How much do they understand?

[gemniii]

I've a border collie that lives with us.
Smart dog, after about 1 year she had trained my daughter, then another year she had my wife trained.  Now my wife is fairly stubborn and doesn't take well to training but the dog got it done in 1 year what took me several.
Her understanding of English is fairly limited.
Most words spoke monotonic with no inflections are not recognized, but with some inflection and body language she's quick.

[WH_Conley]

Who, the wife or the dog. :D

[thecfarm]

Forgot to mention.All my dog does is go to the door and whine and we let him out,barks when he's outside and we let him in.Now who has who trained?

[jamesamd]

If only we were smart enough to understand what they understand the world would probably be a better place.

Amen to that Brother!

[IMERC]

Hnn, a four legged fur covered turkey that barks. 

four legs instead of two...

                   !!!!DRUM STICKS!!!!

[SPIKER]

Hnn, a four legged fur covered turkey that barks. 

four legs instead of two...

                   !!!!DRUM STICKS!!!!

they would need to be Feather covered to be DRUM STICKS :D   but I like your way of thinking ...  wonder if they would lay eggs or have litters?   build a nest with sticks & twigs or pull your best blanket down to have the puppies/chicks (puplets?) on?
:

Mark

[IMERC]

litters of eggs???

and the blanket would be a sure bet to cover all those sticks....

but the two extra drum sticks wins...

[DanG]

Reminds me of the story about a farmer who raised some 3-legged chickens.  Other fellow asked him how they taste and he says, "Don't know.  Ain't been able to catch one yet." ;D

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

I Want to Tell You All About Molly

About 9 years ago,  I saw a add in the paper ~ Border Collie's (BC) for Sale, From Good Stock Dogs, etc. .

I grew up on our family farm and we had all kinds of dogs but never a B. C. . I wanted one for my son.. that was 10 at the time. I went to the farm and met the ole farmer that had them. He said that I could see the male but he'd bite me if I went too close him. The farmer said, that he send him for the cows (big dairy herd) and he bring them in from anywhere on the farm. The female was a good dog too and was her first bunch of pups. The were kept in a empty corn crib and were seven or eight or so. All of the pups were jumping up on my legs when I went into the corn crib but one. The one pup was setting back from the rest of them and looking right into my eyes.  I said, to the farmer, that dog is looking right into my eyes, what do you think about this one. I picked the pup up and saw she was a female, like female's over male's. The farmer said,  I think she picked you out... instead of you picking her out.  I think your right, she's seem's like.. their's something special about this dog . The ole farmer said, that this dog would be his pick but your the one that's picking, then, I said, well maybe.. but she picked me first.

I named her Molly on the way home and she huged up against me in the pick up as we went home.  My Son (10) was a little too young to fully handle a young pup but it was the right time to have & grow up with a good dog.

However, Molly stayed around me all the time and she became my dog or should I say my very best friend. She was never needed a collar and never needed trained, she just knew what to do and just a word or two or hand motion or nothing at all.. just think what I wanted or she was already in motion (no joke).

She went trucking with me in my old Maron Truck  pulling a low boy over 48 states. She'd ride shot gun, and place her right paw on the window ledge and set on her rump like a person. She'd look out the window and at  me as we went down the road and smile.  I say.. Smile because of her markings around her face, it was like a clown's face outline and her tonque would slip out along the side when she was at the max. happy point.  She'd make me laugh and laugh and she knew it.. hard to explain in print but some of you know what I mean.

When I'd get in a bind with wide loads and run into road construction which was not on my route.. I get up tight and she come over and lick my right ear and neck & settle me down. When we parked at night she'd stay in her seat and and watch out all night long and watched in the mirrors too. I'd try to get her to come back to the bunk and be with me. She'd come back for a few minutes and get loved up then  right back up to her  seat and watch all night long. When day break came, she came back to the bunk and laid on the floor by the bed.


See 2nd part.


       

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

Thing's about Molly....

Like her father ..  Molly would bite (nip) you in a heart beat. Later on, I found out that she was an excellent judge of folks and bit the bad folks and only barked at good ones.

