Boy but IS's are Clever!

[Trish Haill]

Just a bit of a light hearted thread.  Bess showed me her intelligence today, and I was interested in what your setters do which have your jaw dropping open?

She had two hare shoulders for tea - horrible bloody things, but they are her favourite (along with rabbit).  She gets them for a treat, and I have an old blanket that I put down on the kitchen floor and she's learned that she has to lie on that and eat them, rather than getting the carpet dirty.

Well, tonight she decided she'd take the first one into the lounge to eat - I could just seem my cream rug getting ruined so yelled at her to take it back to the kitchen.  She obviously wanted our company (and who doesn't prefer eating in front of the TV? :0) ) and didn't move - so I yelled at her again to 'wait' whilst I got an old fleece out and put that down instead.

She only stood there holding it in her mouth until I put the fleece down under it.  She then put it on the fleece and proceeded to eat it.  Five minutes later she got up, went out to the kitchen, got the second one and brought that back in and put that on the fleece to eat that one.

Now I couldn't have taught her that trick, but somehow she's cottoned on that mum goes a bit silly unless there's a blanked or something under certain foods. 

No other breed I've had would ever have had a clue what to do in this situation! 

 

[Valerie Short]

I too have been asked quite often are my setters scatty? The answer no not one of them, they are all clever in different ways. But my first setter a rescue Toby was super intelligent, he would bring his lead and my husbands trainers when he thought it was time for a walk. If his collar was not on him but buckled up he would put it in his mouth and try and toss it back on over his head (did not succeed but did not stop him trying). When we packed for our holidays he would place his fleece along with our cases to tell us he was coming too. My present boy likes to watch wild life programmes on the TV and also likes to see photos of himself and other setters on the laptop.

[Dianne cook]

Valerie that reminds me, flame is a rescue too and when the commercial for the RSPCA comes on, he sits up and stares straight at the T.V to watch the animals walk out to the music. He lays back down as soon as it's over. Mind you it's only on occasionally and he does it without fail. Smart Irish :))

[Kimberly Simmons]

Oh my gosh, these stories are so sweet!

[Rhonda Fisher]

Our boys love a 10 min animation show about insects. It is on the ABC just before the news. As soon as the buzzing noises start they are there, sitting, ears pricked loving their show.

[Carmel Murphy]

They are great stories, and shows how very smart setters are;o)))) Well they are Irish after all;o))))

[Dianne cook]

Got to love our Irish :))))

[Kimberly Simmons]

That's incredible! I guess another form of imprinting?

[Dianne cook]

Memories to treasure Malkie :)

[Rhonda Fisher]

Her special Birth day song.

[Jean Lippett]

Our two setters dearly love our friend, who bred the oldest dog. She now lives eight miles a way and visits often. We know when she's coming because ten minutes before she turns onto our drive, the dogs go frantic and start running around for toys to greet her with,

For weeks we thought they had psychic powers. Then one day she phoned to say she was coming at seven pm - sure enough at 6.50 the dogs started shrieking - at the same time as she sent a text to say she couldn't come. So now we reckon they have something even more impressive than ESP - they can eavesdrop on the phone lines!

[Carmel Murphy]

Not just good at eavesdropping but excellent clock reading skills too;o)))

[Gaby Clayton]

I also have to agree that working breeds seem to be able to work things out quite easily. My family's Aussie worked out to send himself off to his bed after being naughty before he could be told off. Finn, our IS, has worked out that although we don't like him being naughty, if he starts to be naughty for a brief moment and then 'chooses instead' to be good, he gets praise for being good. And he LOVES attention, so he'll trot off to do some naughty act and then stop and trot back over with an angelic expression to receive the attention he deems himself worthy of. He's also learnt how to be cute for attention and if all else fails he'll lay with his blankie in his mouth and knead his paws. He wags when you look at him; he KNOWS he's going to be eaten up for how cute he is! I think ISs are very manipulative and good at working out how to get what they want from a situation :P for Finn it's all about what will benefit him!