Thread:Dino003/@comment-35594152-20181106201038/@comment-36857645-20181107050009

Aw thanks Lina about the vivid pictures. Yes, I'm bad at "painting pictures" when I talk (or type). People get so annoyed with it. I can't just "tell them something without painting them a picture too" as I get told often. My mom was and my husband is the worst at being annoyed at my "picture painting". Both, "just tell me and leave out all the details". I can't!!! What do I leave out? :((

Bear was the only dog I've ever seen that did not like to poke her head out of window while riding down the road. If just trolling along slowly on streets, browsing neighborshoods, she would then do it, a very slow gentle breeze, going 15-20 mph. As I said, "trolling" along. But if you picked up speed to 30 or more, she'd sit down and wait for you to put the window back up. She would watch out the windows and if she realized we were gaining speed, like if we were leaving town and heading u the highway, she'd get one of her 'babies' (stuffed animals) off the floorboard and lay on the seat with it, holding it in her mouth and go to sleep.

When slowing back down, braking for a light or when re-entering town, she'd sit up, 'baby' in her mouth and look around. If she saw we were pulling up to a stop sign or light, she'd drop her baby on the seat and sit up, waiting for me to drop the window about halfway, let her stick her head out while we sat there, smelling all the differences. Then as we moved forward, if still slow, she'd stay, smelling.... but if we were picking up speed, as said, over about 30, she'd sit back down and look at me to put the window back up. Then as I'd get to the next light, slowing down, she'd wait for the window to be put back down to look and smell.

If we were staying in town, just riding around, I'd leave the window partially down with the AC running, that way I didn't burn out my window motor.

She was so danged observant on what we do and when it's crazy. She literally knew the procedures of when getting in the car, starting it up and what to do before driving off. I noticed this one day, we got into the car and I turned and saw her staring at me.. or, slightly past me. I looked to see what she was looking at, and didn't see anything. I looked at her and then more closely tried to follow her stare. It was at my shoulder harness. She was waiting for me to put my seat belt on. Oh! Okay, got it on. I looked at her, and she sat looking at me a moment, THEN, she turned and looked directly at the ignition, then looked at my keys. Oh! Okay. I put them in the ignition and cranked the  car. She sat looking at them, then looked at me, looking me in the eyes. Turned and put her nose to the AC. I turned it on. She sniffed, felt the cool air. Turned and looked at me. I sat watching her, she then turned her head and stared at the gear shift, waiting. Oh! Okay, I put my foot on the brake, dropped the gear into drive...... and watched her. She kept staring a moment.... thinking.... then looked at me a moment, turned to look at her window, waiting for me to put it up. I did so. She then sat back in the sit, looking out the front window, ready to ride. I sat and watched her a moment longer, and she turned to look at me, puzzled, her eyebrows wrinkled. I asked her, "you ready?" She looked me in the eyes, thinking.... then turned and looked back out the front window and I proceeded to roll the car forward, turn it around in the yard. We got onto the highway, heading off. She got one of her babies off the floor and lay down with it. 17 miles down the road, we finally got to town and I slowed down for the first stop light and she sat up, and waited til we were very slowly pulling up to it, to turn and look at me, waiting for me to drop the window for her.

She did exactly that same "start the car" procedure the next 2 times we went riding. I then told my hubby about it. He didn't believe me. So. We tested her. In his truck. She very seldom got to ride in it. It's the same, yet it 's not the same as my car. IF she did the same procedure, if the differences in the vehicle didnt' confuse her, then it proved she KNEW. I told him to wait and watch her, to 'not do anything' unless she indicated what was next. I was standing a few feet away, he had his window down so we could talk. I had my camera out, and they got in truck. She sat beside him, looked around and then looked me, standing a little way from them.

I told him, just keep waiting and watch her. He said, "I am". She then looked him in the eyes, thinking..... then looked at his seat belt. I said, "you see what she's looking at, waiting for you to do?". Hubby said, "seatbelt" and I said, "yeah, so put it on." He did so. She then looked him in the eyes again, thinking..... I said, "sit still and just watch her"..... She then turned and looked at the steering wheel, waiting. I said, "you see what she's looking at, waiting for?" He said, "yeah, for me to start it?" and I said, "yes, she knows, so go ahead and crank it and then don't do anything else, just keep watching her." He cranked the truck and sat waiting. Bear sat there, staring at the keys a moment, looked up at him, looked past him at me... sat still a moment... thinking.... then turned and put her nose to the AC, standing there waiting. He turned on the AC, she sniffed, felt the air and then sat down and glanced around... thinking some more. I told hubby, "don't move, just wait and see what she does". He waited. She looked at him then looked at the passenger window. I said, "okay, she's waiting for you to put that window up." He reached over and put the window up. Sat and watched her. She glanced around, looked at him, looked passed him at me then back at him. Thinking. She then looked at the steering wheel and leaned to put her nose to it. I said to hubby, "you see what she's doing?" She knows you're ready to go and you're supposed to put it into gear to drive it."  Shocked, he said, "yeah, I see that."  (I got a photo of her doing that, leaning to the steering wheel, waiting for him to put it into gear.)    He put it into gear and waited.... she sat staring and thinking a moment.  Then sat back and looked around, then stared out the front window.... waiting... all was ready and they could go now.

Hubby took her for a ride. The change of vehicles, did not confuse her. She repeated herself. The fact that I have an automatic with the gear on the column and his was a standard, gear on the floor, did not set her off. She looked at his steering wheel, where the gear was 'supposed to be'. The fact that he reached down in front of her and pulled it into first gear, didn't confuse her. She still had just known what was next. That's all that mattered.

See? Wasn't kidding that she was smart. She was that observant on everything. Knew how to eat from a fork and a spoon, the differences of how to do it. She'd watched us eat and knew how to do her mouth to eat from them, and you could not trick her. She never licked at the food on the fork or spoon. If it was a fork, she'd open her mouth and you'd feed her the bite like for anyone else. She'd use her teeth just like we do to get the food off. IF you offered a spoon, she'd open her mouth and you'd feed her like anyone else, and she'd close her lips around it, to get the food, just like we do.

Very observant. She watched and learned. No need to teach her anything. She learned on her own. Poor thing, as I said, she as human, trapped in a dog's body. But, that made her all the more lovable. She was the very best of both. The lovingness that only a dog can have and show, with the smarts of a human child that paid attention. Loved my girl with my entire being. She had me, heart, soul and mind. My everything.

Thanks Lina.