Dog Learns That Money Can Be Exchanged for Goods and Services

Photo credit: Alan Levine, CC BY 2.0.

Today in “good dog,” we go to animal news site The Dodo and meet Holly, the dog who understands money:

“It started when she was a puppy,” Casi Cook, Holly’s mom, told The Dodo. “She was a thief, just like any puppy. She used to steal stuff out of all our bags, including money, and instead of chasing her around the house we would kind of bribe her with treats, so when she had money in her mouth we didn’t want her to eat it so we would say, ‘Here Holly, take the treat and give me the money,’ so it clicked in her head, if she has the money, she will get treats.”

Once the Cooks realized that their dog understood the value of a dollar, they started giving her an allowance. Holly currently has $87 dollars stashed in various places around the Cook home, and knows how to exchange a dollar for a treat. She also knows how to ration her spending so she can have treats in the future. If the Cook family started teaching her that a dollar could be exchanged for two dollars (or sometimes three dollars, or occasionally no dollars) she’d probably pick up investing, too.

Check out the full article to see adorable “dog with dollar in mouth” photos.


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