Lucy Likes Chicken Nuggets..a lot.
January 23, 2014 5:29 PM Subscribe
I would like to play a video game in which I am (perhaps various, possessing different strengths and weaknesses) a dog and I have to manipulate various objects in rooms to achieve different doggy goals. Get on that, internet. This would be a level somewhere in the middle; I'm thinking final stages would include driving cars while wearing sunglasses, etc.
posted by Mizu at 5:35 PM on January 23, 2014 [40 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 5:35 PM on January 23, 2014 [40 favorites]
Trying to prevent her owners from burning the house down, I see. What a good dog!
posted by longdaysjourney at 5:35 PM on January 23, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by longdaysjourney at 5:35 PM on January 23, 2014 [7 favorites]
If you read the comments, the YouTube poster suspected the dog of something like this and decided to set some nuggets to cook, turned on the camera, and then left to run errands.
posted by Science! at 5:38 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by Science! at 5:38 PM on January 23, 2014
I love how, after Lucy get the chair in place, she jumps up on it, pauses, and jumps back down on the floor for a moment ("No! This is wrong!") -- but then jumps right back up, leaps to the counter, and goes for it ("Fuck that, it's CHICKEN NUGGETS!")
posted by Kat Allison at 5:42 PM on January 23, 2014 [17 favorites]
posted by Kat Allison at 5:42 PM on January 23, 2014 [17 favorites]
"And for my next trick..." Seriously. I, for one, welcome our new Beagle overlords.
posted by the_royal_we at 5:46 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by the_royal_we at 5:46 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
If you read the comments, the YouTube poster suspected the dog of something like this and decided to set some nuggets to cook, turned on the camera, and then left to run errands.
I did. It's also in the title of the video. My point it who does this? I don't even run upstairs to pee if I have something in the toaster oven. Leaving the house seems like a bad idea. Letting your dog have access to a heated oven also seems like a bad idea.
This is some world class stupidity. It's like a Bond or Batman death trap. "Now that I have explained my evil plan I will go on my merry way and let the death ray slowly kill you."
Makes no sense.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:46 PM on January 23, 2014 [16 favorites]
I did. It's also in the title of the video. My point it who does this? I don't even run upstairs to pee if I have something in the toaster oven. Leaving the house seems like a bad idea. Letting your dog have access to a heated oven also seems like a bad idea.
This is some world class stupidity. It's like a Bond or Batman death trap. "Now that I have explained my evil plan I will go on my merry way and let the death ray slowly kill you."
Makes no sense.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:46 PM on January 23, 2014 [16 favorites]
And yet I will bet you Lucy has been spooked by her own tail or accidentally rolled off a couch in the last week or so.
posted by griphus at 5:47 PM on January 23, 2014 [34 favorites]
posted by griphus at 5:47 PM on January 23, 2014 [34 favorites]
Yeah, this dog is smarter than some of the people I work with.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 5:48 PM on January 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 5:48 PM on January 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
This reminded me of Portal in a weird way...doggy style problem solving. My dogs would have brute forced the whole thing. Finesse is an art form.
posted by Benway at 5:50 PM on January 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by Benway at 5:50 PM on January 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
Crafty! My dog growing up devised a system where anytime you were just putting the finishing touches on a sandwich, he'd go to the front door and bark like someone had pulled in to the driveway. Then when you went to check, he'd take the other path (you could either go through the living room or down the back hallway), grab the sandwich, and be halfway through it in the backyard by the time you figured out what had happened. We caught on pretty quick, but I'm sure he still got a good ten sandwiches out of the scam.
People always want smart dogs. No. Give me an average intelligence any day.
posted by mannequito at 5:50 PM on January 23, 2014 [63 favorites]
People always want smart dogs. No. Give me an average intelligence any day.
posted by mannequito at 5:50 PM on January 23, 2014 [63 favorites]
wow
much smart
such nuggets
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:50 PM on January 23, 2014 [60 favorites]
much smart
such nuggets
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:50 PM on January 23, 2014 [60 favorites]
So how does one lead the kind of life where one leaves chicken nuggets in a toaster oven and then leaves the house?
Based on some of the "Can I eat this?" AskMe questions* and answers, there are plenty of people who would cheerfully store chicken nuggets in the toaster oven for the afternoon, then eat 'em.
*Since I started blogging periodic round-ups of the "Can I eat this?" questions, my daily referrer logs are packed with people asking questions that make me worry about their health. It's amazing to me how many people think that, for example, shellfish left out overnight at room temp miiiiiight still be good to eat.
posted by Elsa at 5:52 PM on January 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
Based on some of the "Can I eat this?" AskMe questions* and answers, there are plenty of people who would cheerfully store chicken nuggets in the toaster oven for the afternoon, then eat 'em.
*Since I started blogging periodic round-ups of the "Can I eat this?" questions, my daily referrer logs are packed with people asking questions that make me worry about their health. It's amazing to me how many people think that, for example, shellfish left out overnight at room temp miiiiiight still be good to eat.
posted by Elsa at 5:52 PM on January 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
Pushing the chair over to the counter...that's use-of-tools, right? Next thing she'll be writing the shopping list.
posted by maryrussell at 5:52 PM on January 23, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by maryrussell at 5:52 PM on January 23, 2014 [8 favorites]
Speaking of McNuggets, I found out today that McDonalds has discontinued Hot Mustard sauce and I'm distraught.
posted by mmmbacon at 5:54 PM on January 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by mmmbacon at 5:54 PM on January 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Also, we have a puggle and this one time in her relentless pursuit of food, she got one over on me.
There's a street around here where some asshole neighbors are constantly chucking cooked bones near the trash. Dogs can't have cooked bones because they splinter. And Apple grabs any she sees and then I have to yank them out of her mouth and it's unpleasant for everyone. Fortunately, she's not a biter so there's just a lot of drool and obstinate head-wagging involved.
Anyway, one time I see her darting toward a bone, and i pull her to my other side and kick the bone into the street. And as I turn to Apple, she's got a fucking Pop Tart in her mouth.
The damn dog tricked me.
posted by griphus at 5:54 PM on January 23, 2014 [36 favorites]
There's a street around here where some asshole neighbors are constantly chucking cooked bones near the trash. Dogs can't have cooked bones because they splinter. And Apple grabs any she sees and then I have to yank them out of her mouth and it's unpleasant for everyone. Fortunately, she's not a biter so there's just a lot of drool and obstinate head-wagging involved.
Anyway, one time I see her darting toward a bone, and i pull her to my other side and kick the bone into the street. And as I turn to Apple, she's got a fucking Pop Tart in her mouth.
The damn dog tricked me.
posted by griphus at 5:54 PM on January 23, 2014 [36 favorites]
I go to beagle meetups in Toronto with one of my pups and they have a "baddest beagle" award every year. This year it went to a beagle that jumped on or at the stove and turned it on and set the house on fire somehow, trying to get at a pot or slow cooker left on top. Beagles are a combination of stupid smart and scary dumb when it comes to food.
posted by jamesonandwater at 5:57 PM on January 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by jamesonandwater at 5:57 PM on January 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
Reminds me of the classic Beagle Escape video.
We had a couple dogs who were similarly crafty. They figured out when we were home and when we left, they'd dig out and wander down to the VFW hall just down the road and hang out getting food and attention all day, then come home right before we got home and act natural. The only reason we even caught on was one day were were on holiday and saw our dogs hanging out at the VFW surrounded by old guys, who spilled the beans on them.
The dogs also did such a good job with the "WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!" routine that we had to show ID to prove they were actually ours. Fuckers.
They were also the animals that'd get so spooked when one of them farted that they'd wind up barking louder and louder out of sheer terror from the Fart Monster.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 5:57 PM on January 23, 2014 [50 favorites]
We had a couple dogs who were similarly crafty. They figured out when we were home and when we left, they'd dig out and wander down to the VFW hall just down the road and hang out getting food and attention all day, then come home right before we got home and act natural. The only reason we even caught on was one day were were on holiday and saw our dogs hanging out at the VFW surrounded by old guys, who spilled the beans on them.
The dogs also did such a good job with the "WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!" routine that we had to show ID to prove they were actually ours. Fuckers.
They were also the animals that'd get so spooked when one of them farted that they'd wind up barking louder and louder out of sheer terror from the Fart Monster.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 5:57 PM on January 23, 2014 [50 favorites]
she's got a fucking Pop Tart in her mouth.
Reminds me, last year walking our six-month old rottweiler pup, cut down an alley behind a chinese restaurant. He stuck his head into a hedge and came out with an entire lobster.
posted by mannequito at 6:00 PM on January 23, 2014 [24 favorites]
Reminds me, last year walking our six-month old rottweiler pup, cut down an alley behind a chinese restaurant. He stuck his head into a hedge and came out with an entire lobster.
posted by mannequito at 6:00 PM on January 23, 2014 [24 favorites]
I had a beagle who, once while I was away, jumped on a table and took the lid off of a cookie jar, without breaking either the lid or the container, in order to eat all of the cookies. She was wonderful.
posted by Francolin at 6:00 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Francolin at 6:00 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Mizu: I would like to play a video game in which I am a dog...I'm thinking final stages would include driving cars while wearing sunglasses, etc.
