My SMART dog!

[donna723]

Since we've been talking about dogs, I've just gotta share this. If you're not familiar with Bostons, they are are very intelligent, very inventive and very funny little guys. Their rubbery little faces can have almost every expression that a humans' can - they smile when they're happy, they can give you dirty looks, sad looks, guilty looks ... and they will keep you constantly laughing at their antics. My youngest Boston, Katy, outdoes them all! She has amazed me more than once at some of the things she does. But she's such a sneaky little booger!

… and not just sneaky, Ms. Katy is very clever and very determined too! We have the same routine every morning. She plays with her toys while I’m getting ready to go to work, then when I’m ready to leave, she goes in her crate. She eats her breakfast in her crate, and I put a durable toy in with her so she has something to do until I come home from work. Her very favorite toy is her neon green Holey Roller ball. If you've never seen one, they're WONDERFUL toys! They're open weave hollow balls made out of springy plastic in hexagon shapes - almost indestructible. She LOVES hers! It still bounces but it’s missing a few of the cross pieces now so it’s become one of the toys that she plays with only with supervision – afraid she’ll pull more pieces off of it.

For the last few weeks Katy has tried to take the Holey Roller ball in to the crate with her when she goes in before I leave - I take it out again and replace it with her Kong (really indestructible!) – and she’s miffed at me! So yesterday morning she got sneaky! I noticed that she was playing with a different toy while I was getting ready. I looked in her crate and she had stashed the Holey Roller ball waaaay back in the corner of her crate where she apparently thought I wouldn’t see it. I took it back out. A few minutes later I noticed that the HR ball was gone again! So I looked in her crate again – the ball was waaay in the back again and this time she had made a very good attempt to hide it under her blankets! Again, I took it out of the crate.

Finally I was ready to leave – I was carrying her breakfast bowl and her Kong and told her to get in her crate … I saw the faintest flash of neon green as she zipped past me! I looked in the crate and she was sitting there smiling at me innocently – but no Holey Roller ball in there! I looked around the room thinking she had dropped it – no ball. I looked in the crate again and this time I noticed that there was a small loop of neon green plastic sticking out from under her pudgy little rear … she was SITTING ON IT! She knew I didn’t want her to have it so she snuck it in to her crate and she SAT ON IT so I wouldn’t see it!

Who ever thought you’d have to work so hard to try to outsmart your own dog!

 

[Abbey]

That is too funny, Donna.

My birds LOVE the Kong. We've got them in every size. By the way...they ARE destructible.

I think pets of any kind are much smarter than we give them credit for. The just don't speak our language. They show it in other ways.

Abbey

 

[flutterbee]

I bet you'll be getting her a new Holey Roller Ball now, huh?

 

[Star*]

That IS a smartie! Gotta love 'em.

I have never seen a holey roller ball - (will look) but we have never bought a better investment in toys than a Kong. We have the prescription blue one because of mammoth jaw power.

Now if they'd just make a toy to restore knees and hips.

 

[hearts and roses]

What a smartiepants! That is great!! Oh, how cute.

One of our dogs will only play with those tiny tennis balls and the other will only play with stuffed animals and tissues. Strange little dogs!

 

[jal]

Donna,

That is too cute. We have an 8 month old Boston that we adopted 2 months ago. They are too smart and cute. We are just getting to know and enjoy this breed after having had a Rottweiler for the past 14 1/2 yrs. which we lost last summer.

Although I now feel like I am walking a cat on a leash I am truly amazed at how smart and LOVING this breed is. Ours is a major lap dog, a jokester and just loves everyone!

 

[Hound dog]

Oh, how funny!! And adorable!!

Sounds like what mine do with their chewy bones. They have to do their chewies in seperate rooms because thanks to a past dog we owned Mollly is now super sensative about her bones and it's starts a huge power play if Betsy comes near which has ended in a nasty fight.

Since it has to be done in seperate rooms, when a couple hours have past I pick up the bones to put them away so the girls can be together again. I used to toss Betsy's into her crate, until I caught each of them attempting to open the door to get the bone back. lol Now I keep them on top of the frig.

Well, they've hidden their bones in some mighty crafty places attempting to prevent me from putting them away. Under the couch cushion, in the crack between the cushion in husband's chair, in Aubrey's toy box and doll house, in her play kitchen. But the topper was Molly holding it in her mouth attempting to hide it from me while giving me an oh so innocent look that Bone? What bone?

