Holly is so Clever

To begin, I must share the I am finally successfully using "clever" instead of "smart" after being told multiple times that I was confusing people. Apparently, in NZ, "smart" is used fairly exclusively in the "smart-aleck" or "smart-ass" sense. Instead, they use "clever." Which I find funny, because I feel like I've usually heard "clever" in the context of "Oh you think you're so clever" or "She always has a clever comeback." Which seems a bit like "smart-aleck" to me, rather than an actual commendation of your intelligence. So it's a bit like they're switched.

Due to my recent success at reframing these words, I have managed to title this post and the videos it contains with appropriate NZ terminology. Unfortunately, I still feel like Holly's ability to balance on her back feet does not exactly make her witty or skilled at scathing repartee, and cannot quite rid my mind of that association. Give me a few more years in NZ, and we'll see how I do.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, the less language-obsessed of my readers will be relieved to know that the rest of this post is about Holly doing her awesome tricks, and not about words at all.

I still cannot get blogger to upload videos properly, so I have uploaded them to Facebook. I have set it so that even people who do not have a Facebook account at all can see them, so just click on the links to get to the videos.

Holly's previous owners taught her a few of these tricks, and J and I have taught her the rest. She is an extremely quick learner, and if anyone has suggestions of what other tricks I should teach her, I'd be glad to hear them. Training is her favourite time of day. (Also cuddles, going outside, coming inside, tug of war, going to the beach, waking up, going to sleep, eating, drinking, fetch, and anybody talking to her are her favourite times of day, but still).

Balancing a treat on her nose until I tell her to eat it (and then flipping it up and catching it in her mouth - she taught herself that part).
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153194565314395&pnref=story

Shaking with each paw (and waiting to actually be asked - that was the hard part).
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153194574239395&pnref=story

"Lay down" and "Show me your belly"
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153194578909395&pnref=story

Balancing on her back legs - this one is my favourite!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153194588834395&pnref=story

"Spin!" This is Holly's least favourite, because she has to look away from the treat for a moment. She couldn't bring herself to do it the first time, but affection won out over food - she is so eager to please!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153194594679395&pnref=story

This last one is not a trick, nor is it the best example of her bubble-catching abilities, but she's having so much fun that it's worth sharing!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153199284344395&pnref=story

Also, just discovered this video that I posted over a year ago when we were still in our Whanganui house, of Holly playing fetch. It's funny watching me pull the ball out of her mouth. I'd been doing that for months and then one day I said, "Drop it!" and she just dropped it! Who knew?

CORRECTION: Due to very poor memory (aside from Disney song lyrics), I had forgotten that actually J discovered that Holly knew the command, "Drop it!" I overheard him using it while playing fetch with her, and was suitably impressed at the time, but apparently did not commit the event to memory sufficiently for recall many months later.

I'll have to take another video of her playing fetch now sometime.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152155177054395&set=vb.514814394&type=3&theater

NEW ADDITION: Finally found this video of Holly playing with (or brutally killing, depending on your point of view) her rope. I think it might be the thing she does that makes me giggle the most, for some reason.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153208041059395&pnref=story

We're so lucky to have such a great dog!