Heard of Enviro-Bear 2000?
posted by Valued Customer at 6:06 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Heard of Enviro-Bear 2000?
posted by Valued Customer at 6:06 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
meh, i'd a been more impressed if Lucy closed the oven door and put the chair back in its place
posted by bitteroldman at 6:06 PM on January 23, 2014 [11 favorites]
posted by bitteroldman at 6:06 PM on January 23, 2014 [11 favorites]
Man, this just goes all against my anthro classes in college back in the olden days when we were told that primates (and anteaters) were the only tool-crafting animals.
I guess if I were going to choose a dog to use a tool, it would be a lemon beagle. See, e.g., Cute Dog Maymo.
posted by janey47 at 6:08 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I guess if I were going to choose a dog to use a tool, it would be a lemon beagle. See, e.g., Cute Dog Maymo.
posted by janey47 at 6:08 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Man, this just goes all against my anthro classes in college back in the olden days when we were told that primates (and anteaters) were the only tool-crafting animals.
Dogs crafted people as tools. We open the doors, we bring food, we hold the leashes on walks...
posted by Dip Flash at 6:13 PM on January 23, 2014 [8 favorites]
Dogs crafted people as tools. We open the doors, we bring food, we hold the leashes on walks...
posted by Dip Flash at 6:13 PM on January 23, 2014 [8 favorites]
Ghostride The Whip, that video is outstanding! Not only for the escape itself, but also for the boards at the top of the door indicating that this had happened before, and for the reactions of the fellow beagles, watching all "this shit cray man" as he climbs and then the automatic wild tail wagging when the escape is complete!
posted by janey47 at 6:13 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by janey47 at 6:13 PM on January 23, 2014
I know that dogs can't retract their claws like cats, but did it sound as if she was well overdue for a trim as she clack-clack-clacked across the tile?
posted by maudlin at 6:16 PM on January 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by maudlin at 6:16 PM on January 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
I, for one, welcome our new Beagle overlords.
posted by the_royal_we at 5:46 PM on January 23 [1 favorite −]
There's a first for everything. I've never really found the "welcome-the-overlord" meme that funny. But this for some reason, I guess because I've known a few beagles in my time, is.
funny.
I really am still laughing.
posted by philip-random at 6:21 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by the_royal_we at 5:46 PM on January 23 [1 favorite −]
There's a first for everything. I've never really found the "welcome-the-overlord" meme that funny. But this for some reason, I guess because I've known a few beagles in my time, is.
funny.
I really am still laughing.
posted by philip-random at 6:21 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
The chair has been moved and the nuggets are gone WHO COULD BE RESPONSIBLE I MUST GET A VIDEO
posted by turbid dahlia at 6:22 PM on January 23, 2014 [10 favorites]
posted by turbid dahlia at 6:22 PM on January 23, 2014 [10 favorites]
I would definitely play a dog first person puzzler where you have a limited tool-set and an unlimited appetite.
posted by codacorolla at 6:29 PM on January 23, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by codacorolla at 6:29 PM on January 23, 2014 [8 favorites]
Beagles seem to be either dumb as a bag of rocks or uncannily smart. Many times, it seems like the same dog is both at different points in time. But remember, they're bred to be extremely focused on tasks at hand and can be single-minded in their pursuit to the point that they'll run in the middle of a street to chase a week-old scent. It just shows itself in different ways depending on the muttski.
posted by zombieflanders at 6:31 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by zombieflanders at 6:31 PM on January 23, 2014
Brilliant. If only Lucy moved the chair back at the end, it'd be the perfect crime.
posted by Georgina at 6:40 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by Georgina at 6:40 PM on January 23, 2014
OH GOD I love watching dogs eat stolen foods that are too hot for immediate devouring. TASTE TASTE SPIT ON FLOOR BAT AROUND TASTE TASTE PANIC SPIT ON FLOOR HIT IT WITH MY PAW BARK AT IT NOM
posted by elizardbits at 6:40 PM on January 23, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 6:40 PM on January 23, 2014 [7 favorites]
I always had it in my head beagles weren't the smartest pups in the pack due to rankings like these (#92), but that's a brilliant little bitch right there.
my favorite food-swiping moment with my sheltie mutt was after I'd just gone shopping, and I realized an entire baguette missing from my trader joe's bag. then I noticed dirt all over the carpet. then I noticed dirt all over his face. then I saw part of a baguette sticking out of a house plant.
posted by changeling at 6:53 PM on January 23, 2014 [16 favorites]
my favorite food-swiping moment with my sheltie mutt was after I'd just gone shopping, and I realized an entire baguette missing from my trader joe's bag. then I noticed dirt all over the carpet. then I noticed dirt all over his face. then I saw part of a baguette sticking out of a house plant.
posted by changeling at 6:53 PM on January 23, 2014 [16 favorites]
Didn't close the oven door or put the chair back to cover her tracks and blame it on a nugget-eating ghost.
