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Yup. We had pet rats for more than ten years. The smartest among them were frighteningly smart. In the general scheme of things, it doesn't take all that much t

Yup. We had pet rats for more than ten years. The smartest among them were frighteningly smart. In the general scheme of things, it doesn't take all that much to lay a plan and outwit me, but when a small rodent does it, and does it again, I'm impressed. Like removing the least favorite pellets of food from the bowl, hiding them, and then calling my attention: The bowl is empty, if you please!. Had me fooled for weeks. Or, as that same individual did, wondering whether the cage would have an entrance on the back side, in the same spot where it had one on the front, hauling a huge piece of bread out of sight of the others, stashing it away, launching an expedition to the far side, discovering no entrance there, returning, picking up bread, and blustering her way past the others through the front door. Yes, that kind of thing is beyond many - probably most - dogs.

ams6110 9y ago
Yeah the dog would just eat the bread immediately.
ourmandave 9y ago
Same thing we do every night, Pinky.
TheOtherHobbes 9y ago
The house had mice for a while. I set down live-catch traps, which are a metal box with two levered entrances that trapped the mouse. After a couple of catches the remaining mice blocked the entrances by packing them with junk they found on the floor. I always wondered if that was random behaviour or deliberate intent. You really have to wonder just how smart animals would become if they could speak and train subsequent generations like humans do - never mind if they somehow invented reading and writing.
- basicplus2 9y ago
  Yeh we had a nice plague and the mice even the very young would very quickly learn that they must jump over the traps and just ignore them, when they were placed in a mouse thoroughfare
- basicplus2 9y ago
  Yeh we had a nice plague and the mice even the very young would very quickly learn that they must jump over the traps and just ignore them, when they were placed in a mouse thoroughfare

ams6110 9y ago

Yeah the dog would just eat the bread immediately.

ourmandave 9y ago

Same thing we do every night, Pinky.

TheOtherHobbes 9y ago

The house had mice for a while. I set down live-catch traps, which are a metal box with two levered entrances that trapped the mouse. After a couple of catches the remaining mice blocked the entrances by packing them with junk they found on the floor. I always wondered if that was random behaviour or deliberate intent. You really have to wonder just how smart animals would become if they could speak and train subsequent generations like humans do - never mind if they somehow invented reading and writing.

basicplus2 9y ago
Yeh we had a nice plague and the mice even the very young would very quickly learn that they must jump over the traps and just ignore them, when they were placed in a mouse thoroughfare
basicplus2 9y ago
Yeh we had a nice plague and the mice even the very young would very quickly learn that they must jump over the traps and just ignore them, when they were placed in a mouse thoroughfare