Boby can count!

I was telling my parents about CKY's dog Monty. Monty once found tennis balls at the dog park, and he had a lovely time chasing them. To Monty's disappointment, the next time he was at the dog park a few days later, there were no tennis balls to be found. A few days after that, Monty and CKY were about to head out to the dog park when Monty went to his toy chest and picked up a tennis ball. He carried that tennis ball in his mouth all the way to the dog park. Somehow, Monty was smart enough to remember that the last time he was at the park, there were no tennis balls, so he ought to bring his own.

Dad was completely unimpressed with the story. (I told you Boby's his fave family member!)
"So what?" he asked. "Our dog is way smarter than that. He can count."

It turns out that my parents were being silly when they realized that the dog counts. My dad is usually the one to walk Boby while everyone else walks alongside them. Once, mom fell behind and hid around the corner. Once Boby realized that my Mom wasn't walking alongside them, he refused to keep walking until he was able to find her. Instead, he walked in circles, sniffed all over the place and looked behind bushes, buildings, etc. I was impressed that the dog was able to register that someone was missing. Eventually, my mom walked up from wherever she was hiding, and the dog ran up to her and nipped at her until she caught up with everyone else. The next night, Boby nipped at my mother as my parents passed by the place my mother had gone "missing" the night before. He somehow remembered the previos evening. My parents think Boby's habits are innate, since he's part some sort of herding dog.