The Human Nature of Animals

The Ethical Will of Donald Armstrong, Part 7

For an explanation of what an ‘Ethical Will’ is, please see my previous post, ‘I Leave to You … Whatever Wisdom I May Have Gained.’

I have kept and raised many animals in the course of my life, and several have surprised me with their intelligence as well as their emotional IQ. Happy was a black and white collie mix that was born and raised on our farm, I claimed him as mine as soon as I saw the litter — something told me that he was special, and indeed he was. When he was still a young pup I decided to teach him a couple of tricks. I wanted him to sit on command, and to shake hands (okay, shake hand with paw) upon request.

I wasn’t sure how long it would take to teach him those two behaviors, but was reasonably confident that he would pick them up within a few days if I was consistent with his training. It actually took only a matter of minutes. And then, for as long as he lived, when a car pulled into our driveway Happy would race across the yard to meet it. He would sit on the driver’s side of the driveway and wait for the driver to emerge from the car, whereupon he would raise one of his front legs and extend a paw for a handshake. The Armstrong family’s “official greeter” never failed to surprise and amuse our guests.