My friends were bragging about how their Border Collie could suss out this puzzle game they'd recently bought him. When I was up there with my grey one day, they asked if he wanted a "go" at it. Fine. They put bits of cooked beef under little wooden jigsaw pieces, and the dog had to lift up the wooden pieces to get to the beef. Codie's way was to pick up the whole puzzle, shake the life out of it - bits of beef flew everywhere and he wandered around and hoovered them all up! Clever boy!!
I got mine a puzzle like that. Took him very little time to learn how to do it, and he always stacks the blocks in the same place. But he has no idea how to get to treats through movement like in a cardboard tube or a treat ball, nor is he interested in investing the kind of energy required to follow something around just to get a dry treat :p
@@kimmartin3669 I think that takes real intelligence to know not to faff about with the puzzle and just go right for the prize!! They were bragging that their Border Collie could complete the puzzle in 5 minutes - my lad did it in about 20 seconds!
Our greyhound knows exactly how to get what he wants and is very clear about what he does not want. He is the only dog in the house who can open all the doors as well. His adaptability has also surprised us. From a life in kennels until seven years old, first racing then waiting for a home, he knew nothing of home life, from what to do with stairs to tracking deer on a harness and long line for safe but exciting exercise. He is now brilliant at all of it. He is certainly not dim!
I think they're quite intelligent. We got told that they weren't that clever when we adopted, but ours has surprised us more than once. I regularly talk to ours like he was a human - I'll get up when I'm working from home and ask him if he wants a brew or anything from the kitchen, just being daft and amusing myself. Sometimes I'll say something to him and he'll seem to understand it, or get the jist as least and it can be a bit, weird. Like - "Go ask your Mum if you can have a biscuit" - And he'll run off to find her - Probably coincidence but sometimes when he does stuff it does make me wonder. Remember another time and he was on the couch with me, watching TV - He was looking at the screen and something dramatic happened and he looked at me with those wide eyes and perked up ears as if to say "Did you see that??!??" Just weird stuff like that. Of course, it's not all that - A few weeks ago he was watching a cat so intently while he was walking he walked into a lamp post. So, you know - Swings and roundabouts.
We have had 10 greys, the girls have always been brighter than the boys. One of the girls would run to the back door and stare down the garden. The boy would go to see what was so interesting, nothing, she just wanted the bed he was on!
Story of my lab mixes. Hex, the smaller one came across her big brother Houdini chewing on a bone when she came over from the other room. She disappeared, quickly came back and dropped a ball from her mouth. Of course Houdini looked up to see what was going on, and off walked Hex with his bone...
I currently have three hounds. I think they are smart in doing what makes their live more interesting, rather than what I want them to do. They figure when they have upset me and learn from that. It’s because a negative reaction is not what they want. It’s easier to compromise. I think that’s pretty smart. Each one has its own quirks and it’s what makes them so interesting. I love to hear the stories about your hounds. They are all lovely ❤
Axel is very smart! I engage him daily with new things and task. He loves puzzles. He is very sensitive, and loves to please. He lives for praise, and that works for his reward. He prefers praise over even high value treats.
It's a lot about giving them opportunities, I think. A hound that races spends all their time training, racing and locked into a small pen, if not cage. They have absolutely no stimulation. So when they are finally allowed to join us as pets, a whole new world awaits them...
I only just had my foster grey a couple of days. I knew very little about greys. But he jumped on my bed, I told him off, and simply locked him out of my room for a few mins, Hes never jumped on my bed again. I consider that very bright! Plus he knows his way to my car, knows how to tell me he needs the toilet, he listens when I call him, he gets a bit overwhelmed sometimes out with the other doggies, but he eventually comes back to me :) I think my Tiger is a very very clever boy. Plus hes kind and gentle and very polite.
We have just adopted a greyhound and she has learnt some things instantly. The first time she saw the TV she was quite upset, the next night she was watching it. She will look at a live phone conversation, something our collie consistently refuses to do. The first time she saw a mirror reflection she didn't know what it was, the next day I saw her watching me standing behind her, in the reflection.
My vet pointed out our new grey we adopted was manipulating us into feeding him more by barking very loudly until we gave in and gave him more food. It was kind of like Ferberizing a baby and not giving in to his badgering us for food.
I think if you find the right motivation they can learn a lot. It is also very interesting how seamless they can integrate into a household (ok, you also have to change a little bit).
