Dobermans Den

Donnie the Doberman Arranges Toys

Donnie is an interesting dobe in that he shows unusual behaviour. National Geographic featured him on their “Genius Dogs” show. He arranges his stuffed toys into specific patterns of circles or triangles. It’s not clear what the motivation for his behaviour is. Is it thought out, random or is it just creative expression? It is bizarre to watch Donnie in the video. Especially touching is the mention of the day after the very first time Donnie let his owner put her arm around him. He then began organizing his toys in hugs, arm in arm. Very interesting. Babara Smuts, a university professor is now researching this behavior.

What do you think Donnie is expressing with his toy arranging behaviour.