The other day I was reminded of how good dogs are at putting patterns and routines together. Even if I am not aware of how predictable I am in my routines, Morey certainly is!
When I get ready to leave work, I log off my computer, pick up my bag, and then call Morey out from under his desk hideout. Usually Morey comes out from his hideout when I pick up my bag and his leash, which is a pretty obvious predictor that we are leaving. However, the other day I had to log off my computer in the middle of the day and all of a sudden Morey came out from his hideout and looked at me expectantly. At first I wasn't sure why he had gotten up so suddenly; all I had done was log off my computer. Then I realized that this was usually the first step of my "leaving work routine" and Morey was reacting to the distinct sound my computer makes when I log off. The only time he ever hears this sound is when I log off my computer at the end of the day. Since this is such a consistent pattern, Morey was using this as the first predictor that we are getting ready to leave.
I tested this theory out a few days later and without giving any other cues that I was closing up for the day, I logged off my computer. Sure enough, when Morey heard the sound he came right out, ready to head home. He has been conditioned that the sound of my computer shutting down means it's time to go home. I wonder what other patterns he has figured out?
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