I found out that Molly... weren't No Dog, she was more Real People than a dog. She'd check me out for Bo Bo's from head to toe on a daily basis. Molly looked for the signal to lick or don't lick... if the skin was'nt broke from being cut, I say go ahead and she'd lick me up till her tongue got tired. Toward the end, it was like she was in slow motion and I say that's enough fixing. We'd look at each other eye to eye and it was always a special look.. no words to explain. When she was at home... she'd lay at the end of the bed and come up to lay in the bed with me around 3 AM and it was within within 5 minutes or so of 3 AM. She'd lay down next to me and I usally sleep on my side. She'd curl into me and would lick my back too. She'd usually homeed into the spot  where it would hurt from spasms on my right shoulder blade. Also, she'd smell me (my hurt's or bruised areas) and look at me as Dr. Molly.. I forgot to mention this... No joke.

When I was working on truck's or equipment, she'd take up a spot in the shop so she have me in her sight.  She'd move her spot if I moved to another spot underneath the truck . Molly, would come underneath the truck and check me out about every 1/2 hour, if I was on the creeper, she'd come in close and look me right in the eyes. Sometimes, she'd give me a coupe licks and go back and lay down (on watch) with that B. C. Eye on me.       

It's my believe that I was the Alpha Male and She was the Alpha Female.. sound's nuts but I saw this on TV (relationship with dog & man or woman).

See last Part # 3

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

Last Part # 3 about Molly

Molly died on  17 Sept., 2006.  It was a freak accident and should have never happened. I was using a cutting torch and she would bite anything that sparked or had fire coming out of it (like a torch). She'd pull the elec. cord out of outlet when I'd use the 14 inch chop saw. She was old mother hen or would try to bite the sparks. Molly was a little crazy and matched up to me 100%. I put her (17 Sep.)  in my Ford van to keep her safe while I was working on the hitch on IHC 300 tracto. However, I did not know that my friend's son was riding his 4 wheeler back & forth next to the van. Molly was running back & forth inside the van and became over heated & overwhelmed (heatstroke).

I went to let her out and found her passed out. I cooled down with a garden house and took her to the vet. It was 5 PM and he was getting ready to leave for the day. He said, that he could not do anything and went home.  I took her home and put her in my bath tub.  I kept her head up and cooled her down in the tub. She knew me and wimpered for me to help her.  After about 1 hour, I moved her to my bed and put her on a lot of towels.  I had the AC on full blast and directed the air flow to her mouth and held her mouth open. She was holding her own and then started to slip away about 3 hours later. Her eyes started back in her head and breathing was more rapid ( I knew I was losing her).

I was was reading on the internet while I was working with her. The vet could have given her Oxy. and med's too.. but did nothing. She died in my arms and had a seizure at the end. I was completely wrecked by this and it brought back so many memory's  of trying to save someone's life and was unable to so.  It took me over 6 months to turn the corner on her passing.

This article took my mind off my Dad's (Jack Baker) recent passing on the 12th of this month. We All.. Will Turn the Corner of Sorrow from the Loss of a Loved One and is Always Hard.

I'm making it Ok,  Jack's birthday is the 31st and I don't know how I'll feel about this day.. yet.  Thank's all for your prayer's & good word's of support while my Dad was sick  and  Passing away.,

100%... I Understand that Animal's (Dog's) are Not All Created Equall.  It seem's .. they come (My Molly and your _____ best friend) into our life by the one's or two's ... if that ! !

Have a Great Xmass and Happy New Year... take care of man's/ woman's  best freind's  too !

Avery

[DanG]

Great story about Molly, Hawk!  Sometimes you just get a special one, eh?

I know your heart is heavy after losing Jack, but try to remember the reason we celebrate today, and know that Jack is having the best Christmas yet. ;)

[crtreedude]

Our dog, Silky, who is a English Cocker Spaniel is one of the smartest dogs I have ever seen. He learns really fast and is an incredible judge of character, if he doesn't get along with a worker, I can pretty much be assured there is something up.

He loves to play and of course, explore but never wants to be more than 30 yards or so away from me. Loves to ride in cars too, and if I am not driving, figures the best seat is in my lap, with his head out the window.

