Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My old girl Lucy was kept outdoors for so long with so little mental exercise... we love her to pieces, but she has never done anything to suggest she has much thinking ability. Sweet, sweet, wonderful girl. She knows her manners and that's about it. Our little beagle figures things out in a snap, but poor Lucy... she just doesn't. Well tonight she gave me a bit of a shock. I was sitting at the computer and she was standing at the bottom of the stairs, wanting to go up to the bedroom. There's a baby gate there that she can't jump over. I watched her as she got her paw and wrapped it around one of the bars as best she could, leaned herself against it, and got it open!! She trotted up the stairs like she was saying, "Look what I did, Mom!!" I was so proud of her!!! I had to help her with the upstairs gate but I was so happy that she figured it out!! Yay!! Just wanted to share.
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Kadee Sedtal
home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats- Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, and Fillmore, and the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, and Chaminade... I really ought to stop getting more rodents every time I go out, huh?

Awwww, it sounds like Miss Lucy is catching on. I'll bet she'll have more surprises for you down the line.

Keep up the good work, Lucy.
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Mary Lou & Katie

Oh that is so cute. I love it when our furbabies figure things out.

Yes, it is very nice to know that my old girl is still learning at 8 1/2 years old. One of my rats just figured out that the laundry basket is a nice spot to sleep- not so rewarding! I have to look through it before I put it in the washer!
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Kadee Sedtal
home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats- Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, and Fillmore, and the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, and Chaminade... I really ought to stop getting more rodents every time I go out, huh?

Hi Kadee...yep, be careful. I once dried a cat in the dryer for a few minutes. My poodle was barking like crazy...saved the kitty. Happy to say he was okay and lived for years after that.

Lucy seems to be doing really good now. Cute story.My dogs constantly out-smart me.
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Winona

Well considering the breed of your dogs they could probably outsmart a room full of college graduates.
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Kadee Sedtal
home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats- Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, and Fillmore, and the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, and Chaminade... I really ought to stop getting more rodents every time I go out, huh?

Kadee...Most dogs out-smart me...I am too soft hearted. On a different note...I went to visit my daughter in San Francisco. My old cat (not the dryer cat) had so many health problems and was in very bad condition. I had asked my husband to have him euthanized while I was gone...but he died the morning I was leaving. He was 21 yrs.old and had a great life. I guess in human yrs. he was over 100 yrs. old.I really miss him.
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Winona

I'm sorry for your loss Winona.

21 yrs old! What a grand old life!

.
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tabitha
Kayo, Kahla, and Dante'

Aw, I'm sorry about your cat! I'm sure that's really rough having him that long and then something happens. I haven't even had my dogs a year and if anything happened to them I'd just be crushed.
Did they ever find out where that pharaoh puppy came from? The one in the newspaper ad? I have been worried sick that it's my little Sousa or one of his littermates since the birthdates are so close. I haven't been able to get ahold of his breeders, I had e-mailed to ask if he had found a home and didn't get a response, so of course I am so afraid for him!
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Kadee Sedtal
home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats- Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, and Fillmore, and the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, and Chaminade... I really ought to stop getting more rodents every time I go out, huh?

Thanks Tabitha and Kadee. I'm not sure about the P.H. There have been so many in rescue lately,I can't keep up.I never thought this would happen in our breed.Our dogs all have microchips. Two of our horses have freeze brands...the other two have microchips.
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Winona

What a great story Kadee!

It's so rewarding to see them "grow." I think it's even more rewarding in a case like Lucy's, where she's only recently been given the opportunity.

Very cool.

.
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tabitha
Kayo, Kahla, and Dante'

Yes, I was so proud! She really is starting to be more obedient and reliable about things like leaving food out on the computer desk, used to she'd just grab it but now she's learned that will get her a trip to the garage! She's turning into a very well-behaved, smart old girl, not that she was ever awful, but still, it's nice to see her learning.
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Kadee Sedtal
home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats- Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, and Fillmore, and the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, and Chaminade... I really ought to stop getting more rodents every time I go out, huh?