You know how sometimes, someone will pretend to throw a dog’s toy, and the dog will start running for it even though it never left their hand, and then they laugh and laugh about how dumb the dog is for thinking they threw a toy when they didn’t?

I don’t think that’s dumb at all. If the person had actually thrown the toy – and 99% of the time, when they look like they’re about to throw a toy, they do – then the dog would already be halfway to the toy by the time it hit the ground. By starting to run before the full throwing motion has happened, the dog gets the toy faster and makes more efficient use of her playing time. Not only that, but she has to calculate the direction the toy will be thrown before it even starts moving. That’s smart.

We humans are the dumb ones, for not realizing the genius of dogs.

So next time you play a sport that requires retrieving a ball, don’t be an idiot: if you suspect the ball might bet thrown, sprint in the general direction that it might go with your tongue hanging out. It’s the smart thing to do.

P. S. Happy holidays to everyone. I hope you got and gave some good stuff, and saw and were seen by some good people.