How can dogs be stupid and smart at the same time? How can they have less intelligence than humans and still control our households? For all our intelligence, we humans certainly find our reasons to claim to be both inferior and superior to our canine companions when it suits us.

It’s funny how people will prepare themselves for months, even years before bringing a new child into their lives but can stop by the shelter on a random Saturday and pick up a new dog. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that caring for a dog is anywhere near as complex as raising a child. But owning and caring for a dog is not the same as picking up a new refrigerator either.

Dogs are remarkably honest creatures. It’s equally remarkable how often many dog owners lie to their dogs in order to get them to do what they want. And that might not be such a good idea.

There is a lot of talk about “balance” in dog training these days. But balance might not be as easy as just mixing equal parts of rewards and punishment. A lesson from hight school science class shows that equal numbers do not mean equal value. Sometimes balance means finding the right proportions.

Dogs are, in many ways, a reflection of their owner. They live with us and they learn from us. Sometimes they learn a little more than we would like and can use that to get what they want. But in the end, we all get the dog we deserve.

For more than two and a half years I have made a regular practice of sitting down and thinking about dogs. And I share my thoughts in these Canine Nation articles. I look at different perspectives and information. I try to see the larger contexts of our dogs and lifestyles with them. There is a lot to see. So I write.

Watching the recent Summer Olympics was one of those guilty pleasures for me. Sneaking off to catch a look at kayaking or track and field is something I only get a chance to do once every four years. It’s inspiring to see the best athletes in the world competing in their chosen sports, win or lose. To develop skills to a high enough level to compete at the Olympic Games is more than most of us can hope to achieve. But strip away the human drama and the athlete’s story and what you have left is learned behaviour whether it is sprinting, paddling a kayak, or performing the high jump.