When I got my greyhound Millie the lady who ran the centre repeatedly pointed out that greyhounds are a bit dim. To emphasise this she said that she’d been retired with the lowest ranking because she was extremely reluctant to chase the ‘hare’. My immediate response was “Maybe that’s the sign of a clever dog. What’s the point in chasing a hare that isn’t real?“. Whilst she and the nearby volunteers laughed at my comment I did get the sense that this hadn’t occurred to them. Upon getting her home she was more than willing to lunge at cats and squirrels on walks, and at my friend’s cat Charlie who we used to train Millie not to chase small furries (Charlie lived with 5 dogs at the time and could easily hold her own). From there we were able to train her to go off lead and return when called and whilst you can clearly see when she spots a small furry she always looks to me, I say no and she goes back to what she was doing. So it does make me wonder if my comment made partly in jest and partly in defence of Millie had some truth in it?
Not all Greyhounds want to race, but that's no reflection on their intelligence. That's like saying if a person can't run a marathon, they must be dumb!! Sounds like the rescue woman needed a bit more education herself.
Great video! I think greyhounds are quite smart! I think people can confuse stubbornness with lack of intelligence, but I think it takes a higher level of intelligence for a dog to decide whether or not the trick is worth trying instead of just automatically responding on command!
I think the ability to think independently,to be "naughty" if you like, is a measure of intelligence. Danny has learnt to do what we ask if we make it worth his while, it's a contract, which I think is not at all stupid. He hasn't yet learnt to play with a ball, but he cannot eat a ball, and is allowed to run off lead and explore his world without needing a ball to encourage him.
I have never had a breed of dog that could be described as dim, and my greyhound is a smart cookie in his own way. My friend, however, had a dalmation that was as thick as mince...... very friendly, but slower than a week in the jail lol!
I consider my boy intelligent because he can think for himself. When he was first given a treat ball, he just nosed it around a bit, but never used his paws, & I had to “rescue” it frequently. Now he uses his paws & his nose (mostly paws) & knows exactly how to get it out of corners & awkward spots & even spins it (quite violently at times) so it goes flying across the room! He also invented his own way of telling me what he wants, be it the ball, lickmat, or to go outside. He’s compliant to my requests much of the time, but not all & can’t identify his ball by name. Sometimes he’s a bit stubborn, but he’s certainly not thick. He’s also become cat safe (on lead) & does no more than stare at squirrels (on lead). Off lead, it would be different of course. I also taught him the touch command (as a game) & to lie down on request. However he hasn’t mastered the sit. That’s ok. 😀. He also knows “no” & “wait”. Having a servant human is intelligent in my view.
I watched a video where a dog trainer said that 'sit' is a hard thing to do for a greyhound, physically. Maybe we shouldn't ask too much in that respect?
I'm sure they're all different, but I've been extremely surprised to find that mine, given the right 'reason' to do something (i.e. the right reward) and my ability to understand how he might think about a problem, can achieve pretty much the same kinds of things I can with a border collie. A lot of it comes down to motivation. He doesn't care about toys or playing with them, so the only way to get him to chase a toy is to teach him to chase it then reward him. The toy is never the reward, the food is. I sometimes think that the greatest obstacle between an ex racer and learning something is their extremely low expectations. They haven't been taught to expect to be comfortable or to be able to play, or have much freedom. So if there's any obstacle at all between them and those things, they might not even try. They learn that if they aren't able to do something, we'll do it. Problem solved. Why waste what little energy their metabolism leaves them trying to solve things the hard way? It's a lot of fun trying to figure out how to motivate mine to do a particular thing. Staying in one place when that's never been an expectation is a hard ask after 3-5 years of being taught to run and never look back. I definitely upgraded my opinion of greyhound intelligence when owning one. They are different, but then every dog looks a bit dim compared to the manic need to learn and work of a border collie.
I have concluded that my Greyhound is simply independent. She reacts appropriately to commands that are beneficial to her needs, ie waits patiently on her bed for dinner; waits for a door to open; doesn't jump in or out of the car unless instructed and 95% of the time will "come" when off-leash on a beach or park. But if she doesn't want to go outside (rain or too cold), then she won't go to the door, even if it's been 12 hours or more since she had a pee! If she knows we're heading home and doesn't want to, she might slow down or stand perfectly still facing the way she wants to go. Sometimes, she won't "come" because she knows we're going back to the car & then may not get in it when asked! Any dog who can decide these things isn't stupid, in fact, just the opposite!!