My dog would not be impressed.
posted by dobbs at 6:56 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
My dog would not be impressed.
posted by dobbs at 6:56 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Beagles are ridiculously smart! I was once visiting friends who had this beagle Neko, and as soon as I put my stuff down and left the room, she somehow got candy out of my purse and ate it! So then I put my purse on a desk, I THOUGHT out of her reach. No. She got MORE of my candy and ate it (it's not like my purse was full of candy either, it was just two packs!). So THEN I put my purse on a high shelf.
And Neko UNZIPPED MY DUFFEL BAG and fished out my toiletry case to try and steal my toothpaste!
I really thought I was being pranked, but no, that dog was just really hungry. Another time my friends had a cookout and she ate an entire bag of hot dog buns.
posted by leesh at 6:58 PM on January 23, 2014
And Neko UNZIPPED MY DUFFEL BAG and fished out my toiletry case to try and steal my toothpaste!
I really thought I was being pranked, but no, that dog was just really hungry. Another time my friends had a cookout and she ate an entire bag of hot dog buns.
posted by leesh at 6:58 PM on January 23, 2014
that's what you get for naming a dog "cat"
posted by elizardbits at 7:00 PM on January 23, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 7:00 PM on January 23, 2014 [9 favorites]
My point it who does this? I don't even run upstairs to pee if I have something in the toaster oven. Leaving the house seems like a bad idea. Letting your dog have access to a heated oven also seems like a bad idea.
I will go to sleep with the wood stove still burning when it's cold. Cats and a toddler have unrestricted access to it as well. Nobody has died yet and the house is still standing.
The only reason I wouldn't leave the house with food cooking is because it'd be either burned or cold when I got back.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 7:01 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
I will go to sleep with the wood stove still burning when it's cold. Cats and a toddler have unrestricted access to it as well. Nobody has died yet and the house is still standing.
The only reason I wouldn't leave the house with food cooking is because it'd be either burned or cold when I got back.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 7:01 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
"Beagles are ridiculously smart!"
Nah, beagles are one of the dumber breeds of dog, actually. They're usually in a pack for hunting and have one brain between 'em. But they will be single-minded in pursuit of food (which can include rooting through trash for dirty diapers).
posted by klangklangston at 7:07 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Nah, beagles are one of the dumber breeds of dog, actually. They're usually in a pack for hunting and have one brain between 'em. But they will be single-minded in pursuit of food (which can include rooting through trash for dirty diapers).
posted by klangklangston at 7:07 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I used to think beagles and other hounds were dumb until I took in Maeby, my Found Hound. When you're paying attention she acts all doofy, then when you turn your back for a moment she plots to take over the world. Her palace coup was so smooth we literally didn't notice it happening, and probably wouldn't have except for our supernaturally observant dog trainer friend. Now Maeby sleeps where she wants, decides when playtime is and has first pick of treats. She's no evil genius but boy howdy she ain't dumb either.
posted by workerant at 7:16 PM on January 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by workerant at 7:16 PM on January 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
Clever dog!
Also: clean all the things! Yech!
posted by Catch at 7:24 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also: clean all the things! Yech!
posted by Catch at 7:24 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Animal problem solving is pretty cool
Fig. 1 Birds that had been trained to climb and peck but neverposted by rebent at 7:42 PM on January 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
to push did not push the box in the test situation (a). Birds that
had been trained (i) to climb and peck and (ti) to push the box
aimlessly for long periods of time pushed the box over much of
the floor space of the chamber. The birds rarely looked up while
pushing. One of the birds stopped pushing in the appropriate place
and climbed and pecked the banana after having pushed for more
than 14 min (b). Birds that had been trained (i) to climb and peck
and (ii) to push the box towards a green spot placed at random
positions along the base of the chamber solved the problem
efficiently and in a manner suggestive of human problem-solving
behaviour (c).
This is like if Fireproof Games released The Room: Beagle.
