I have often intimated that Little Bear is not the smartest of all creatures that ever walked the earth. Indeed, by human standards LB is preternaturally stupid. We’re talking about a dog who can’t find his way around a tree to untangle his own cable, who has to be coached through the procedure and even then gets it wrong about 60% of the time.
(Though he has grown to love that game so much I occasionally wonder if he isn’t doing it on purpose.)
But there’s nothing wrong with his Doggy Sensestm. The Secret Lair is presently very rich in canned dog food, a fact I decided to celebrate this very morning. It’s also winter, which means Uncle Joel has been making a lot of vegetable stew, which in turn means he has been opening a lot of cans. And LB knows that most cans do not reveal interesting things. Oh, if Daddy wants him to clean out a can of beans for him, that’s okay. But corn and peas? Not so much. So LB does not get excited when Daddy reaches for your average can of whatever.
So how did he know I had a can of dog food in my hand? It’s not stored in a distinctive place. There’s no particular ritual involved that would alert him, like when I’m getting ready to use the blessed and beloved Jeep. (“Gun! Hat! Coat! Leeeeeaaash! YES!) But he knew, he absolutely did.
I refuse to believe he can smell dog food in an unopened can.
I don’t know about that- my dog can smell bacon in a sealed package, in a grocery bag. Then again, he can occasionally be conned into eating broccoli or various fruits that our toddler pitches to him on the floor, so thats not necessarily evidence, per se.
I seem to recall, when that case of canned dog food arrived, both LB and Ghost smelled/recognized it thru the sealed cans and the mail packaging. Or maybe he can just read the lable.
I think he can read. And you’re seriously underestimating his intelligence. After all, he’s conned you into housing and feeding him, and playing chase-around-the-tree on a regular basis.
He knows exactly what he’s doing.
(The can thing may really be simple pattern recognition. My cats certainly distinguished between tuna and Fancy Feast cans and other, more human, fodder.)
I refuse to believe he can smell dog food in an unopened can.
Probably not, but he might be able to smell the dogfood that got on the outside of the can during packaging.
Or maybe the dogfood cans make a different sound when they slide off the shelf (not that hard to believe, a solid lump of dogfood must sound differently than a can filled with liquid and corn).
Or maybe he isn’t a dumb as you think and he knows what the dog food cans look like.
Dogs are awesome.
Telepathy…
Be very afraid, the dog knows your deepest darkest secrets.
RedDawg has it. My cats position themelves when I’m getting ready to cook. I used to think they might be reading body language, but then the ex pointed out that if I was just thinking about what I wanted to cook (not talking about cooking–if they understand English, they hide it well), they assumed their “gimme” positions. Little furry fuckers are reading my mind, man. Not a bad thing. That way they know how often I think “If I didn’t like you, I’d shoot you now & clean up the mess afterwards.”
Dogs are masters at seeing the little body language cues. Laddie KNOWS I’m planning to go out in the car, long before I get my coat, etc. He knows the difference between a “ride” and just checking the water running to the tree line. Same door, the same coat, but he knows.