Yes. Animals are far far more intelligent than people give them credit for.

 

[donna723]

jal, if you pm me, I can direct you to a really great informational site on Bostons.

Star, do you ever put anything inside the Kong? If you put a few spoonsful of peanut butter (or anything else they like) up inside of it, it keeps them busy for hours trying to get it out! Some people put yogurt with a little kibble mixed with it inside the Kong and then freeze it ... doggie heaven on a hot day!

 

[Fran]

Donna, I am constantly amazed at how smart our "dumb" animals are.

I have a question for those of you who are more experienced dog people. My dogs aren't chewers. Thankfully but they don't chew on toys or chase balls. They look at you like you are nuts. I know they are working dogs but is this a by product of their breed or did they never learn to chew on a chewy toy? They will chew on the vet sanctioned chewie for their teeth but it's something they can eat.

They also "herd" me toward the refrig. LOL.

 

[jal]

Thank you Donna - I sent that PM to you. I put a small cookie in Nickie's Kong-your right takes them forever and keeps them busy!

 

[donna723]

If you can stand the noise and you want to keep them even busier, try dropping a handful of kibble or some treats into an empty clear 2- liter soda bottle! Mine were chewing on the bottle cap so I left it off. Eventually they will get the kibble out of the bottle if they roll it around long enough. It's noisy, but it keeps them occupied for a long, long time! Just make sure they're not chewing on the top of the bottle, where the cap screws on.

 

[witzend]

That is a smart dog! Mandy can destroy the Kong too. She likes it, though! I have been getting bison bones at the holistic dog food store. Those are indestructible! They only get them in the summer, because they can chew the meat off in the yard, then bring the dry bone in the house.

 

[KTMom91]

Buddy isn't fond of the Kong. His favorite toys are things with ears and tails, so they're easy to carry around and hit us with so we'll play. He has a squirrel, a buffalo, and a lamb. He's also learned how to open his cookie jar, so if Hubby doesn't put it up...

Right now he's pulled two bed pillows together and is flopped on them, in a direct line for the semi-cool air.

 

[donna723]

Fran, if yours aren't "chewers" you should probably be very thankful! I would love to see them herding you towards the refrigerator! I've heard of some that would try to herd small children like they were sheep!

I'm no dog expert but I don't know if it goes by breed or not. My two Bostons are completely different in the way they play. Neither one gets stuffed toys any more because they have them de-stuffed in a matter of minutes. Katy LOVES to chase balls. The Holey Roller balls are light enough to play with in the house and when I toss it, she runs to get it and brings it right back to me to throw again. She's fanatical about it. She would chase that ball 24/7 if I let her. And they both love chewy toys (NEVER rawhide). They have a Cuz that I have to keep put up except for special occasions. They chew on it till they get all glassy eyed and look like they're possessed! But Ragan could care less about chasing a ball. It's just not her thing. If I throw a toy, she'll go get it but then she takes it off and plays with it. She likes floppy things that she can shake like she's killing them. I bought them a Kong Wubba (looks like a canvas octopus) which they destuffed in ten minutes, but Ragan loves what's left and shakes it till the flappy ends are smacking her in the side of her face. That's her idea of a good time!

 

[chrisdog01]

Donna I have 2 bostons as well! (I think I read that cute story on "another board" which I am highly addicted to.) They are pretty smart and creative in their ways, aren't they. My dogs destuff toys pretty quick as well. Trixie, 11 months, is totally ball obsessed. I'm sure all her mind says is "Ball, ball, ball, ball, ball". Ozzie, 6 years, doesn't want to play with anything unless it involved tug of war or bitey face with Trixie. But they both LOVE plastic water bottles, but they sure are noisy. I just bought Trixie some dog bubbles (chicken & bacon flavored, yuck!) and she loves to chase those. But she doesn't tire out and I will probably hyperventilate before she wears out! I also got her this square cube thing that you put food into that she rolls around, like your water bottle, but it's kind of a puzzle inside so it's supposed to keep her busy.

 

[donna723]

Ha! I bought bubbles for mine and they both stood there looking at me like I was crazy! They weren't the slightest bit interested, and I thought they would love them! Then when my son came over, he saw the bottle of bubbles in my kitchen counter and thought I must finally be losing it!