Meet Tana the Doberman. Her human father asserts that she’s the “smartest dog in the world.” Well, that’s certainly high praise.
But is it true?
Hmm, I guess we’ll be the judge of that.
Tana and her dad’s video starts in an empty room. There’s no dog in sight. What’s the deal?
Dad begins the routine,
“Tana come.”
The cartoonish scampering of dog feet can be heard in the distance against the hardwood floor. Within a matter of moments, Tana the Doberman enters the frame.
Her perky, pointed Doberman ears are at full mast.
“Whatcha doin’? How are ya?”
She’s looking pretty energetic and adorable. I imagine she’s doing quite well.
Dad continues the commands,
“Sit.”
Tana stops moving, cementing herself in place. Her weight shifts to her hind legs.
Dad motions his hand downward within the frame of his handheld camera,
“Down!”
Tana delivers, laying on all fours. She looks up at the camera.
Not many dogs are trained in the vocal arts. But Tana’s full of surprises.
“Sing!”
Tana opens her mouth, letting out a series of high-pitched squeals. They’re not barks at all. They sound more like whelps or screeches.
She continues to sing in her dog falsetto.
Her human companion sends the next instruction:
“Left turn!”
Psh, give her a challenge!
“Right turn!”
Tana circles back in the opposite direction. If this was an exam she’d be on course for an A+.
“Right hand.”
They spend a second awkwardly and hilariously circling each other’s hands (or paw) before finally making contact.
Dad lets out a laugh, “Good girl.”
“How ’bout left hand?”
Again, too easy.
The next command’s one of my favorites.
“Heel!”
Tana swiftly walks over and stands to the side of her human counterpart.
She looks up at her friend with loving eyes.
Next comes the final set of challenges – the ultimate test of patience and mental fortitude.
Dad walks over to Tana with a single dog treat in his hand. She’s instantly intrigued, fixated on his hand’s contents. He lays it on the ground about a foot in front of her.
But he insists she wait. She complies.
“Put your paw on it.”
Tana extends her left paw, smothering the cookie without breaking it.
“Good girl.”
Does she finally get a reward for her brilliant performance? Unfortunately, it’s only a tease. The instructor continues,
“Down”
Tana, a little dismayed, hesitates to lower herself into position. She’s fixated on the treat. Instead, she simply brings the treat closer to her body.
“Tana, down!”
She reluctantly retracts, keeping a paw firmly on the cookie. She was doing so well before!
Her human companion stays firm, trying his best to take Tana’s mind off the treat.
“Sit!”
She finally let’s go of the cookie, shifting the weight to her hind legs. Tana’s been instructed to be patient. She seems to have hit a bit of a wall, but I still have faith in her.
“Now you wait ’til I say three. You wait ’til I say three, okay?”
She turns her head, listening intently, curiously. I wonder if the cookie’s still on her mind?
Dad continues, laying out the rules for the last task,
“Now you wait ’til I say three. You wait ’til I say three, okay?”
The countdown begins,
“One.
Two.
Two and a half.”
Tana doesn’t even bat an eye. Her body remains stone still. She doesn’t fall for such foolish tactics.
“Four!
Five.”
Okay, now he’s just trolling…
“Six…
Three!”
Tana takes off, quickly devouring the cookie.
She hasn’t been able to take her mind off of it. Regardless, she’s more than earned it.
“Good girl! That’s a good girl!”
Congratulations Tana, you did a great job! Despite an appetizing obstacle on the way, she successfully completes her gauntlet of tasks.
She’s definitely one of the smartest dogs I’ve seen. Sure, she has a sweet tooth, but her father’s done an exceptional job teaching her.
Tana’s calm, collected, and undeniably intelligent. Outside of the cookie conundrum, the entire trial seemed like a breeze.
In fact, Dobermans, technically Doberman Pinschers in the United States, are known for their intelligence, loyalty, and pointed ears. Originally bred in Germany, the breed quickly became world-renowned.
Tana finished her routine with flying colors. Now, is she “the smartest dog in the world”? Well, who’s to say?
She’s probably not the most disciplined, but she’s smart as a whip.
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