Page 36 - Too Smart Dog

In the lives of young children, doing what is in your best self-interest may mean refusing to go out and play with friends because they have to study for a test. For an adolescent, it may be the skill that allows you to refuse to experiment with drugs, even if that means lost of friendships. As an adult, it can impact on career choices, relocation demands and relationships.
The Too Smart Dog illustrates good decision making that most of us have had little opportunity to learn. He evaluated the “Thief” situation and made the decision he thought was the most rational (Good Thinking choice of behavior. He saw no reason to risk injury when no one was at risk and the real valuables were elsewhere.
When a child says “I did not think” (about the best choice or consequences) they are not lying because most have had little guidance in how to “think things though.” Added to this lack of experience can be the irrational expectations (Stinky Thinking) of others and it becomes easy to see why most children have difficulty seeing themselves as ever being like the Too Smart Dog.
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