"Clue 1/3: That chair looks like it could be pushed."
posted by Beardman at 7:47 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
"Clue 1/3: That chair looks like it could be pushed."
posted by Beardman at 7:47 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Haha that list has Basenjis and Afghans as dumbest when the list is clearly rating trainability rather than intelligence. Anyone with half a brain knows that dogs like Basenjis in particular are ridiculous smart to the point where they understand you are trying to train them and they are having none of it.
posted by vuron at 8:06 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by vuron at 8:06 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
My favorite part was where she pushed the chair close to the counter, then at 1:18 looked up and, obviously realizing the chair was still a bit too far from the counter to permit a smooth transition, pushed it closer before trying it out.
That momentary pause for critical reassessment of the effectiveness of her plan in progress made this whole thing just that much more awesome.
posted by darkstar at 8:11 PM on January 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
That momentary pause for critical reassessment of the effectiveness of her plan in progress made this whole thing just that much more awesome.
posted by darkstar at 8:11 PM on January 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
She didn't jump back down off the chair because she was taken by a sudden compunction--she's just such a fat exemplar of her breed that jumping from a stationary position atop a chair is harder than jumping from ground-to-chair-to-counter in one motion.
Hmmm...how'd that dog get so fat?
(wait, what's that you say about the actual composition of chicken nuggets?)
posted by Joseph Gurl at 8:12 PM on January 23, 2014
Hmmm...how'd that dog get so fat?
(wait, what's that you say about the actual composition of chicken nuggets?)
posted by Joseph Gurl at 8:12 PM on January 23, 2014
mmmbacon: "Speaking of McNuggets, I found out today that McDonalds has discontinued Hot Mustard sauce and I'm distraught."
It is not listed, but if you ask for it, they will give it to you.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:21 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
It is not listed, but if you ask for it, they will give it to you.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:21 PM on January 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Dude not only does that dog know how to get chicken nugs out the oven, that dog knows blocking! You can clearly see every important step without her in the way.
posted by jason_steakums at 8:22 PM on January 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 8:22 PM on January 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
I would have been more impressed if Lucy had put on oven mitts before pulling the pan out of the oven.
posted by auntie maim at 8:52 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by auntie maim at 8:52 PM on January 23, 2014
Would have been really impressed if she opened the frig, got the ketchup and cracked open a beer to go with the nuggets.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:52 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:52 PM on January 23, 2014
When she walked back toward the sink after getting the oven door open I almost thought she was trying to get to the cupboard to find a spatula or something to get the nuggets out. Clever enough!
posted by estherbester at 8:57 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by estherbester at 8:57 PM on January 23, 2014
Years ago, I took Tikko for a walk to Louie G's to get ice cream. Strawberry cone in hand, it wasn't long before I somehow dropped it on the sidewalk, and Tikko lunged for it. I stopped him, let him have one lick, and then dragged him away and started walking home. He whined and cried and pulled, so, out of pity, I let him back for one more lick. He swallowed the whole thing.
Another time, we were walking in the park, and Tikko somehow found an entire bamboo skewer full of shish kabobs that must have fallen from a bbq. Before I could stop him, he swallowed it whole - 12 inches of skewer and wads of meat. Just as I was picking him up to run to the vet, he barfed up the skewer, intact but meatless.
He also ate the mortar out from between the bricks in our exposed brick wall. But he refused cilantro.
In conclusion, Tikko was a dog of contrasts.
posted by moonmilk at 9:26 PM on January 23, 2014 [33 favorites]
Another time, we were walking in the park, and Tikko somehow found an entire bamboo skewer full of shish kabobs that must have fallen from a bbq. Before I could stop him, he swallowed it whole - 12 inches of skewer and wads of meat. Just as I was picking him up to run to the vet, he barfed up the skewer, intact but meatless.
He also ate the mortar out from between the bricks in our exposed brick wall. But he refused cilantro.
In conclusion, Tikko was a dog of contrasts.
posted by moonmilk at 9:26 PM on January 23, 2014 [33 favorites]
How did he ever suspect that the dog was doing that? I am sure the chair and the tray weren't at all clues.
(I once stayed somewhere where the resident cat went into my purse and ate my croissant. In my bed. While I slept through it. My parents' dog once ate an 8 pound cooked brisket. Unfortunately he has a sensitive stomach.)
posted by jeather at 9:51 PM on January 23, 2014
(I once stayed somewhere where the resident cat went into my purse and ate my croissant. In my bed. While I slept through it. My parents' dog once ate an 8 pound cooked brisket. Unfortunately he has a sensitive stomach.)
posted by jeather at 9:51 PM on January 23, 2014
Our old greyhound tore into the tent of a family friend camping in our yard on a motorcycle trip and ate a good 2/3rds of one of his leather boots.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:59 PM on January 23, 2014
posted by jason_steakums at 9:59 PM on January 23, 2014
Pushing the chair over to the counter...that's use-of-tools, right? Next thing she'll be writing the shopping list.
