Street Smarts

Because I am adept at opening the front door, which allows me access to the lawn of the C.'s who live beyond the hedge line, I am regarded as clever, some say brilliant. But it is neither smart nor profitable to conflate dog hard-wiring with human hard-wiring.

We get our downloads from different sources.

Even though I am wired to herd animals, some of whom are considerably larger than me, it took experience and judgment calls before I could work the room, get to the point where in any given gathering of humans, I could scope those willing to give the time of day to a dog.

Intelligence is something that has to be worked at. For a working dog, as opposed to a couch potato dog, working means wanting to do something. I could not have cared less about getting out the front door for its own sake. Boss opens the door when we need to leave. I want to get out the front door to go after raccoons, coyotes, squirrels, and the occasional bob cat who wander in off Hot Springs Road or who drift down from the more open fields off of Riven Rock. I want to get after the occasional dragon who comes through--not that I've ever seen one, but I can smell them, sometimes from a mile off.

Boss is pretty good about keeping Republicans off the property. Once in a while, I can smell one at a distance, and it doesn't hurt for me to give a low, warning growl.
The point is, I do these things, innovate and such, because I have to, not because I am all that damned smart.

I do not know, for instance, why some people prefer cats to dogs. Oh, please! We had a decent cat, Armand, who was a mean drunk and you had to watch his catnip binges, but otherwise a splendid fellow. The two house cats now are the feline equivalent of losers on American Idol.

Smart is doing tricks. Smart is keeping busy. Smart is like those people at county fairs or birthday parties, twisting balloons into animal-like shapes. Big deal--they're still twisted balloons.
.
Intelligence is needing an answer and messing with the front door knob or the back door latch until you get out.

Smart is showing off.

Intelligence is getting out the front door.