I just came back from the beach with my dog, Millie. My friend John and I try to take her there in the evenings every couple weeks or so as she just loves it. Anywway, where we go, we usually do not see a single person as it is after dark, and kind of a secluded area. Tonight was different. First of all, Millie is a Golden Retriever (mom) / Chow (dad) mix. She just turned a year old on the 19th, and full grown is just under 50 pounds. I have always known she was extremely intelligent, and have taken advantage of that by teaching her as many things I can think of to teach her.
I have 2 others, but little chi's (mom and son). Anyway, back to the beach experience.
Tonight, we had been there about an hour, when a fairly large group of people came down the footbridge behind us. They were obviously tourists, as all of them were wearing headbands with the lights on the front. (Florida, LOL). The tide was just going out, and they must have been coming to look for starfish, etc, that come in with the tide. Anyway, I don't know how many people total, but seems it was somewhere around 20 altogether, in 3 different groups.
Now, Millie is a timid dog, so when strangers are around, she comes and sits next to me for her cue on what to do. I had no cue for her tonight, just figured they would walk down the beach, and she would continue playing until they came back. She did not go back to running around and playing. She laid at my feet, for almost an hour. In 4 groups, all those that had come down, came back up and crossed the footbridge. Once the last 3 people went over the footbridge, she went back to playing, running, etc. We did not realize until almost another hour had passed that there were no more people on the beach.
Please keep in mind... it was extremely windy, chilly, in soft sand so hardly any sound when walking, and no lights (I have a lighted collar and tag on her).
HOW did she know when the last person went back over that footbridge? I just cannot wrap my mind around this at all. She watched all 3 groups come down, and watched the 4 groups go back. Once the last 3 were over the footbridge, she started running around again and playing, not a care in the world! If she were a herding dog, I might be able to come up with a "maybe explanation". Tonight, though, I learned that she is willing to protect me... which is why I got her in the first place. I have had her since Feb 9th 2009, she wasn't quite 8 weeks.
I have just never seen this happen before, and don't know how to explain it. She is obviously (to me) always been much, much smarter than the average dog, but how did she know they were the last people to come back?
Sorry, I keep going on, but I saw it happen, and I still can't believe it.
Anyway, if you are a behaviorist, trainer, whatever, that can explain it, please do...
Thanks!
I have 2 others, but little chi's (mom and son). Anyway, back to the beach experience.
Tonight, we had been there about an hour, when a fairly large group of people came down the footbridge behind us. They were obviously tourists, as all of them were wearing headbands with the lights on the front. (Florida, LOL). The tide was just going out, and they must have been coming to look for starfish, etc, that come in with the tide. Anyway, I don't know how many people total, but seems it was somewhere around 20 altogether, in 3 different groups.
Now, Millie is a timid dog, so when strangers are around, she comes and sits next to me for her cue on what to do. I had no cue for her tonight, just figured they would walk down the beach, and she would continue playing until they came back. She did not go back to running around and playing. She laid at my feet, for almost an hour. In 4 groups, all those that had come down, came back up and crossed the footbridge. Once the last 3 people went over the footbridge, she went back to playing, running, etc. We did not realize until almost another hour had passed that there were no more people on the beach.
Please keep in mind... it was extremely windy, chilly, in soft sand so hardly any sound when walking, and no lights (I have a lighted collar and tag on her).
HOW did she know when the last person went back over that footbridge? I just cannot wrap my mind around this at all. She watched all 3 groups come down, and watched the 4 groups go back. Once the last 3 were over the footbridge, she started running around again and playing, not a care in the world! If she were a herding dog, I might be able to come up with a "maybe explanation". Tonight, though, I learned that she is willing to protect me... which is why I got her in the first place. I have had her since Feb 9th 2009, she wasn't quite 8 weeks.
I have just never seen this happen before, and don't know how to explain it. She is obviously (to me) always been much, much smarter than the average dog, but how did she know they were the last people to come back?
Sorry, I keep going on, but I saw it happen, and I still can't believe it.
Anyway, if you are a behaviorist, trainer, whatever, that can explain it, please do...
Thanks!