Poodles used to be considered the smartest breed but in the last few years, it changed to the Border Collie. Both are scary smart! My sister's creme standard poodle, usually kept in full show coat, used to answer the phone with his mouth, lay the receiver on its side and bark and growl into it as I would talk to him until she could get to the phone! And if she was too slow for his liking, he would go get her hand in his muzzle and hurry her into the den all the way to the phone. I saw him do it when I was visiting and she was out of the room when the phone rang. He could open all the doors, front, back, sliding glass and cabinets. He could unlatch the screen doors - the old kind. He could learn to do almost any trick by name after two or three run-throughs. He knew more words than a lot of people! When he got in the bed with them, he would lie full length beside them on his side, his head on a pillow just like they did. He was the most beautiful, amazing dog I've ever known.
__________________  Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |