What has your dog learned that you have not specifically taught him/her?

[BG and Gavin]

Several weeks ago Karen posted the following article in the training group:  http://thebark.com/content/home-schooling-dogs-could-be-catching and I thought it would make a good front page discussion.  The article is about intuitive learning.  In short, how dogs follow our example or figure out our routine/wants/needs and adapt their behaviour accordingly.

I was reminded of it yesterday:

During cottage season, Gavin gets packed into the car with the rest of our gear and goes for a 3.5 hour drive North.  Gavin has learned to associate his car harness with this trip.  Of course not every trip is 3.5 hours, but it seems Gavin prepares himself just in case.  When I go outside with the harness in my hand, Gavin runs a few quick laps around the backyard, checks his squirrel spots, has a good long pee, then approaches me to get harnessed up.  

So what has your dog learned that you have not specifically taught him/her?

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

LOL he does it with such sincerity...

[Gail+Kathleen,(Sydney+Olivia:)]

Wish we would have video taped this.  We might have won $$$$s on AFVs.  Sydney apparently watched us as we filled our cups or glasses from the water cooler to make instant coffee or a glass of cold water.  One day we came into the kitchen and saw Sydney standing on her back legs with her front paw on the handle of the water cooler.  As we watched, she proceeded to fill the drip tray with water and drink from it.   We also caught her drinking the water as it came out of the spout.  SYDNEY ALSO LEARNED (QUICKLY) TO AVOID THE RED HANDLE AND JUST USE THE BLUE HANDLE FOR COLD WATER!!!!

[BG and Gavin]

Okay Sydney is a genius!  You have to video this!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

OMD Sydney :)

[BG and Gavin]

I took out the bottle of ear cleaner last night and Gavin hot-footed it to the basement.  I swear I did not tell him I was going to clean his ears!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Oh yes, if Luca or Calla thinks I'm reaching in the closet to where I keep grooming/ear supplies they disappear. They have trained me to shut the bedroom door first if I am going to clean ears or something.

[Pat and Traveler]

Funny!  I ask Trav "shall we look at your ears?"  and he runs for my bed, which he seems to think is an ear-treatment safe zone, and then he looks at me with sad eyes.  It doesn't work, but it's pretty cute.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Ha! Oh yes!  They have a sixth sense:)  I'll take a pill for Finn and put it in my pocket. Then I'll go do something else for a few minutes but as soon as I turn to my little shadow, he high tails it out of there.  They KNOW!

[Christine & Shelby]

Let's see.... Here are few that come to mind:

In the morning... I seem to have taught Shelby that when I say "ok" it means it's time to get up. I think it started as me talking to myself... But she has learned the cue... And will pop up from a completely relaxed light slumber and jump off the bed before I ever get my feet on the ground.

When we return from a walk.... Shelby has learned to wait on the tile until I remove her leash. I can take off my coat, hang it up, look through the mail, etc. she will wait right there in the entry until I remove her leash.

Shelby has a dog door.... But we started with potty bells (dog door was installed before I had back surgery - since it's just the two of us). The bells always hang on the door so if the dog door is closed she can alert me that she needs to go out. Periodically she will ring the bell if she wants me to come throw the ball in the yard.... But what she has learned/taught herself is regarding bedtime. I routinely go to bed between 10:00-10:15. Occasionally I will fall asleep on the couch. Shelby has a very good internal clock and will ring her potty bells with quite a bit of force come 10:00 to wake me up so she can go to bed. My Shelby will not go to the bedroom for the night without me.

Someone on an earlier post mentioned her doodle knowing she. She didn't feel well.... Shelby only recognizes I don't feel well if I am running a fever. The general... tummy bug, bad headache, cold, etc. nope - all systems go. But she seems to know when I am running a fever (which has happened only a few times 3-4 in our 4 years together) and she will be the most calm, relaxed, non-demanding doodle ever. However... Each time I was sick.... She knew when my fever broke... Within an hour - she would be back to her normal self - demanding play, fetch, a walk etc. In Shelby's world... You feel fine unless you have a fever :)

I'm sure there are others... But these are the first to come to mind.

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

These are all so great. I don't think Georgia is so clever. But sometimes she can be clever and dumb at the same time, which confuses me.

One thing she learned early on is her personal take on the potty bells. She will move the roman shade with the heavy wooden dowel in the base, and let it bang against the back door when she wants to go out. Luckily I'm a light sleeper and my bedroom is pretty close. This is odd because she's such a whiney, barky dog in general, yet she chooses not to use her voice when she has to go out to pee or poop.

She also wants to go out there all the time and if I let her out there on her own she will be sitting in the grass perfectly content with no desire to come into the house, even if it is raining. Or she will find something to bark about and be noisy and not want to come in at all. I have to bribe her with food to get her to come back into the house. And I think this is the point where she is training me.

[Pat and Traveler]

If Trav has been outside barking at whatever, or inside doing something naughty, if I speak sternly to him, he immediately goes into his crate.   Sort of like putting himself in a time-out.