Funny How Dogs Learn From Each Other.

[Anneke]

As some of you may know, I am a dogwalker. So every workday I collect a couple of dogs from their home and take them out for a run in the woods.
The other day I was taking Jinx, Pippy(a beagle) and Rigo(a terriermix) to the woods. But I didn't feel like going my usual route, since Pippy chased a scent a few days ago. I desided to stay near the car and do some games with them.
I use these dogs as a distraction for Jinx, while I train with her. I can't do this with all of my dogs, but these two a happy just to hang around and get treats every once in a while.
So I was doing some tricks with Jinx. Bow, jump, back up, spin, jump up on a table, walk over a log and... speak.
Pippy came and sat beside Jinx, watching what we were doing.
Now I have been teaching Jinx to speak loud and to speak softly. The loud she has down, but the softly needs some work, so when I asked her to speak softly she was quiet for a time.
From the corner of my eye I saw Pippy wiggle around a little bit and suddenly a soft woof came out.
Yeah!! Good job!! I was laughing about the way she did it. So I thought I would see if she would do it again. So I asked Pippy to speak. For a moment she was thinking(you could see it in her face), again the little wiggle and a soft woof.
She did it three times!!! Of course we had a big party!!!
This little girl is so cute!
Her owners don't do any tricktraining with her, but she did have a little basic obiedience. This is why she is able to go off leash in the woods. Every once in a while she will go off and chase a scent, but she always comes back.
Next week, if she comes with me again, I'll see if she remembers it.

 

[tigerlily46514]

OH CUTE STORY! TOO CUTE!!
I often like to watch the dogs in backgrounds of a dog trick video. Running dog posted one the other day, and i could SEE the dog watching, being verrry into the dog being asked to do a trick, as if he was mentally doing them.

Yes, dogs do learn from each other!
My dog always always imitates any and all visitor dogs, the day AFTER they leave. If visitor dog did ANYTHING that was different or new to Buddy,
buddy WILL do that behavior the next day or so, all by himself,
as if checking it out.

For example, unlike many dogs, Buddy has zero interest whatsoever in sticks, never has. Won't chase a stick, and never ever messes with sticks.
but Visitor dog loves sticks, and likes to peel the bark off of sticks. Buddy sat and observed this, as if studying visitor dog.

Next day, off/on for hours, Buddy sat by himself, practicing and trying to learn how to peel bark off of sticks. Stuff like that. too funny!!! He's never chewed a stick before or since, just day after visitor dog did this in front of Buddy.
But how cute sideline dog "got it" from watching the other dog's lesson!!!

 

[Anneke]

Ow yes that sounds familiar
I have one dog, that comes with me, Kaya. She is a border/golden mix, though you can't find the golden in her... But she is obsessed with pinecones. She will herd pinecones, carry 5 or more in her mouth and eye them, so I will kick them for her. If she runs off, I will find her by the next pinetree, waiting for me to kick some more pinecones
One of the other dogs watched this and thought he'd give it a try. But after three times chasing a pinecone and picking it up, I swear, he looked up at me, thinking: I don't know what the fun of this game is...
Jinx thought it was a great game, so she loves to do it too. And little Floh copied it from her.
So now I spend an hour kicking pinecones to keep my dogs happy

 

[Anneke]

Kaya and her pinecones. You can only see 2, but she has 4 in her mouth

 

[tigerlily46514]

hilarious!

 

[charmedwolf]

That's cute Anneke!

Kratos has taught Jinx and Isis so much over the years we have had all of them. He taught them how to eat bones, peaches, plum, cherries (all without eating the pits) and even the joys of ice cube chasing.

It would solve a lot of my problems if they could just teach each other! Then I would only have to teach one dog everything! Dream big.