Background: a long time ago she used to have separation anxiety when I would leave the house, so I developed a routine that helped her anxiety. I would fill her Kong toy with treats and then smear peanut butter inside and give it to her. It would take her some time to eat the peanut butter, then she had to "play" with the Kong to get the treats out. One day after several months of this I happened to be home and heard a bunch of loud thumping down our wood-floored stairs: she was pitching the Kong down the stairs in order to get the treats out faster. How smart is that?
The other treat she really loves are these hard bones filled with some sort of squishy, doggie-enticing goo inside. Like these. We started noticing that she was pitching THOSE bones down the stairs too! I thought that was brilliant! Not only did she learn to use the stairs as a "tool" to help get the treats out of the Kong, but she transferred that knowledge to a totally different toy...genius!
Now we live in a house with no stairs at all...but we noticed recently that she has taken to throwing her bones up in the air, and doing this adorable little "jump"! She really is so cute. I love my dog!!!
Check her out:
Awww, Cloud! She has always been such a smart dog.
ReplyDeleteI use to leave my dogs several days a week and those days I would put their food in those dog toys that they had to work to get the food out. Thinking I was giving them something to do while I was gone. One day I had to go back to the house.... I had been gone about 15 minutes and was shocked that the food that was to entertain them for hours was gone.. all toys empty and dogs looking bored..... aren't WE smart.
ReplyDelete@Mimi...haha!
ReplyDelete