The intelligence was bred out of them as it wasn’t a asset for coursing,so by default that part of its operation they were eliminated through selective breeding
I’d be interested to know where you got the treat ball in your video, because it is identical to one I had for a previous dog (& better than the current one) but I haven’t been able to find another. Thanks.x
Hi Jill, I guess you had to make quite a lot of videos before you moved, so you could share them with us now. I wonder when we shall see your new "studio"? Anyway, re the question: are greyhounds intelligent? My Clare is intelligent simply because she appears to understand everything that I say! However, doing stuff I ask her to do, isn't a strong feature of that understanding! That's because she chooses to please herself, and doesn't necessarily feel she has to please her human! And when I mean please herself, she chooses not to chase a frisbee, because it is difficult to pick up, but she will chase the ball or a toy, and take it back to her bed, especially if it squeaks! I cannot be persuaded that greyhounds are dim at all. They are unique. Many of them haven't had the advantages of growing up as a puppy in a home and learning things from the start. All greyhounds learnt is how to be good at racing and to run fast. I'm glad Clare can run for the pleasure of it now, and not because people will receive money if she wins.
This is the last video recorded at the old house, new set up from next week! I think greyhounds typically consider if its worth their while rather than blinding doing what is asked. Personally I think that makes them intelligent ;-)
Humans cannot state whether an animal is intelligent or not, because - as you pointed out - we are only able to use our criteria! When I hear pet owners say that their pet is smart, intelligent and bla bla, I simply laugh! Example: Bluebell has decided that the bigger couch is hers.Period. When Mikey ( my other grey) or I, accidentally try to sit on it, she will do every kind of tricks, make up every kind of joke to regain her favourite seat. Is this intelligence?
They have the perfect solution for them - which is bright. Not dim at all. Not so IMO. Obedience in a greyhound is another matter. Obedient, they are not!
My friends were bragging about how their Border Collie could suss out this puzzle game they'd recently bought him. When I was up there with my grey one day, they asked if he wanted a "go" at it. Fine. They put bits of cooked beef under little wooden jigsaw pieces, and the dog had to lift up the wooden pieces to get to the beef. Codie's way was to pick up the whole puzzle, shake the life out of it - bits of beef flew everywhere and he wandered around and hoovered them all up! Clever boy!!
I got mine a puzzle like that. Took him very little time to learn how to do it, and he always stacks the blocks in the same place. But he has no idea how to get to treats through movement like in a cardboard tube or a treat ball, nor is he interested in investing the kind of energy required to follow something around just to get a dry treat :p
My greyhounds does same.
@@kimmartin3669 I think that takes real intelligence to know not to faff about with the puzzle and just go right for the prize!! They were bragging that their Border Collie could complete the puzzle in 5 minutes - my lad did it in about 20 seconds!
Totally agree - my Meggie is exactly the same, whichever gets the food quickest ;-)
What about bits of dried meat? that might make it worth his while?
Our greyhound knows exactly how to get what he wants and is very clear about what he does not want. He is the only dog in the house who can open all the doors as well. His adaptability has also surprised us. From a life in kennels until seven years old, first racing then waiting for a home, he knew nothing of home life, from what to do with stairs to tracking deer on a harness and long line for safe but exciting exercise. He is now brilliant at all of it. He is certainly not dim!
One smart cookie!
I think they're quite intelligent. We got told that they weren't that clever when we adopted, but ours has surprised us more than once.
I regularly talk to ours like he was a human - I'll get up when I'm working from home and ask him if he wants a brew or anything from the kitchen, just being daft and amusing myself.
Sometimes I'll say something to him and he'll seem to understand it, or get the jist as least and it can be a bit, weird.
Like - "Go ask your Mum if you can have a biscuit" - And he'll run off to find her - Probably coincidence but sometimes when he does stuff it does make me wonder.
Remember another time and he was on the couch with me, watching TV - He was looking at the screen and something dramatic happened and he looked at me with those wide eyes and perked up ears as if to say "Did you see that??!??"
Just weird stuff like that.
Of course, it's not all that - A few weeks ago he was watching a cat so intently while he was walking he walked into a lamp post. So, you know - Swings and roundabouts.
Love it!
We have had 10 greys, the girls have always been brighter than the boys. One of the girls would run to the back door and stare down the garden. The boy would go to see what was so interesting, nothing, she just wanted the bed he was on!
Oh yes, my girls do this too :-)
Story of my lab mixes. Hex, the smaller one came across her big brother Houdini chewing on a bone when she came over from the other room. She disappeared, quickly came back and dropped a ball from her mouth. Of course Houdini looked up to see what was going on, and off walked Hex with his bone...
I currently have three hounds. I think they are smart in doing what makes their live more interesting, rather than what I want them to do. They figure when they have upset me and learn from that. It’s because a negative reaction is not what they want. It’s easier to compromise. I think that’s pretty smart. Each one has its own quirks and it’s what makes them so interesting. I love to hear the stories about your hounds. They are all lovely ❤
Definitely!
