Their Dog Won’t Come Whenever He’s Called, But He’s Not Deaf. Then They Realize The Truth…

Stanley is a very special Golden Retriever, in more ways than one.

Imgur user KCN1 uploaded this adorable story about his family’s rescue pup, and when you hear it you’ll understand why the internet is falling in love with Stanley.


Source: Stanley

Stanley was a mystery dog, adopted at age five from a rescue home in Florida. His owner describes the moment they met at the foster home:

“He was sleeping on top of their dining room table. They called his name and he didn’t budge so we went over to him instead. He was very sweet, gave lots of kisses, then jumped off the table and trotted to the front door. We took that as a sign that he wanted to come home with us although, it’s entirely possible that he just had to pee.”

Despite some quirks – it was clear Stanley had never really been trained – the Golden Retriever was adorable. He got along fantastically well with his new family, even the cats.


Source: Stanley and some new friends

Stanley just couldn’t seem to get his training right, though. Basic commands were met with blank, surprised stares. Christmas ornaments became snacks. After bringing up another Golden with model behavior, Stanley’s owners were a little bit concerned…maybe this dog just didn’t respond to their teaching style?

‘Well, fair enough,’ thought Stanley’s new owners. They brought in some outside help.

After a few weeks with no results, the professional trainer suggested that Stanley get his ears checked – maybe the lovable guy had a hearing problem? He passed the hearing test with flying colors, and a few days later the new trainer decided she needed to focus on “more promising clients”.

The next trainer lasted three months, declaring Stanley “mentally challenged” as she left without any progress to show. Stanley was just a lovable, fluffy ball of quirky behavior and bad manners. His owner described some of his stranger habits:

Stanley collects the same three items around the house (remote control, my daughter’s care bear, and my left slipper) at the same time, EVERY day. He carries each item upstairs and places it under the bed in the guest room. If he can’t locate one of the items, he becomes visibly stressed and paces around for hours frantically looking for it. Basically, it ruins his day. So we make it a point to leave theses things where he is used to finding them. At least I always know where to find them.


Source: Stanley and his favorite toy

A friend who had recently adopted a dog recommended a book called Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh – it included a dog that sounded just like Stanley. The book includes a “Doggie IQ test”, which Stanley’s owner decided it might be time to try.

The first step: call out the dog’s name to see how it responds…

The second: put a blanket over the dog, to see if it’s smart enough to shake it off…

The third: show your dog a treat before hiding it under a cup, to see if it’s smart enough to knock the cup over…

Just to be sure, the owner gave the IQ test to his other Golden Retriever. She passed all three steps with ease.

Even with all of Stanley’s very special behavior, his owner’s still love him and appreciate him for who he is. As the owner heartwarmingly concludes,

“If my dog was human, he would probably be riding the short bus. But he’s become a wonderful part of our family and we will always love him… No matter what.”

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