Not-so Smart dog

[Babyblue5290]

Have you guys ever simply said, "This dog is NOT smart!" and really meant it?

I've never said it before today. My friends dog, Bella (same mom as Art who is a genius dog I swear! And Bear, who is also pretty smart. The mom is very smart as well! lol) I've been helping them train Bella for about 6 months now. They have been working really hard with her to get her to do some basic commands and finally, after 6 MONTHS of a lot of work from them and me, Bella has finally fully grasped the concept of sit and lay down! :yikes: :rofl1:

HAHAH! I'm serious, she is not a smart dog! lol She constantly has a "duh" look on her face, wants nothing more than to sit in your lap or just wiggle and run. Don't get me wrong, she's the cutest dog ever, but she is just sooooo ... not smart. lol :rofl1:

I feel bad for even saying that, but maybe I'm just spoiled with Art who knew a ton of tricks by the time he was 6 months, and at almost two years old, continues to pick up tricks in a few sessions.

Bear was a quick learner too, she learned differently from Art and isn't quiet as fast to pick things up, but she's super smart.

Their mom, Sophie, from the little time I had her (a few months) and absolutely NO training at all, she learned to close doors by herself, she learned sit, stay, lay down, and come reliably, and shake pretty reliably. And that's at 6years or so.

I can only think Bella's father wasn't a bright bulb. lol!

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Haha, aww!

Chloe's kind of the same way, but she's not dumb, she just wants nothing more than to sit in a lap, and snuggle. She was abandoned at a shelter for 3 months, and just CRAVES human contact, so it's not very easy to train her. She knows sit, lay down, beg, and speak (which I taught her very, very quickly) but she really doesn't do them when I ask her, unless she wants to. XD Most of the time if I'm sitting down, she just runs into my lap (no matter how many times I try to block her, or put her out of my lap, she comes back XD) or if I'm standing up, her default is beg..... She KNOWS the tricks, and will do them, but most of the time she just doesn't want to. XD

 

[Athelas]

I had a Westie named Callie (she was mine from 8 weeks to 17 years but passed away a few years ago) who .. I swear .. was a master of deceit. She would act as dumb as a brick, slow to learn things and quick to forget. But in the end I discovered a lot of it was an act. I think it was more about her just being stubborn - and she was smarter than me because I fell for the act!

Scott
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[bjolly]

I love Chowder very much, but he is not a smart dog. He cannot figure out how to work squeaky toys. He loves when they squeak. But he can't figure out how to make it happen.

 

[PlottMom]

I think I say that every day in regards to Goose Thankfully, I stopped having to say it about Rage...

 

[BostonBanker]

Yup. My friend has a dear, sweet hound mix who is as bright as a box of hair. She is the kindest creature on the planet, but not a big thinker!

 

[Zhucca]

Gosh, I've said it lots. I meet a lot of dogs through working at a daycare and dumb dogs frustrate me. Sometimes it can be argued dumber dogs are easier to train because they can't think of the many variables of what you're asking of them. Or problem solve and consequently get into trouble. Quite frankly, though, I'd rather have an evil genius (Like my dog of my dreams McGruff) than a dumb-as-a-post dog. I have to say that usually the dumb ones are the usually most friendly, loving dogs ever though. Sometimes to a fault.

 

[oakash]

Haha, aww!

Chloe's kind of the same way, but she's not dumb, she just wants nothing more than to sit in a lap, and snuggle. She was abandoned at a shelter for 3 months, and just CRAVES human contact, so it's not very easy to train her. She knows sit, lay down, beg, and speak (which I taught her very, very quickly) but she really doesn't do them when I ask her, unless she wants to. XD Most of the time if I'm sitting down, she just runs into my lap (no matter how many times I try to block her, or put her out of my lap, she comes back XD) or if I'm standing up, her default is beg..... She KNOWS the tricks, and will do them, but most of the time she just doesn't want to. XD

This is Suzie. She knows exactly what I want her to do, but she won't do it unless there is something huge in it for her. She's actually pretty smart, but she is very houndish in her behaviors, including her sniffing habits.

 

[Miakoda]

Heck yes.

My deceased Olde English Bulldogge was of the "speshul" variety. He really was a great dog. And he loved with a heart larger than most dogs I've ever encountered.

BUT......he was about as bright as a burnt-out lightbulb. We use to joke that the streetlight was smarter than him because it at least came on at night.

We trained him to sit, down, off (the couch/whatever), and gimme paw. That was the extent of that. And even then, you had to have food and even then it was hit or miss. When you would talk to him or give him a command, he would most often just look at you like you are the most important crazy person in the whole wide world. His gorgeous warm chocolate brown eyes with gold flanks were, uhhhh, blank behind them.

Seriously, the dog was dumb. If you threw a blanket over his head, he could never find his way out. He would turn and try to chew his tiny little corkscrew tail only to end up doing some sort of butt-circle before falling over onto his side. He was obsessive over the springpole, tug-of-war, kongs......ceiling fans that were being turne on/off, the telephone ringing..... Yeah, that kind of dog.

I really miss him because he was sooo simple and loved life. But my two remaining dogs, both APBTs, are very much like that. TB isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and he has a simple lust for life that is actually quite catching.

These "simple" dogs....you can learn a lot about life from them. They don't sweat the small stuff (or large stuff). LOL

 

[jrvl]

Yup... Celtic!

 

[KenyiGirl]

I say this about Hailey sometimes. She does not understand the concept of training. I pull out some treats and she can do the tricks she knows just fine. But if I try to teach her something new, she does NOT get it. I will get her attention and then it's "You want me to sit? no? You must want me to lay down. That doesn't work? Ok, let me just run around you in circles and see if you give me the treat now! Jumping in the air! That must be what you want, jumping in the air! Why won't you give me the treat????!!! Now I will just grab at your hand to see if I can grab the treat!" And this all happens in the span of about 15-30 seconds. She's just a not-so smart dog.