A tete-a-tete in which I break the news to her that she still isn't as smart as the dog
Dan and I had a conversation last week about Eleanor’s intelligence vis a vis a dog’s. He claimed she was approaching the intelligence of a Border Collie. I pointed out that Eleanor couldn’t herd sheep or sort colored objects or do anything so sophisticated. Dan scaled back his claim and stated that maybe Eleanor’s intelligence level was more like Belly’s. I pointed out that Belly, unlike Eleanor, can go down stairs without faceplanting.
So she’s still not as smart as a dog but she does enjoy many canine pleasures. We play a lot of fetch (indoors and out): I toss a ball or pinecone or Cheerio and Eleanor tears after it and brings it back to me for another round. She also enjoys eating the dog’s food, each piece of kibble perfectly sized to occlude a 14-month-old’s esophagus. Like a water-happy Retriever, she enjoys splashing in Belly’s water bowl and making a mess. In fact, Belly’s food and water bowls are so interesting to her that lately she has been seeking to become one with them. With amazing tenacity and focus, she will work to smush her bottom into the food bowl, bring her knees to her chest and hug them and give a smile that can only be compared to that of the cat who ate the canary.
While not as happy-making as a bum in a bowl, the old hand-in-sippy-cup is still pretty thrilling
Having observed Ellie “smush her bottom into the food bowl,” I can attest that her cuteness still distracts from the fact that Ellie might not be as smart as Belly.
Yes, but can Belly find her belly button? Clap her hands? Turn the pages of a book? Hold a remote control to her ear and think it’s a, er, um — phone. Well, that last one aside, I beg to differ — Ellie IS smarter than the average dog.
And getting oh, so smarter by the day!