards to open it. Smart, right?

If he wants to investigate something like the countertop or the trash, he does so my standing on his hind legs or nosing his way into the cabinet to get at the trash. No matter how many times you tell him NO, he continues to do what he wants.

My friend Nan says Labradoodles (a mutt really) have no remorse. Perhaps he is just compartmentalizing aka. Bill Clinton. I actually think be might be a Houndoodle (not a real breed) as he was rejected from the puppy mill.

Since we returned from vacation, Buster has peed in the house at least twice, that I know of. Once, after eating his dinner outside on the deck, he let himself back in the house and peed and pooped on the rug - in the same vicinity he apparently used while we were away. Smart, huh?

Then he did it again, continuing his business even with my repeated banging of a spoon on the dining room table. Like I said, he does what he wants. . .

And that includes:

-Coming when called! (Biscuits help)
-Chewing pencils, shoes, recycling (especially cardboard), etc.
-Barking to come in the house
-Trying to climb in human laps
-Excess affection, exhuberance for human owners
-Sitting/resting on human feet for maximum contact
-Running away from irritated humans (with the TV remote in his mouth, for instance)
-Scaring chickens after repeated warnings
-Latching on to Toto's tail (and not letting go)
-Eating freshly picked garden string beans from the collander,while reclining atop the outdoor table