Meet the clever dog who has been taught how to READ and ring the doorbell
Rufus the German Shepherd-Rottweiler cross was trained to read by his owner, who found him wandering the streets alone in 2010
WHILE most of his furry friends get their kicks chasing after balls, this dog loves nothing more than impressing his owner with his READING skills.
Clever Rufus, a German Shepherd-Rottweiler cross, was taken in by owner Sharon Rogers when she found him wandering the streets as a puppy.
And after spotting he had an aptitude for games, she used flashcards to teach him how to read the words ‘sit’, ‘come’ and ‘stay’ - and trained him to respond accordingly.
Impressed Sharon said the seven-year-old pooch picked up the skills in a matter of months and has also learned how to ring the doorbell when he is finished playing outside.
She’s hoping to teach the pet from Swindon, Wiltshire, more words in the future.
Proud Sharon said: “Rufus has always seemed really intelligent.
“I could tell he was getting bored with all his toys and wanted to learn something new, he’d pick them up and throw them across the room.
“He always wants to learn and keep his mind active so I began training him to read around July.
“He picked it up really quickly and will usually follow the commands. He really enjoys it.”
Rufus was taken in by Sharon after he was found as a stray wandering the streets in Cambridge in 2010.
Sharon was inspired to teach Rufus after watching a documentary on dog training which appeared to show a pooch reading.
Now when she shows him placards emblazoned with written commands, he immediately responds depending on what the card says.
“I thought if that dog can do it I’m sure Rufus will be able to,” she added.
“He seemed very bright straightaway and he took to learning so easily. He recognises the shapes and gets rewarded with a treat, and through that he’s picked up on how to read the signs.
“It didn’t take very long at all - a few months and you can tell he really enjoys it. He’s been a very easy dog to train.
“German shepherds are used for police dogs so you know they have very high intelligence levels.
“He's still learning every day but he's so intelligent and he takes real enjoyment in it. It's enrichment for him.”
Sharon keeps Rufus’ mind in mint condition with a varied diet of biscuits, chicken and cheese or yoghurt-flavoured treats.
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His favourite hobbies are chasing squirrels or sitting in his favourite armchair, where he can keep a close eye on the outside world.
“He’s very curious, he always wants to know exactly what’s going on and he’ll sit in his chair where he can look out of the window and into the garden,” said Sharon.
But despite his mammoth six-and-a-half stone size, Sharon says the curious canine loves nothing more than a cuddle.
She added: “He’s a gentle giant, he loves strokes, meeting new people and he adores meeting children.
“He’s got such a lovely nature and he’s always very excited when people come round.”
Despite his admirable reading skills, it seems he's a long way off getting stuck into full-blown novels.
Shame because Lassie and Marley &; Me would be right up his street...
