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Apr 2017
9:05am, 28 Apr 2017
11,405 posts
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Sharkie
Fergus - Jess our GSD is impeccable around food... most of the time.
However, there is a place in the cliff tops Country Park that will forever be known as 'Stolen Sandwich Pass'. You probably get the picture.
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Apr 2017
9:18am, 28 Apr 2017
6,502 posts
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BaronessBL
Wanda watches me cooking and if something falls on the floor she will wait for me to say she can have it before diving in and grabbing it. However if anything is left on the work top after we have eaten she will have a good look to see if it is worth trying to reach. If it's been quiet in the kitchen for a long time we have to go and check that whatever is on the work top or hob while cooling enough to go in the fridge is out of her reach......
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Apr 2017
9:24am, 28 Apr 2017
4,626 posts
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Helegant
In Jet's case he conforms to the description "a nose followed by an engine". If he can scavenge some food as well it's an extra bonus.
*Any* smell is interesting and tends to flood his brain and he goes into 'independent thinking' mode i.e. he stops listening to me and decides what he thinks he should be doing! 
Jet also likes carrying things.
These (with the exception of food stealing) are good traits for Field Trial Champions, which is his pedigree. Channelling them in a family home means more of a challenge for me.
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Apr 2017
9:36am, 28 Apr 2017
10,887 posts
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Chrisull
Dougal has been trying it on. He jumps up and attempts to get anything from the work surface. Or sticks his head in the dishwasher!
Anyway quick change of subject. How do dogs home/locate themselves? I always thought scent and memory, but today i did a square route two sides of a rectangle down paths he had never done before. I had to practically drag him to the "far corner" of the rectangle down an old sheep track. Then when we got to the corner of somewhere he has never been, instead of trying to go back the way he'd come (which he'd spent a quarter of a mile doing) he started the old collie drag for home trick, but along the new part of the track that connects to another footpath home. To me it was obvious he knew where he was going, but how???
We were a quarter of a mile away from connecting to the other track, there are no visible landmarks. How the hell did he know where to go? When we joined the other footpath, I let him choose the route, but he knew the way.
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Apr 2017
9:41am, 28 Apr 2017
11,412 posts
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Sharkie
He's a collie. Nuff said.
By the way - how do you feel about young Dougal now, several months in?
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Apr 2017
9:56am, 28 Apr 2017
10,889 posts
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Chrisull
He's a handful, but he's a lovely dog. He feels very "trainable", he learns quickly, he's mastered most of the first week puppy obedience class tasks within minutes at home, and then repeats it consistently. I feel he's a very good natured dog, he is quite a bitey pup, but never once aggressively so. I trust him when he's out not to nip other strangers who pet him (unless they deliberately play him up, as some other dog owners delight in doing!) and also to be good around other dogs.
He can get nervous and worried when other dogs are too forward and jumpy but he tends to hide behind me rather than get aggressive. So yeah I don't think we'd be with out him!
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Apr 2017
10:03am, 28 Apr 2017
11,413 posts
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Sharkie
Nice answer. I know just what you mean about other owners who delight in winding our dogs up crank, crank, crank... dog goes to excitable switch 11.
And even the poo bag thing's not that bad is it. Not if it's your own dog.
Handful dogs are the best!
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Apr 2017
10:09am, 28 Apr 2017
4,628 posts
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Helegant
Would you have been able to find your way back without retracing your steps if you didn't know the area? Your navigation comment is one reason why I love collies. The brains!
"I don't think we'd be without him" is a perfect answer
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Apr 2017
10:28am, 28 Apr 2017
18,218 posts
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LazyDaisy
He sounds delightful Chris.
I bet smell plays an important part in the 'homing' ability. Several dog-progs have mentioned how brilliant dogs are at analysing scents so even though there were no visual landmarks he will have smelt something familiar.
Flossie's sense of smell is pretty good. When OH took her out first thing this morning, first morning we've been in Sidmouth for a month, he said she had to stop and sniff *everywhere* to catch up on the gossip
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Apr 2017
10:55am, 28 Apr 2017
8,641 posts
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Rosehip
Jet sounds like my Ralph - who is also from a FTC pedigree line.
He'll be 8 in October (!) the only sign is that he sleeps a little longer during the day.
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