What does Ava think when we throw out garbage?

Is Ava Thinking



Many people doubt or wonder if dogs have conscious thought. But I don't know how you can think they may not when they do things so in evidence of it. For example, Ava gets crazy when people come in. She is so excited and wants to play with them - she thinks they are there for the sole purpose of playing with her and she jumps and circles and runs and jumps all excited. Its the one thing we never trained out of her - we tried, but any harder training just seemed like it would break her spirit and that was not what we wanted to do.

Anyway, she does this and then suddenly she leaves. A few moments later she comes back to that person with a toy of hers. Now that had to be premeditated. She does it over and over. It is not just coincidence that she leaves the room and finds something - and even if she does, she is then remembering that the person is in the other room, and she will bring the toy to them. Even that would take conscious thought. But she plans it.  Now I know the routine.


So for those of you who may still doubt, I will put this all as an assumption, but it do believe it is the way it goes.

Imagine You're a Dog...

Some of you never feed your dog scraps, but I do. After all, she likes it. Chicken is one of the couple hundred something words she understands and her favorite food. Imagine you are a dog. And you live for chicken. I am in the kitchen cutting up some leftover chicken for say.... a chicken salad. I cut a piece and there is AVA. Because she can be in any part of the house, no matter how far away and know I am cutting chicken. It is not the sound of the refrigerator, because she doesn't come if I take out fruit, or salad, or milk. But take out a bit of cheese or chicken and from the other end of the house and within 4 seconds, you hear her dog tags rattle as she stretches and shakes herself, as if she has been woken out of a deep sleep to come to dinner. She knows there is chicken and there she is.

But back to imagining you are a dog. You are on the floor with your "I like chicken" look on your face. I slice some chicken and put it in the salad and then give you a piece and every now and then through the fatty part or bones in the garbage.Any you're watching, perceiving, OK.. smelling all of this and thinking in your doggie head ... "Some for her, some for me and some for the box that pulls out of nowhere. Hey!! bring that box back here, that was good chicken. I want more." And then my husband takes the garbage out and she follows the smell and looks at me and I see her thoughts. "Hey where you going with all that great food! Why, why can't we keep it."


I have to say, for any of you who are currently training a dog,  Ava is one of the sweetest dispositioned dogs. Boston Terriers do have that character, but in addition, we have been very kind to her. We treat her with consideration and she seems so happy with her lot in life. And even though we know she would love to get into that huge garbage bag and go crazy, she doesn't. One reason is the trainer we had when she was a puppy, and the other the reason is because I give her scraps, or white meat chicken. I respect her needs and desires when possible. As a result, she is very happy in our home and our life.