I am reminded of seeing an ape in a small zoo in England who alternated looking at me and rubbing two sticks together in what looked like an attempt to get her first Ape Scout badge.
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:19 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I am reminded of seeing an ape in a small zoo in England who alternated looking at me and rubbing two sticks together in what looked like an attempt to get her first Ape Scout badge.
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:19 PM on January 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I would definitely play a dog first person puzzler where you have a limited tool-set and an unlimited appetite.
Can't provide you with that, however here is a cat first person "puzzler" where you have a limited tool-set and and unlimited appetite... for destruction.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 12:46 AM on January 24, 2014
Can't provide you with that, however here is a cat first person "puzzler" where you have a limited tool-set and and unlimited appetite... for destruction.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 12:46 AM on January 24, 2014
Suspects? I'd think the chair being moved near the counter, the oven door being open and the pan on the floor would have made it obvious.
posted by JHarris at 12:49 AM on January 24, 2014
posted by JHarris at 12:49 AM on January 24, 2014
I do not have a dog. Not yet.
But what I do have is an island full of crows.
I left my shopping on the deck of my boat prior to picnicing and went below to get plates and knives. When I came back I discovered the crows had:
opened the shopping bags,
pulled out the sealed deli paper bags,
carefully unpicked the taped closed end of two bags,
extracted the cooked sausages,
removed and discarded the wooden skewer,
flown off with the entire hot cumberland sausage.
Crows are scary.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 2:34 AM on January 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
But what I do have is an island full of crows.
I left my shopping on the deck of my boat prior to picnicing and went below to get plates and knives. When I came back I discovered the crows had:
opened the shopping bags,
pulled out the sealed deli paper bags,
carefully unpicked the taped closed end of two bags,
extracted the cooked sausages,
removed and discarded the wooden skewer,
flown off with the entire hot cumberland sausage.
Crows are scary.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 2:34 AM on January 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
meh, i'd a been more impressed if Lucy closed the oven door and put the chair back in its place
No, you see, she then proceeded to put cat prints on everything. Were it not for the cctv, she would have been cleared of all charges after a routine forensic analysis. Sometimes the most brilliant criminals stumble on simplest obstacles.
posted by hat_eater at 3:01 AM on January 24, 2014
No, you see, she then proceeded to put cat prints on everything. Were it not for the cctv, she would have been cleared of all charges after a routine forensic analysis. Sometimes the most brilliant criminals stumble on simplest obstacles.
posted by hat_eater at 3:01 AM on January 24, 2014
"Yeah, this dog is smarter than some of the people I work with."
Did she clear the time that was left on the toaster oven after taking the food out of it? Then yes, yes she was.
"Would have been really impressed if she opened the frig, got the ketchup and cracked open a beer to go with the nuggets."
"Alex, you'd better be drinking your water!"
posted by themanwho at 3:12 AM on January 24, 2014
Did she clear the time that was left on the toaster oven after taking the food out of it? Then yes, yes she was.
"Would have been really impressed if she opened the frig, got the ketchup and cracked open a beer to go with the nuggets."
"Alex, you'd better be drinking your water!"
posted by themanwho at 3:12 AM on January 24, 2014
My housemate had a beagle named Lucy! I know this video is fake because this dog didn't go on to eat the toaster oven, seven of the chair legs and then the tiles off the floor.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 3:50 AM on January 24, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Trivia Newton John at 3:50 AM on January 24, 2014 [5 favorites]
I think this is the first documented instance of a canid exhibiting tool use behavior (feel free to correct me, hivemind).
This beagle just might be the "Lucy" of future intelligent canine species who could dominate a post-human Earth assuming it can be bred.
posted by Renoroc at 5:14 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
This beagle just might be the "Lucy" of future intelligent canine species who could dominate a post-human Earth assuming it can be bred.
posted by Renoroc at 5:14 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
There's a definite spring in her step after she gets the first one.
posted by carter at 5:21 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by carter at 5:21 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Intentionally pushing the chair into position = tool use in dogs
Also, when she got the first one, I was like, "Ha, cute." But when she got the remaining ones in one fell swoop, "VICTORY!"
posted by Flunkie at 5:44 AM on January 24, 2014
Also, when she got the first one, I was like, "Ha, cute." But when she got the remaining ones in one fell swoop, "VICTORY!"
posted by Flunkie at 5:44 AM on January 24, 2014
My parents have two dogs, and I'm convinced one of them is putting on a show of how stupid she is, to get everyone to let their guard down. This dog has gotten visibly spooked by the same ceiling fan, every time it's been turned on, for the past eight years. She walks into closed doors; she sometimes appears to forget her own name; I've seen her sitting confused in her dog crate, whimpering to be let out because she doesn't realize she's facing the wrong way and the (open) door is behind her.
