Post by mnhermit on Mar 2, 2013 11:20:49 GMT -5
Some times I curse my folks 'smart' german short hair. She's not a hunter, well she is, but not really. She's been trained by my mother and father which has led to a greater understanding of why I turned out the way I did.
She loves to run, and when I let her out to help me with the donkeys she runs a lap around the shop and garage before I can pass the space between the house and the shop. She does a couple laps then checks to make sure I'm heading towards the donkey pasture. Then she races to the end of the drive and runs north for a while then south covering the whole of the property line along the road stopping at each corner to bark at something.
When I'm done with the donkeys she starts stalking the chickens in their pen. She discovered that she can sometimes grab a chicken while I'm gathering eggs and now won't let me go after them until she's 'pointing'. It was funny until she grabbed one and ran off into the woods. She'd carry that chicken to one hide, then across the backyard to another, daring me to chase after her.
When I'm done with my chores she stands in the yard pointing to the woods, looking over her shoulder at me as I try to get her to come into the house. As soon as I start towards her she decides I must be going for a walk in the woods and that's the last I see of her for a while.
If I walk home I find her 'following' me in the woods. At first I could get her to get into my van and I could driver her home and she'd stay. Now I have to walk with her until she'll let me put a lead on her and take her inside. She's happy enough to go, I suspect because she knows she's out smarted me again.
I used to be able to drive away from the folks house and she'd stay in the yard, but yesterday when I tried that I got home and into the kitchen and there she was walking up the drive to visit. But she'd gotten smart to the old climb in the van trick, she wasn't going to have any of it. I had to walk her home.
She comes when she wants to, and stays out of reach when it's time to go inside. The only thing she does with some regularity is sit, but only if we're on the road and a car is coming and that only since she was hit by a van last summer.
She's smart enough to know I'm not as fast as she is, or have nearly the stamina she has and that she can wait me out at the door, unless it's dinner time. So far she's got me walking an extra half mile a day just trying to get her close enough to get the lead on her - and I'm sure she'll soon have that stretching out to a mile or more.
So I'm not sure I ever want a 'smart' dog, or if I do I want to be the one that trains her - training by committee just hasn't worked.
But I am getting more exercise. Could she be that smart?
She loves to run, and when I let her out to help me with the donkeys she runs a lap around the shop and garage before I can pass the space between the house and the shop. She does a couple laps then checks to make sure I'm heading towards the donkey pasture. Then she races to the end of the drive and runs north for a while then south covering the whole of the property line along the road stopping at each corner to bark at something.
When I'm done with the donkeys she starts stalking the chickens in their pen. She discovered that she can sometimes grab a chicken while I'm gathering eggs and now won't let me go after them until she's 'pointing'. It was funny until she grabbed one and ran off into the woods. She'd carry that chicken to one hide, then across the backyard to another, daring me to chase after her.
When I'm done with my chores she stands in the yard pointing to the woods, looking over her shoulder at me as I try to get her to come into the house. As soon as I start towards her she decides I must be going for a walk in the woods and that's the last I see of her for a while.
If I walk home I find her 'following' me in the woods. At first I could get her to get into my van and I could driver her home and she'd stay. Now I have to walk with her until she'll let me put a lead on her and take her inside. She's happy enough to go, I suspect because she knows she's out smarted me again.
I used to be able to drive away from the folks house and she'd stay in the yard, but yesterday when I tried that I got home and into the kitchen and there she was walking up the drive to visit. But she'd gotten smart to the old climb in the van trick, she wasn't going to have any of it. I had to walk her home.
She comes when she wants to, and stays out of reach when it's time to go inside. The only thing she does with some regularity is sit, but only if we're on the road and a car is coming and that only since she was hit by a van last summer.
She's smart enough to know I'm not as fast as she is, or have nearly the stamina she has and that she can wait me out at the door, unless it's dinner time. So far she's got me walking an extra half mile a day just trying to get her close enough to get the lead on her - and I'm sure she'll soon have that stretching out to a mile or more.
So I'm not sure I ever want a 'smart' dog, or if I do I want to be the one that trains her - training by committee just hasn't worked.
But I am getting more exercise. Could she be that smart?