Axel is very smart! I engage him daily with new things and task. He loves puzzles. He is very sensitive, and loves to please. He lives for praise, and that works for his reward. He prefers praise over even high value treats.
he sounds adorable :-)
It's a lot about giving them opportunities, I think.
A hound that races spends all their time training, racing and locked into a small pen, if not cage. They have absolutely no stimulation. So when they are finally allowed to join us as pets, a whole new world awaits them...
I only just had my foster grey a couple of days. I knew very little about greys. But he jumped on my bed, I told him off, and simply locked him out of my room for a few mins, Hes never jumped on my bed again. I consider that very bright! Plus he knows his way to my car, knows how to tell me he needs the toilet, he listens when I call him, he gets a bit overwhelmed sometimes out with the other doggies, but he eventually comes back to me :) I think my Tiger is a very very clever boy. Plus hes kind and gentle and very polite.
he sounds lovely, I hope he gets a forever home soon :-)
@@jwcaninecareor fosterfails 😂
@@jwcaninecare oh the best news is I totally fell in love and adopted him once he decided he was happy to live in my strange life!
We have just adopted a greyhound and she has learnt some things instantly. The first time she saw the TV she was quite upset, the next night she was watching it. She will look at a live phone conversation, something our collie consistently refuses to do. The first time she saw a mirror reflection she didn't know what it was, the next day I saw her watching me standing behind her, in the reflection.
They are amazingly adaptable 😊
Our girl Tofu is very clever, and that includes very manipulative. 😂😂
My Bluebell, too!
My vet pointed out our new grey we adopted was manipulating us into feeding him more by barking very loudly until we gave in and gave him more food. It was kind of like Ferberizing a baby and not giving in to his badgering us for food.
They try it on, then it depends on your response ;-)
If you give in, he learns that barking for food works so he'll keep doing it ;-)
I think if you find the right motivation they can learn a lot. It is also very interesting how seamless they can integrate into a household (ok, you also have to change a little bit).
Totally agree!
When I got my greyhound Millie the lady who ran the centre repeatedly pointed out that greyhounds are a bit dim. To emphasise this she said that she’d been retired with the lowest ranking because she was extremely reluctant to chase the ‘hare’. My immediate response was “Maybe that’s the sign of a clever dog. What’s the point in chasing a hare that isn’t real?“. Whilst she and the nearby volunteers laughed at my comment I did get the sense that this hadn’t occurred to them. Upon getting her home she was more than willing to lunge at cats and squirrels on walks, and at my friend’s cat Charlie who we used to train Millie not to chase small furries (Charlie lived with 5 dogs at the time and could easily hold her own). From there we were able to train her to go off lead and return when called and whilst you can clearly see when she spots a small furry she always looks to me, I say no and she goes back to what she was doing. So it does make me wonder if my comment made partly in jest and partly in defence of Millie had some truth in it?
Millie sounds pretty bright to me :-)
Not all Greyhounds want to race, but that's no reflection on their intelligence. That's like saying if a person can't run a marathon, they must be dumb!! Sounds like the rescue woman needed a bit more education herself.
Great video! I think greyhounds are quite smart! I think people can confuse stubbornness with lack of intelligence, but I think it takes a higher level of intelligence for a dog to decide whether or not the trick is worth trying instead of just automatically responding on command!
Totally agree!
I think the ability to think independently,to be "naughty" if you like, is a measure of intelligence. Danny has learnt to do what we ask if we make it worth his while, it's a contract, which I think is not at all stupid. He hasn't yet learnt to play with a ball, but he cannot eat a ball, and is allowed to run off lead and explore his world without needing a ball to encourage him.
A greyhound in a nutshell!
@jwcaninecare Danny would try to curl up in a nutshell if it was comfy enough, though he's maybe a bit too big, so the sofa will have to do for now.
I think they are actually quite smart..you are spot on with the way you explain it!!
Aren't they just!
I have never had a breed of dog that could be described as dim, and my greyhound is a smart cookie in his own way. My friend, however, had a dalmation that was as thick as mince...... very friendly, but slower than a week in the jail lol!
Poor dalmation! inbreeding perhaps?
My aunt's family had another dumb Dalmatian, and I was really surprised to learn that this breed is supposed to be smart.