Yet when I was there for a Christmas a few years ago, we all spent twenty minutes accusing each other of nefarious misdeeds, because the giant spoon roast we were going to make for dinner was nowhere to be found--there was just an empty, blood-stained plate in the refrigerator. Accusations were getting heated, until this dog finally deigned to stand up and lurch across the kitchen. This is a tall dog, and her stomach was all but dragging on the ground; it was all she could do to brake her own momentum when she finally collapsed on the heating vent. In recreating the steps leading up to the event, we determined that the roast had been left on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, and the dog had seen it go in. Apparently she knows how the fridge door works, and had been sitting quietly on this knowledge for a long time, waiting until just the right moment. 4 pounds of raw beef later, she pounced.
Unlimited appetite, indeed.
posted by Mayor West at 5:56 AM on January 24, 2014 [5 favorites]
Yet when I was there for a Christmas a few years ago, we all spent twenty minutes accusing each other of nefarious misdeeds, because the giant spoon roast we were going to make for dinner was nowhere to be found--there was just an empty, blood-stained plate in the refrigerator. Accusations were getting heated, until this dog finally deigned to stand up and lurch across the kitchen. This is a tall dog, and her stomach was all but dragging on the ground; it was all she could do to brake her own momentum when she finally collapsed on the heating vent. In recreating the steps leading up to the event, we determined that the roast had been left on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, and the dog had seen it go in. Apparently she knows how the fridge door works, and had been sitting quietly on this knowledge for a long time, waiting until just the right moment. 4 pounds of raw beef later, she pounced.
Unlimited appetite, indeed.
posted by Mayor West at 5:56 AM on January 24, 2014 [5 favorites]
...had been sitting quietly on this knowledge for a long time, waiting until just the right moment. 4 pounds of raw beef later, she pounced.
no, it's like the incredible hulk. every dog when they get very hungry gains, instead of incredible strength, super-intelligence and initiative, which then fades away once they are sated and they wake up somewhere covered in meat juice.
posted by ennui.bz at 7:00 AM on January 24, 2014 [7 favorites]
no, it's like the incredible hulk. every dog when they get very hungry gains, instead of incredible strength, super-intelligence and initiative, which then fades away once they are sated and they wake up somewhere covered in meat juice.
posted by ennui.bz at 7:00 AM on January 24, 2014 [7 favorites]
I know beagles are smart and all, but why aren't we just assuming that they taught this dog this trick for viral video purposes and the "secret hidden camera" was operated by someone coaching the dog? I swear I heard the word "up" when the beagle first jumped on the chair. Also, I am a bit suspicious to notice that the beagle waited to hear the timer beeps indicating the nuggets were cooked before moving the chair to go get them.
posted by gubenuj at 7:02 AM on January 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by gubenuj at 7:02 AM on January 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
Having lived with two beagle mutts and being friends with the humans of several others, I can attest that the chair-climbing and understanding auditory indicators seems extremely common, even if it's rarely a...desired trait. These are dogs who have had the initiative to learn how to open doors, reach heights they shouldn't be able to get to, and gain access to storage spaces that would otherwise be verboten. They also usually managed to get stuck after doing that, but it didn't stop them, even in the face of our mocking laughter.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:22 AM on January 24, 2014
posted by zombieflanders at 7:22 AM on January 24, 2014
waiting until just the right moment. 4 pounds of raw beef later, she pounced.
One New Year's Eve our dog did this with the entire cheese platter we'd left on the kitchen counter momentarily unattended. A big hunk of Stilton, another of Port Salut, and a hefty slab of Emmental. Vanished without a trace, until later CSI-type sleuthing uncovered the spot where the dog had thrown up and then [SPOILER WARNING: DISGUSTING] licked up his own vomit, leaving nothing behind but stinky crusty spot on the rug and a very logy dog.
This is the same dog that would open the cabinet where we kept his kibble, gobble up all day, then close the cabinet door before we came home.
