Yes, they are that brilliant!

A break from my normal ranting (don't worry, it's a short break) to tell you a funny story about my dogs.

I have two wonderful miniature australian shepherds (to protect their identity, I'll call them The Girl and The Boy). The Girl rides on the back of my Harley (you can see her pic on my profile with her helmet and goggles), and The Boy excels at agility. I've managed to train them so that they leave each other's food bowls completely alone. Often The Boy will leave food in his bowl and go back to it later, and The Girl does not get a snack out of it, and vice versa. However, they know that if a piece of kibble lands on the floor, it's fair game. If The Girl is eating messily and pushes a piece of kibble out, The Boy will rush over to grab it, even though he has plenty of food in his own bowl. The Girl does the same if The Boy is messy. They recognize, respect, and live by these rules.

The other day, I got home from work late and they were pretty hungry. However, because I know I'm lazy, I took them for a walk before I sat down, ate, or fed them, because otherwise, I'd just get comfortable and they'd get no walk. When we got back from the walk, they were starving. The Boy gobbled his food (he weighs half of what The Girl does, yet eats twice as much!) and then stood staring at The Girl's bowl as she munched contentedly. I watched closely, waiting to make sure he'd keep his nose out of her bowl. Remember, kibble in the bowl is not for the taking, but kibble on the floor is. The Boy reached his paw into her bowl and pulled a small pile of kibble onto the floor and then ate it. He did this repeatedly. I expected a growl of protest from The Girl, but she knows that kibble on the floor is fair game, so all she did was eat faster.

It was hilarious!! My dog did some problem-solving!!!