do dogs learn by example..?

answer: [heck], yes..

poppy seed, george's much smaller predecessor, has always been a star, especially when it comes to coming when being called.. george isn't doing very badly on that himself, either, EXCEPT once in a while when it comes to coming back in the house on occasion..

as a matter of fact, it happened just a little while ago.. now, while george most often goes out by himself so that his focus is totally on his charge, once in a while poppy seed accompanies us, too.. so, when george was in the lead earlier and balked about coming in just then, i called poppy who immediately took the lead with both bounding in without further hesitation.. granted not the greatest example but definitely worked..

to carry george's learning by example to the slightly more extreme, i've found him on more than one occasion mimicking me, more my legs.. because of my memory issues, i set things i want to carrry hither and yon right out in my walking path.. things being what they are, i subsequently step over the occasional pile to get where i'm going (without a second thought as to what i'm stepping over or why it's where it is in the first place)..

a couple of weeks ago, smart @ss little georgie began making this weird gesture towards me occasionally as we wandered about the house.. about the third or fourth time he did it, i put the movement together with when it was happening.. george would turn around and, as i was stepping over whatever i stepped over, he was lifting his front leg in absolutely perfect unison.. like i said, smart @ss little georgie porgie.. :SMIRK: