It has not escaped my Sabrina’s and my notice that Dobermans are very much creatures of habit: time to run, to play, to nap, time to eat and to sleep; all these activities occur at roughly the same time each day.
When Sabrina and I break these rhythms, the dogs sense it. Thus, too long in the bathroom in the morning, Mommy wearing perfume, they know something’s up, and likely they’ll be left at home for a bit. This they do not like. They go into a collective pout.
But recently, I saw another example of patterns in play. Usually in the afternoon, I haul out the All Terrain Vehicle and three dogs go for a run. [Well, I should more honestly say, two of them do.] Our oldest dog, Jax, is healing a bad knee, so he remains inside until he heals. Giai, with a chronic paw injury toddles about outside sniffing things while the other two dogs and I run up and down our rather long driveway three times. Lola, the youngest, gives her running full measure; but Thor has learned to count. He runs half-way down on the first lap, and simply stops. He hates to run, a conclusion with which I fully and personally endorse.
Lola and I finish the lap, come uphill, passing him; then down hill again. Thor stands there. But on our third trip hill [the last lap], he runs to the house with us, knowing it will be the last leg of the runs.
Don’t tell me that dog can’t count!
This too, must be admitted: Thor’s intelligence is not limited to arithmetic. As I drive down the driveway, I always stay to the right leaving a left lane open. This is where Lola runs. Thor, on the other hand trots in front of the vehicle, thus limiting our velocity down the hill. Now Thor is able to run, and run well, although he is no match for Lola, who, at full gallop, makes Thor appear stationary.
Then there is this phenomenon: the ATV is a noisy thing, and the faster it goes, the noisier it becomes. When I push on the accelerator, it’s like I push, indirectly, on Lola’s gas pedal, and she too, speeds up.
Which is all well and good, except for Thor, who lopes languidly down the road in front of the ATV making the whole exercise more a peaceful walk in the woods than a run down the driveway.
So one might conclude that Thor ain’t in the same pond as the other ducks… Or, you might say, ‘Smart dog!’
– Lucky Garvin
