Dogs are way more smarter than we give them credit for. They are the only animal that has been able to establish a relationship with humans to such a close degree, having evolved alongside us for tens of thousands of years.
I don’t look at my dog Rocket as my pet, but rather as my best friend whom I rely on daily.
A while ago I didn’t want him to get overly excited when I said the word “walk”, so I started spelling it out instead. Didn’t take him long to figure out it was the same thing.
It’s not just a monologue either. He responds in ways that have subtle differences depending on how you say something and the intonation of what is said.
No other animal has even come close to creating such a close co-existence with humans. I’d go so far as to say they are better than most humans. People can be wankers, but a good dog will always have your back if treated with kindness and respect.
Yeah, I can see that, but with a horse it’s more about training I would imagine. A punishment/reward system. With a dog it’s more buddy like. I’ve never really had to chastise my dog, other than perhaps a little shock value smack when he was a pup. As for rewards, it doesn’t even have to be a treat (although it helps). Sometimes his reward appears to be just seeing me smile or laugh, which brings me on to sense of humour. My dog certainly has a sense of humour and knows what’s funny.
All that aside, I wouldn’t want a horse jumping up and sitting on my knee.