Look over there! What's that?

I know it's kind of the stereotype of the dog owner to think that their dog is the smartest and bestest dog of them all. Really, it's every individual dog's job to be the best dog. It's just the way things are.

Of course I have stories like that, though. Where I just couldn't believe Elka's intelligence, or the mental connections that she made to reach the behavioral end. A main reason we picked Doberman is for the intelligence; perhaps we didn't think that through? But it's been great, for the most part!

This one happened quite awhile ago, when she was a year or so old. Maybe less? But, I was sitting at my fiancé's desk, playing World of Warcraft (which I still did at the time). Elka had been napping on one of the couches, and after awhile, got up and came over to me. I was engrossed, as one gets, and didn't immediately pay attention to her.

This, of course, could not stand. She nosed me, she grunted at me, and after a little while, she backed up, sat down, and "talked" a little. I finished whatever I was doing and turned to her. I probably asked her what she wanted, as one does. Elka looked at me, made specific eye contact, and then looked up past me at the ceiling. I turned around and looked to, as one does, because I assumed she saw something there. A spider, maybe? I wouldn't be thrilled at the prospect of a spider dropping on me from the ceiling. 

Well, as soon as I turned away from her, Elka dodged in and grabbed a toy off the floor by my feet. Apparently I'd been "guarding" it, and she wouldn't take it unless I either gave her permission  or wasn't looking. And I didn't know it was there, so I wasn't really in a position to give permission.

She came immediately back anyway, because Elka doesn't really play by herself. And I played with her, and laughed, because I'd totally been Three Stoogesed by my dog.