I consider my boy intelligent because he can think for himself. When he was first given a treat ball, he just nosed it around a bit, but never used his paws, & I had to “rescue” it frequently. Now he uses his paws & his nose (mostly paws) & knows exactly how to get it out of corners & awkward spots & even spins it (quite violently at times) so it goes flying across the room! He also invented his own way of telling me what he wants, be it the ball, lickmat, or to go outside. He’s compliant to my requests much of the time, but not all & can’t identify his ball by name. Sometimes he’s a bit stubborn, but he’s certainly not thick. He’s also become cat safe (on lead) & does no more than stare at squirrels (on lead). Off lead, it would be different of course. I also taught him the touch command (as a game) & to lie down on request. However he hasn’t mastered the sit. That’s ok. 😀. He also knows “no” & “wait”. Having a servant human is intelligent in my view.
Definitely - to me its more about thinking than blindly following
I watched a video where a dog trainer said that 'sit' is a hard thing to do for a greyhound, physically. Maybe we shouldn't ask too much in that respect?
I'm sure they're all different, but I've been extremely surprised to find that mine, given the right 'reason' to do something (i.e. the right reward) and my ability to understand how he might think about a problem, can achieve pretty much the same kinds of things I can with a border collie. A lot of it comes down to motivation. He doesn't care about toys or playing with them, so the only way to get him to chase a toy is to teach him to chase it then reward him. The toy is never the reward, the food is. I sometimes think that the greatest obstacle between an ex racer and learning something is their extremely low expectations. They haven't been taught to expect to be comfortable or to be able to play, or have much freedom. So if there's any obstacle at all between them and those things, they might not even try. They learn that if they aren't able to do something, we'll do it. Problem solved. Why waste what little energy their metabolism leaves them trying to solve things the hard way? It's a lot of fun trying to figure out how to motivate mine to do a particular thing. Staying in one place when that's never been an expectation is a hard ask after 3-5 years of being taught to run and never look back. I definitely upgraded my opinion of greyhound intelligence when owning one. They are different, but then every dog looks a bit dim compared to the manic need to learn and work of a border collie.
Sadly I think you are spot on :-(
I have concluded that my Greyhound is simply independent. She reacts appropriately to commands that are beneficial to her needs, ie waits patiently on her bed for dinner; waits for a door to open; doesn't jump in or out of the car unless instructed and 95% of the time will "come" when off-leash on a beach or park.
But if she doesn't want to go outside (rain or too cold), then she won't go to the door, even if it's been 12 hours or more since she had a pee!
If she knows we're heading home and doesn't want to, she might slow down or stand perfectly still facing the way she wants to go. Sometimes, she won't "come" because she knows we're going back to the car & then may not get in it when asked!
Any dog who can decide these things isn't stupid, in fact, just the opposite!!
Bless! totally agree, people often equate eager to please with intelligence, I much prefer independence
The intelligence was bred out of them as it wasn’t a asset for coursing,so by default that part of its operation they were eliminated through selective breeding
It's the only thing they've ever been encouraged to do.
I’d be interested to know where you got the treat ball in your video, because it is identical to one I had for a previous dog (& better than the current one) but I haven’t been able to find another. Thanks.x
That treat ball is very old now, afraid I can't remember, but I haven't seen one like it for sale recently myself
Hi Jill, I guess you had to make quite a lot of videos before you moved, so you could share them with us now. I wonder when we shall see your new "studio"?
Anyway, re the question: are greyhounds intelligent?
My Clare is intelligent simply because she appears to understand everything that I say! However, doing stuff I ask her to do, isn't a strong feature of that understanding! That's because she chooses to please herself, and doesn't necessarily feel she has to please her human! And when I mean please herself, she chooses not to chase a frisbee, because it is difficult to pick up, but she will chase the ball or a toy, and take it back to her bed, especially if it squeaks!
I cannot be persuaded that greyhounds are dim at all. They are unique. Many of them haven't had the advantages of growing up as a puppy in a home and learning things from the start. All greyhounds learnt is how to be good at racing and to run fast. I'm glad Clare can run for the pleasure of it now, and not because people will receive money if she wins.
This is the last video recorded at the old house, new set up from next week! I think greyhounds typically consider if its worth their while rather than blinding doing what is asked. Personally I think that makes them intelligent ;-)
Humans cannot state whether an animal is intelligent or not, because - as you pointed out - we are only able to use our criteria! When I hear pet owners say that their pet is smart, intelligent and bla bla, I simply laugh! Example: Bluebell has decided that the bigger couch is hers.Period. When Mikey ( my other grey) or I, accidentally try to sit on it, she will do every kind of tricks, make up every kind of joke to regain her favourite seat. Is this intelligence?
Definitely street smarts ;-) people do tend to assess intelligence based on ability to understand and comply with what humans want
They have the perfect solution for them - which is bright. Not dim at all. Not so IMO. Obedience in a greyhound is another matter. Obedient, they are not!
Yes, people do tend to confuse obedience and intelligence