Coincidence or Canine Cognition

My grandma was doing laundry in the basement the other day when Shaggy came trolling down the basement stairs behind her. It’s rather amusing that Shaggy can so easily traverse this set of stairs when Elmo, my grandma’s previous dog, was terrified of the stairs. Back when I lived with my grandma, occasions would arise where I would need to go down to the basement for one thing or another. On dark nights when I was alone in the house, the sight of a gigantic dog anxiously waiting at the top of the stairs was not a soothing sight as I descended the steps alone.

With the brave and over-curious Shaggy always lurking nearby, there is no longer any fear of entering the basement without a canine companion in tow. As my grandma was doing laundry in the basement the other morning, Shaggy was right with her, probably licking the laundry as she was trying to remove it from the dryer. He doesn’t mean to be a nuisance but Shaggy is naturally very good at it. My grandma wanting some relief from the nosey dog turned to him and said, “Shaggy, I don’t want you here right now. You better turn around and go back upstairs before I smack you on the fanny.” Wouldn’t you know, the dog maneuvered an about face and come galloping back up the stairs. At least Shaggy can recognize a threat when he hears one