My dog would have pushed the chair back into place.
posted by ambrosia at 9:04 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
One New Year's Eve our dog did this with the entire cheese platter we'd left on the kitchen counter momentarily unattended. A big hunk of Stilton, another of Port Salut, and a hefty slab of Emmental. Vanished without a trace, until later CSI-type sleuthing uncovered the spot where the dog had thrown up and then [SPOILER WARNING: DISGUSTING] licked up his own vomit, leaving nothing behind but stinky crusty spot on the rug and a very logy dog.
This is the same dog that would open the cabinet where we kept his kibble, gobble up all day, then close the cabinet door before we came home.
My dog would have pushed the chair back into place.
posted by ambrosia at 9:04 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
We absolutely had this dog when I was a small child. She once knocked over two living room lamps, one right after another. We humans went running to see what had happened, and while we cleaned the mess...she ate the entire pizza that we'd left on the kitchen table.
Also the garlic bread.
She was a six-pound puppy at the time, but was not ill even for a second after this digestive feat.
posted by like_a_friend at 9:18 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also the garlic bread.
She was a six-pound puppy at the time, but was not ill even for a second after this digestive feat.
posted by like_a_friend at 9:18 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
"it's like the incredible hulk"
That's my secret, I'm always hungry.
posted by idiopath at 10:02 AM on January 24, 2014 [6 favorites]
That's my secret, I'm always hungry.
posted by idiopath at 10:02 AM on January 24, 2014 [6 favorites]
It does seem like it could be a rehearsed trick. The idea of leaving something cooking in the toaster oven and vacating the house seems weird - wouldn't you be worried that the dog might get hurt or burned?
posted by Mid at 10:33 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Mid at 10:33 AM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Lucy is more likely to get hurt the more this happens. Setting it up so it happens is the easiest way to gather information so that you can stop it from happening in the future (without giving up baking in the home).
I believe that the owner left the house so that Lucy would feel free to do what she wanted. To make it most likely that she would try something if she were ever going to try something.
This whole thing was a set-up; the chicken nuggets may not have even been intended for human consumption. And toaster ovens generally turn off automatically after the ding so it wouldn't be much of a fire hazard (not something I would do a lot, but once, for science? Sure! Anything!)
And Lucy wasn't waiting for the ding; she was on the island because she was going for the nuggets and that is when we hear the ding. She likely got interested when the nuggets started getting warm and therefore fragrant.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:26 PM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
I believe that the owner left the house so that Lucy would feel free to do what she wanted. To make it most likely that she would try something if she were ever going to try something.
This whole thing was a set-up; the chicken nuggets may not have even been intended for human consumption. And toaster ovens generally turn off automatically after the ding so it wouldn't be much of a fire hazard (not something I would do a lot, but once, for science? Sure! Anything!)
And Lucy wasn't waiting for the ding; she was on the island because she was going for the nuggets and that is when we hear the ding. She likely got interested when the nuggets started getting warm and therefore fragrant.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:26 PM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
As to my second point, we had dogs that were not allowed on most of the furniture. When we were around they'd stay off. When we'd get home they'd either be up and excited greeting us or on the floor, almost always.
Because there'd be the rare times when we surprised them on the couch or a bed. They'd get up sheepishly; they knew they were not supposed to be on the couch. So it wasn't that they were good, it's that they were (fairly) good at not getting caught.
If there had been any mystery about this we could have set up video cameras and would have certainly left, probably for the six hours the videocassette had on it.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:33 PM on January 24, 2014
Because there'd be the rare times when we surprised them on the couch or a bed. They'd get up sheepishly; they knew they were not supposed to be on the couch. So it wasn't that they were good, it's that they were (fairly) good at not getting caught.
If there had been any mystery about this we could have set up video cameras and would have certainly left, probably for the six hours the videocassette had on it.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:33 PM on January 24, 2014
It was only after Roscoe the labrador ate 48 doses of chocolate-flavored ex-lax (the jumbo box, a 40th birthday gag gift left unattended for mere seconds) that we discovered the one thing he wouldn't ingest: the hydrogen peroxide recommended by the emergency vet to get him to throw up the ex-lax. This was a dog who would eat the plastic bag along with the stolen loaf of bread, and who had merrily chewed on turpentine-soaked rags as we chased him around the yard trying to get them back, but hydrogen peroxide was somehow beyond the pale for him. We had an interesting time mixing it with various other substances, trying to find something he would lap up without it bubbling out of control. Chocolate syrup finally did the trick. I remember spending the rest of that rainy day in the garage with him, because he wasn't allowed back in the house until we had gotten significant results from one end or the other.
posted by vytae at 5:20 PM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by vytae at 5:20 PM on January 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
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