Good call on the Clever Hans reference! Years ago I had a dog that would bark when I held up fingers on my hand. We had a lot of fun with visitors that were not in on the gag. I would hold up a few fingers and say "How many?" Max would bark and when he got the right number I put my hand down. He also had a trick where he would sit up. If you pointed a "finger gun" at him and said "bang" he would fall down and play dead. We taught him to sit up, but the fall over dead routine was something he worked out himself.
It was probably something like that. He was part Scottie, and although he was added as a family dog, he was attached to me. He was really good at reading human behavior, and would make his feelings known. If I had to go out of town he would mope the whole time I was gone. On return he would give me the cold shoulder treatment and ignore me. If really upset, he would leave a pile in my office as a reprimand. I still miss him.
Good call on the Clever Hans reference! Years ago I had a dog that would bark when I held up fingers on my hand. We had a lot of fun with visitors that were not in on the gag. I would hold up a few fingers and say "How many?" Max would bark and when he got the right number I put my hand down. He also had a trick where he would sit up. If you pointed a "finger gun" at him and said "bang" he would fall down and play dead. We taught him to sit up, but the fall over dead routine was something he worked out himself.
Thanks, Jim. How do you think Max worked out the drop dead routine? Unintentional positive reinforcement?
It was probably something like that. He was part Scottie, and although he was added as a family dog, he was attached to me. He was really good at reading human behavior, and would make his feelings known. If I had to go out of town he would mope the whole time I was gone. On return he would give me the cold shoulder treatment and ignore me. If really upset, he would leave a pile in my office as a reprimand. I still miss him.