I am convinced that at least some dogs are smarter than we generally give them credit for being. Someone, probably Bev, posted a video link not too long ago of a dog pushing its cat housemate into a tub of water, then running for cover. Proof that dogs are sentient beings, capable of a sense of humor and deliberate mischief, capable of pranking a family member and of knowing what they did and the consequences. My dog, when I was a kid, was very smart. He understood complete sentences, learned to spell, had object permanence, and personality in spades. He was a Scottish terrier/poodle/God-knows-what-else mutt and we loved him dearly.
I am convinced that at least some dogs are smarter than we generally give them credit for being. Someone, probably Bev, posted a video link not too long ago of a dog pushing its cat housemate into a tub of water, then running for cover. Proof that dogs are sentient beings, capable of a sense of humor and deliberate mischief, capable of pranking a family member and of knowing what they did and the consequences. My dog, when I was a kid, was very smart. He understood complete sentences, learned to spell, had object permanence, and personality in spades. He was a Scottish terrier/poodle/God-knows-what-else mutt and we loved him dearly.