Do Dogs Reason?

Many years ago I was camping with my three dogs in an area they had all been to since they were young. Where we usually camped was next to a stream that had boulders on the shoreline. Their favorite place, after running, playing and generally running amok, was across the stream on top of a flat-top boulder. This is where they went to sun and snooze.

That morning Thor had found a very large stick. It was about three feet long and about three inches in diameter. The best thing about this “log” was that it was waterlogged. Thor would take it into the stream and drop it, then he would stick his head under the water to retrieve it. He did this most of the day along with chewing on it. Thor guarded his new toy from the other dogs. They could look at his toy but they could not sniff or touch it.

Later in the day when the dogs started to wind down, the two older dogs went to the flat-top boulder to bask in the sun and enjoy a snooze. Thor must have thought this was a good idea because he followed them, stick in mouth. When Thor got to the boulder where the other dogs relaxed, he ran at the boulder to jump on it then hit the brakes. He seemed to realize that the stick was too large for such a maneuver. Reluctantly he dropped the stick on the ground and jumped on the boulder.

Immediately one of the older dogs eyed the stick and Thor jumped down to protect it. He stood at the base of the boulder looking up, stick in mouth, as if this was such a dilemma. He seemed to be wondering how to get his treasure up on the boulder.

I swear I saw a light bulb go off above Thor’s head. It could have been a reflection off the stream, but I could tell that Thor had an idea. As I watched, Thor dropped the stick then grabbed it again by the end. He then dragged the stick about ten feet away from the boulder. He turned and ran at the boulder. As Thor jumped through the air he let go of the stick and it fell to the ground.

Undeterred, Thor got off the boulder and tried again. I really had no idea what he was trying to do until on about the fifth try, he flew through the air and again dropped the stick. This time it fell upright, leaning against the rock. Thor looked at me across the stream as he strutted around the rock as if to say “See?” He then reached down to the stick that was still leaning on the boulder and pulled it up onto the rock.

For the rest of the day he would not take it down from the rock. When we left that day the stick was still on the rock where he had reluctantly left it.