Gotta ask, toys by name.

[Kazz]

Well just had a friends round to see how I am and promise to ring if I get taken to hospital again...not planning on it just a flying visit into Good Hope for a liver scan today. Then staying quiet.And anyhow while they were here I said to Sal "go get your kong" and she did, of course. My friend was fascinated that she identified correctly and brought back the right toy.We then did a little test, ie he sat in the living room and I and his wife in the kitchen and I said to say "get your blue ring" and she she did. "kong" got that. Ragger (easy) then I said get your red ring, and she brought back the red ring.Does your dog identify toys by name? I do not think it unusual at all but seems it might be....she can also bring back the right coloured kong if asked for red kong as opposed to black.

[calismum]

My first dog - Tarah a Border Colli/GSD cross could do all sorts of things. Bring toys out the box by name and put them away at the end of the day. She would go close a door, bring her vet bed, help me empty the washing machine (although I think this was a game rather than something I taught her). She would also help in the garden by carrying and fetching wee things for me. I swear she was only a day away from talking.

Our Golden Retrievers are lovely dogs and I love them to bits but they are so eager to retrieve they get too excited and bring you everything they find so |I've given up with Cali.

Our 3 Border Collies are very much OH's working dogs and I think he would pass out if I started training them to fetch and carry!!!!

I've never though asked Tarah to differentiate colours - think she would have had I told her which toy was which.

Hope you get on ok today, I know you don't make a fuss but thoughts are with you. xx

[Kazz]

Ah Sal helps in the garden too she will fetch me a trowel or something not to good on the names but if I point she will bring it and being a Stafford I found she was useful in pulling too....when I tried to dig up and old conifer root a couple of years ago I tied a rope round the root and then tied her ragger to the end and she helped pull it out.....

Thanks will be fine as long as they don't scan for common sense,

[Moli]

My dogs all identify their toys, and pick the right ones, Maggie is learning to do it...

[Mags]

Many years ago we used to have a poodle and he knew every toy by name and would fetch it if asked. We used to buy him a new toy every time he had his coat clipped so you can imagine how they all mounted up Poodles are very intelligent and he always associated going to the groomer with getting a new toy - when he came home he used to get so excited until we gave him his new toy.

When my dad used to come home from work he used to put his coat over the bannister in the hall, with his gloves in his pocket. We just had to say to Chico "fetch dad's glove" and he would run straight into the hall and pull it out of his pocket

Dogs are more intelligent and clever than we give them credit for

[angieh]

I don't know dogs and the part I find amazing in the above examples are the dogs differentiating between colours. I always thought dogs were colour blind. Presumably not.

Thanks for the above thread Kazz - really interesting! Hope all goes well for you today.

[Kazz]

I think they struggle with some colours but she never has we have red, blue, black. But a story to make you smile....See it makes me wonder if I imagine she is clever or if she actually is... I threw Sal's kong up the garden today and managed to land it on one of the garden chairs which was under the table (couldn't have done that if I tried) but she lost it as the thing bounces and rebounds like crazy she looked on the table...then in the plant pot. I shouted from the back step its on the chair she paused looked at me then I don't know if she saw it or worked it out (trial and error) but she got it and ran back with it.Sadly she went straight past me to my BIL (with whom she is in love)

[Shelley123]

What amazing Dogs you all have, i'm impressed that Sal can differentiate between colours.
Calismum i am also impressed that you had a Dog that could put toys away and shut doors. Our big Dog Max could open doors and find his toys but not shut doors or tidy away. There was a programme on tv the other week about the mind of Dogs, one particular dog could correctly find about 30 toys by name, then by object matching and finaly by picture matching.
Karen i hope your scan goes well.