He would make a good sheep dog, but he is way too fast. And licking his chops when he is around the sheep doesn't make them very comfortable with him either.  :D

[Faron]

Mid September we became the proud? : owners of a 1 year old female Great Pyrenees dog.  Town and inside raised.  I don't think she is stupid, but man, is she ever hard headed.  Her job is to guard the goats.  I have now gotten her to the point where she doesn't chase the goats or cattle.  I don't know if she would defend her charges, but she will bark.  Bark when I open the back door.  Bark at passing cars, jets, satellites, and the occasional UFO.  The biggest problem is if she gets out of her pasture, she is GONE!  No calling her back.  I don't think she is one of my better deals, but time will tell.  I will say she has come further than some Pyrenees owners figured she would ever do.
Few weeks back, I filled up my wood stove just after daylight.  Harris Pilton, Kate's daughter and heavy lifter, ran by barking at the fencerow north of the house.  A coyote ran out and took off.  Harris wasn't satisfied, though, and continued watching and barking at the fence row.  In a few moments, two large coyotes came out and came directly at the dog.  By then, Kate backed her up, and the two advanced , barking,on the coyotes, as the coyotes continued boring in.  The four got within 15 feet, and then the coyotes turned and ran. I guess they didn't like even odds.  I wonder if the coyotes thought they would take down the dog, or if they thought they would just bluff her out.  They didn't know it, but I had a poker in my hand, and if there was a fight, there would have been 5 dogs in it. :D  I suspect close encounters with coyotes is not unusual for these dogs.  They bark at howling coyotes almost every night.

[moonhill]

We have had GPs for 18 years.  The first passed on at age 13, a female.  Our second, a female as well, came as a puppy to take the next ruling administration.   We had always heard they worked best in a pair, so we attained another, a male.  We gave the male lots of chances and now have to keep him tied on a run line.  The female keep to home within her boundary, which she has set to around 200 yards from the yard.  The exception is she will wander with the male if he is not restrained.  If left unattended he will go in less than 10 minutes. 

I have heard either the male or female will roam, it is my guess the female stays to do her job, as she is the boss of the two, and knows her job.  She was the first and I assume took the role.  Our first female was the same way, a home body.  Have a good collar and ID tag with a phone number.  We have found ours on the neighbors porch looking all proud and just at home after receiving a call, 3-5 miles away. 

We do not have any animals at this point but did in the past.  The dogs were a two part guard animal, first for the kids who were born at home and raised with the dogs( not goat kids, we did have goats too), and second for the livestock.  As you have noticed GPs do bark a lot, it will grow on you, they have a very hardy bark not a yappy noise.  They love to bark and will find any excuse to do so, I hope most of the time it is doing something.

Once we found the pair of them having a chicken licking contest, they had trapped a young chicken and was in the process of licking the feathers off its back, the chicken survived, the dogs got a wicked scolding and it didn't happen again.  They knew it was wrong. 

As an example of the dogs keeping animals at bay I will use our honey bees, we have kept bees for 6 years now and never once have we had a bear tear them up.  But we have had rented hives for the blueberries messed with, just outside the 200 yard radius, but never with in.  One animal the dogs don't deal with is porcupine, the female got into one once and only once, she now lets them get into the apple trees right outside the door of the house.  I take care of the porcupine.

They are protective and gentle at the same time, they can be babies and aggressive.  I find them hard headed too, not stupid.  Food is a great motivator which can be switched out for a kind pat on the head as the reward.  Dogs as well as all other animals people included all have different personalities, like snow flakes same but different, so the inner workings need attention something that may not apply to the breed as a whole. 

Ours stay outside 100% of the time.  We tried keeping them with the fenced in animals but that didn't work well, they were very uncomfortable and the goats treated them with caution, even as a puppy.  I think the kid goats and puppy would/should be raised together to have it work ideally. 

I think they are a great dog. 

Faron, Does yours jump on people or chase sticks?

As a side, has anyone else watched "The Story of the Weeping Camel" , it could almost be a Christmas story. 

Tim