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Am I smart enough to have a Sheltie in the family?

Discussion in 'Sheltie Chat' started by GlennR, Jan 15, 2019.

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  1. GlennR

    GlennR Forums Regular

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    I like clever dogs and have stuck to adopting smart breeds into our family. However, I never needed a degree to live with them. Keeping Willow safe and happy requires an understanding of physics, calculating momentum and arcs of flight when she runs and hurdles things to land in a lap or clear an obstacle. Still, there's no explaining the stealth technology she uses to sneak up on me.

    I launched an attempt to slow her eating down as a half cup of food was disappearing in a minute or two. I purchased a lovely, expensive, puzzle feeder. Willow has to open drawers to find her food, Each drawer is locked in place by a bone. To open a drawer she first has to remove the locking bone. The first time she tried it, it took her twenty minutes, next time it took ten minutes. I expect you're picking up the pattern here. The next time took her five minutes, sigh...

    Keeping her safe would be easier with an engineering degree, I've built more barriers and fences in the back garden for playtime than the average prison does in a decade. Who knew she'd find wood chip mulch so entertaining to pick up and chew. A degree in botany would be nice to help with figuring out which plants might possibly be bad for her to yank out of the frozen ground. Google helps.

    Still, it doesn't take a degree in psychology to see her joy in life and to feel her love when she snuggles down for a nap on my feet, eschewing the expensive bed I bought her.
     
    GlennR, Jan 15, 2019
    GlennR, Jan 15, 2019
    #1
    Roberta, SheepOfBlue, ghggp and 9 others like this.
  2. Sharon7

    Sharon7 Premium Member

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    :yuckyuck

    Not only your title but your whole post had me laughing. Yes, it is a challenge being owned by a smart dog (try THREE). My senior girl Brooke has very strong opinions about being excluded from an area in the house and will definitely push things around to get access.

    And Shelties are all about food, glorious food, so her adeptness with the food puzzle does not surprise me.

    Please feel free to share more entertaining stories! :lol:
     
    Sharon7, Jan 15, 2019
    Sharon7, Jan 15, 2019
    #2
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  3. Calliesmom

    Calliesmom Moderator

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    it is hard to stay ahead of the shelties- they are very smart and very determined to get at all the food possible but that also means that they learn quickly to get cookies:yes:
     
    Calliesmom, Jan 15, 2019
    Calliesmom, Jan 15, 2019
    #3
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  4. Cindy

    Cindy Premium Member

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    San Francisco Bay Area, CA
    I am always amazed that Gavin does not open the cabinet with his food. He knows where it is, the cabinet has no lock, and is the bottom one on the ground.
    Who knows what is going on in his mind. Open cabinet-No. Jumping on tables to get food-Yes. Eating from trash can-Yes.
     
    Cindy, Jan 15, 2019
    Cindy, Jan 15, 2019
    #4
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  5. Ann

    Ann Moderator

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    I loved your post...what a wonderful read! And yes, we can all relate. One of my favorite answers for people who ask me what it's like to have Shelties is that they can out-think me most days! Truth! :hide
     
    Ann, Jan 15, 2019
    Ann, Jan 15, 2019
    #5
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  6. Shelby's mom

    Shelby's mom Forums Enthusiast

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    Loved it and couldn’t agree more. Shelby is so smart and can be so manipulative, you don’t even realize she is playing you.
     
    Shelby's mom, Jan 15, 2019
    Shelby's mom, Jan 15, 2019
    #6
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  7. Cindy

    Cindy Premium Member

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    I always say the Gavin is the result of 100 years of natural selection for human manipulation!
     
    Cindy, Jan 16, 2019
    Cindy, Jan 16, 2019
    #7
    Shelby's mom, KarenCurtis, Sharon7 and 1 other person like this.
  8. ghggp

    ghggp Moderator

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    :yuckyuck:ROFLMAO:;):ROFLMAO:;)
    OMG!!! That is the most hysterical post I have read in a long time! Not the least of which is because I have a new Sheltie pup as well! Yes, he is totally entertained by the cypress mulch I have in the yard! Chasing him around the yard to get it from him was quite the challenge! Actually, I had to install a fence to stop him from getting to it!

    You could be a writer of a children’s Sheltie book! Thanks for sharing such an entertaining and engaging post! Can’t wait for more to come!
     
    ghggp, Jan 16, 2019
    ghggp, Jan 16, 2019
    #8
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  9. take4roll10

    take4roll10 Moderator

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    Very funny and very true! No matter how much I train or counter-train, my sheltie always finds a way to outsmart me. A sheltie's intelligence is a blessing and curse! :lol:
     
    take4roll10, Jan 16, 2019
    take4roll10, Jan 16, 2019
    #9
    KarenCurtis likes this.
  10. Roberta

    Roberta Premium Member

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    Great post! They keep you humble - that's for sure. Wouldn't trade them for anything.
     
    Roberta, Jan 16, 2019
    Roberta, Jan 16, 2019
    #10
    KarenCurtis likes this.
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