Duke Outwits Freckle's Again

For all of Freckles ability to concentrate, Duke's laid back intelligence continues to amaze me.
Yesterday evening we were all out on the deck playing with tennis balls which, for the most part, Duke now finds boring and only grabs one every now and then to aggrivate Freckles. While Freckles races around the yard chasing tennis balls Duke prefers to stand next to me to have his butt patted and scratched.
Trying something new for Freckles I tossed a ball up on the roof out of his sight. A few seconds later it rolled off and Freckles chased it down. After a couple of tosses Freckles figured out where the ball had gone and would stare up at the eave patiently waiting for the ball to fall. I though what a smart boy.
Then Duke took an interest in this new game. After only one toss Duke not only figured out where the ball had gone, but also the angle and distance it would fall back into the yard. While Freckles stood under the eave waiting, Duke went to the exact spot in the yard away from the house where the ball eventually would come down off the roof. Before Freckles could even turn his head Duke had the ball and would then bring it back to me for another game. After outwitting Freckles a few more times Duke again tired of this new challenge and returned for his butt patting. Freckles never did figure out how or why Duke always beat him to the ball.

 

Reminds me of the Two Rotts and BEagle that I used to live with... SO there was a Lazer pointer and the Rotts LOVED the game and so they tried with the BEagle to see what she thought of it... WELL she loved it evven more (she's a hound so...hunting is her thing even for a laser pointer) Poor thing though...she would sniff for the dang thing once the game was over... For hours she'd stay in one spot sniffing... Anyway... the game went on and it took her about two days of playing it in the evenings to figure out WHERE the pointer was coming from and attacking THAT rather than the beem itself... To my knowledge the rotties never did figure it out...

Honijade gets frustrated with the flirt pole and when she does...she goes for the pole nearest the center of the rotating circle... Generally JUST above my hand... I have to let her catch it from time to time or she just kills the game...LOL

 

way to go Duke, I dont know what mine would do. I know if a ball goes behind the door, Jake will go behind and get it but wylie will stare at teh crack thinking thru osmosis it will slip thry the crack