I mentioned when blind?Taco?arrived‘that he was a very smart boy and I would show you why we thought so in a subsequent post. Well, this is it. It took him less than 24 hours to figure out how to climb through the railings! On one level this was an “uh oh” moment for us (the railings are there for a reason!), but on another level we simply had to admire his intelligence and fearlessness. Of course, it really helped that Taco had a very willing teacher! Yes, that handsome scamp Tanner was showing his new buddy Taco’the ropes.
So this is how it unfolded. That’s Tanner in the photo above, standing next to Taco, and you can see what’s about to happen.
The “turn and twist” technique underway:
And he’s through … while his student is looking on (well, sort of “looking” on):
Taco is thinking, “Hey, what did he just do?!?”:
“Well,” he finally decided, “here I go”:
Front leg through … I wonder if he was trying to feel around to see if he could touch the ground:
He pulls the front leg back, presumably having realized the distance is greater than his little short legs are long, meaning this would have to be — literally — a leap of (blind) faith, so to speak. Next comes the back leg to boost him over:
And over he goes:
And he’s clear:
Now, let me just say that if all of our dogs were this smart, we’d be in real trouble!
Finally, just a quick update on Taco’s medical tests: We are still waiting on some tick-borne disease tests (mostly the Southern ones), but we now know Taco is heartworm-free (yay!) and also negative for Lyme disease and some others. We should have the final results later today or tomorrow.
Way to go Taco! Oh Tanner, you little scamperoo! Love seeing them and all the sweet pooches over there!
That’s certainly no timid Taco; go little dude!
LOL What a smart little bugger! WTG, Taco!
Woo!! He is one smart & fearless pup!!! So funny how he follows Tanner. Hope his medical tests are good.
Wow, he is a smart boy. And that Tanner is a good teacher AND a bit of a show-off! I feel bad for Stella. She always seems to be a good girl waiting at the gate while the other are sneaking through the fence. And you just know she knows what’s going on. Glad that Taco got a clean bill of health so far.
Smart AND Adorable – some guys get all the luck!
That’s the cutest! I love seeing dogs help each other. Shows their innate responsibility to help and navigate “the pack.” Great photos, and a really cute story! Way to go, Taco! 🙂
Good for Taco, I think.
Thank goodness for the good medical tests results. I hope the remainder are ok too.
Oh boy, you’re going to have to keep an eye on this one. Let’s hope he doesn’t learn how to open cabinets. He sure is cute. Very glad to hear he is heartworm-free and Lyme-free. Really a lucky escape considering his living conditions. I’ll look forward to the further Chronicles of Taco which I’m sure will evolve. Perhaps he’ll be the first barbarian to get through The Gate.
Love to see Taco has an adventuresome spirit, even after all he has been through. And with Tanner as his guide I’m sure many more adventures are in the works!
What a brave little guy! He’s going to be a handful as he Houdini’s his way through other barriers.
In your earlier post about Taco, it appears that he has some Aust Cattle Dog in him. I’ve had 3 ACDs and they are some of the smartest and most observant dogs that I have had. Looks like Taco is holding true to form…..