This morning a female German Shepherd surprised me with her intelligence. I carry around a Water Rover while walking my dog either around the streets of the Villages or at one of the various dog parks in or near the Villages. The Water Rover is a water bottle with a bowl attached which after you pull the plug at the top of the bottle fills the bowl with water. Here's a link to a picture of a Water Rover-- http://www.waterrover.com/

After my dog had got his drink and several other dogs had also took their turn near a shelter at Doggie Doo Run Run, a German Shepherd took hers but she could not get at some of the water in the bottle. She picked it up in her mouth, carried it to a hole, and put it down so that the angle of the bottle pushed the rest of the remaining water into the bowl.

Problem solved for this bright pooch.

[bkcunningham1]

Taltarzac, I had a shepherd, an Australian shepherd. He lived to be almost 20 years old. The smartest dog I've ever seen in my life. I lived out in the country and could keep an outside dog who knew his boundaries without fences. It took some work on my part, but he learned his boundaries and stuck to them. Shepherds are very smart. I would love another Aussie or a Shetland sheep dog or a border collie, but my allergies and limited outdoor space won't permit. I can see an Aussie in the backyard on the third hole now at the country club. Yeah, right. I'm considering a Westie. But I'm afraid of the tendency for these dogs to dig. Anyway, I would loved to have watched the shepherd in action.

[schotzyb]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac

This morning a female German Shepherd surprised me with her intelligence. I carry around a Water Rover while walking my dog either around the streets of the Villages or at one of the various dog parks in or near the Villages. The Water Rover is a water bottle with a bowl attached which after you pull the plug at the top of the bottle fills the bowl with water. Here's a link to a picture of a Water Rover-- http://www.waterrover.com/

After my dog had got his drink and several other dogs had also took their turn near a shelter at Doggie Doo Run Run, a German Shepherd took hers but she could not get at some of the water in the bottle. She picked it up in her mouth, carried it to a hole, and put it down so that the angle of the bottle pushed the rest of the remaining water into the bowl.

Problem solved for this bright pooch.

Tal, Hate I missed that. Must have happened right after Ringo and I left.

[Debfrommaine]

Your story made my day!

Originally Posted by schotzyb

Tal, Hate I missed that. Must have happened right after Ringo and I left.

My dog is not this smart though.

[ajbrown]

I got a kick out of that story and will pass it along.

I am sure my dog Caly would not have worked that out; she may have just eaten the bottle .

[espulmano]

bkcunningham1, have you looked into getting a Shih Tzu? They make wonderful companions and they will have you trained in no time at all.

[bkcunningham1]

Sorry to hi-jack this thread. But, no, espulmano, I haven't considered the Shih Tzu. They are gorgeous though. I just looked it up and just now realized they are hypoallergenic to be honest.

[K9-Lovers]

Right up there with Shepherds for smartness are poodles. Some list poodles as THE smartest. And, they are truly hypo-allergenic because they have hair, not fur. They do not shed at all.

Westies are known to bark a lot, but then, so do some poodles. Other hypo-allergenic dogs are bichon frise and maltese. But after having a smart shepherd, you will appreciate the quickness and humor of a poodle.

I've worked with a lot of dogs and speak from experience. But I have to say: I love 'em all!!

[bkcunningham1]

My allergy is the dog dander. I heard that Westies have high allergenic protein in their dander so I'm reluctant on that part too. I almost had a bichon frise this past December. I was sooo excited, thrilled is more like it to have a dog back in my life. But, it just happened that my brother got sick and passed away within a week of me adopting the puppy and I had to back out because of traveling. Oh, well, when the time is right....I'll have a dog to tell great stories about like the German shepherd.

[Annabelle]

What a sweet story for all us dog lovers. Hubby had a German Shepherd during high school years and said she was extremely intelligent and we've had many dogs during our long marriage.....but according to hubby.....none was as smart as our first Maltese. Very intelligent , extremely sweet natured and easy to train.
Highly recommended for people with allergies. Definitely not an outdoor dog.

[redwitch]

Tal, what a sweet story and how very nice of you to share your dog's clean water with the other dogs. Yup, German Shepherds are exceedingly intelligent and if there's a will there's a way seems to be a large part of their personality.

bk -- Another vote for either a poodle or a Maltese. The smaller poodles do bark a lot more than the standard. Of course, the standard needs a lot more exercise -- not as much as an Australian, but a bit. The Maltese is really a cuddle bunny and relatively allergenic (not as much as a poodle, but close). Do NOT got with any terrier, especially not a Westie -- too much dander, too hyper, too stubborn.

Originally Posted by redwitch

Tal, what a sweet story and how very nice of you to share your dog's clean water with the other dogs. Yup, German Shepherds are exceedingly intelligent and if there's a will there's a way seems to be a large part of their personality.

bk -- Another vote for either a poodle or a Maltese. The smaller poodles do bark a lot more than the standard. Of course, the standard needs a lot more exercise -- not as much as an Australian, but a bit. The Maltese is really a cuddle bunny and relatively allergenic (not as much as a poodle, but close). Do NOT got with any terrier, especially not a Westie -- too much dander, too hyper, too stubborn.

This water bottle is quite popular with the little dogs who sometimes try to wash themselves in it even though its bowl cannot be more than 3 inches in diameter. I keep it iced for the trip to the dog park but the water in it is usually quite warm by the time I am on my trip home.

[Girlfriendi]

Another breed you could consider is the Havanese...we got a wonderful little boy last December and he is very intelligent, easy to train, and is hypoallergenic. Not only that he's cute too!

[Pturner]

I confess. My Shih Tzu is not the brightest banana in the bunch. I tried to teach him to roll over and he said, "Silly person. Tricks are for rabbits."

But show me a lap and I'll show you his purpose!