My dog is a genius in my book

Okay, before you go all "that's just operant conditioning" on me, bear in mind I do love my dog and I'm totally biased. However, I'm pretty sure my dog is a genius. She's an 11-year-old American Bulldog. Definitely a bully, sometimes I think she's so dumb. Then this happened.

Last night she semi-frantically indicated she needed to go outside, so we went out, and her poop was pretty much liquid. I don't know what she got into, but she had the good graces not to have diarrhea on the carpet, and that's easily explained as being very well house trained. This morning before I went to work her stool was still loose, but more like a paste, and it was messy, hard to pick up, and all day at work I was thinking "I'm going to come home to another one like that on the carpet. It won't be her fault, she's sick, and had no other option." I was right.

However, I had pulled a pickup bag last night, and since her leavings were liquid I didn't even try to pick it up and when we came back in I just dropped it, unused but opened up, next to the door. I keep them outside so I can grab one while I'm watching her, so when I picked up this morning I just got a new one.

Anyway, when I got home from work, my apartment smelled like I had been right, and of course you check the furthest corners first, the perimeter, you know. Get all the way around the apartment, nothing, I'm thinking "maybe she just had bad gas." Then, right there, by the patio door I found it. I don't know how or why, but somehow she had managed to land MOST, not all, of that soft-serve on top of that bag. As in, her first, main push landed squarely within the borders of the bag lying flat on the floor, then there was some smaller pieces did get on the carpet, but god, it could have been so much worse. I am blown away and so proud of that pup.

Now, obviously she associates those bags with good poops, but usually she sees the bag only AFTER she poops. I don't think that's how operant conditioning works? That's a sort of abstract reasoning that I don't think we normally associate with dogs.

This is the honest to god truth. Coincidentally, she just barked at a doorbell sound on the TV. So yeah, she is a little dumb. But goddamn. Smart where it counts.

Cleaning up her poop and worshipping her genius. Yep, you're operant conditioned all right.

a reply to: Zelun

I used to have an ex-racing greyhound years ago. It was the smartest talk I have had. I used to say a special word whenever she took a dump. After a while, she got the idea and whenever I said the word she would try to take a dump. So when I would walk with her through town I would say the word for to take a dump in spots where I did not have to clean it up with a bag. I just had to be careful not to say the magic word in the house.

The other thing I did to get her to follow command is after she took a dump I would praise her. After a while she would get really happy after taking a dump because she knew I would praise her. One time I went on a trip and my father was taking care of the dog. And I talking with him on the phone to see how the dog is doing. He goes, "you know every time your dog takes a dump she gets so happy." It was pretty funny at the time.

My dog was a red-brindle with really profound stripes. I was walking her and a little kid pointed at her and said, "look at the tiger." God that was the best dog. She died of cancer. Water in New Jersey is not very good. I've never been able to have another dog even though it's been 15 years. Plus my knees are so bad I can barely walk.

a reply to: The GUT

LLOL! Do you suppose there's a dog version of toxoplasmosis?

So, you are saying your dog is book smart? But not intelligent? Send it to college.

I think the OP is a little too descriptive, I didn't need all that info on the stool.

a reply to: rickymouse

It was CRUCIAL! Also you can learn a lot from poop.

a reply to: rickymouse

I have a similar story with my senile father when he was alive if you want me to share that one.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Please no. This forum regards pets, and we should NEVER consider the elderly as pets.

Dogs want to please you so badly. Cats, not so much. I won't describe their really bad habits. And I wouldn't say any cat I have is a genius. And my sweet Cavalier St Charles is, well, not smart either. Lucky you.

originally posted by: Zelun
a reply to: rickymouse

It was CRUCIAL! Also you can learn a lot from poop.

I usually look at my poop in the toilet and pay attention to the cats poop when cleaning the litter. But I don't describe it to people on a site like this.

Damn, now you made me start talking about poop.

a reply to: Floridadreamin

So cats COULD poop on the only plastic bag on the floor, if only they wanted to.

If your dog was as smart as you think you would never find the poo.

a reply to: Zelun

What a good baby!!! She won't know why you're doing it of course, but give her a good extra treat! She definitely is smart and worked that out about the bag. 😊😊😊

My step-dog (friend's dog that we got together as a puppy from an island we visited together, I've helped raise him and he's the best dog ever) is so much smarter than me that he pulled the following gig on me twice before I realized what he was doing. VERY troublesome for implications of my intelligence. The dining room table is about ten feet from the back door. I'm eating dinner and not giving him any scraps. Finally he goes to the back door and indicates frantically that he needs to go outside. When my back was turned, opening the door, he tiptoed over to the table and got to my plate of food. Genius!

And he does tiptoe. He's learned that if we are in the living room, which can't be seen from the kitchen but is adjacent,
and there is food about and we hear him in the kitchen (tile floor), we will hop up and come in and stop whatever he's getting at. So now he tiptoes while in the kitchen so that we don't hear his nails on the tile and he can go about stealing food from the counter. 😂😂😂😂

Dogs are the best, truly. Good job on your bully dog. 💞💞💞

I always put newspapers on the floor by the door of my dog is sick or I am gone extra long. Easy to roll up and throw away. Your dog loves you!