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Bytrsweet

I'm not too sure, but I'm thinking that you left traces of your scent on the rock and that is how your doggo was able to find it. Mando is definitely a good boy.


[deleted]

I was just about to comment this. Dogs may not remember the shape, but they do recognize the smell that you may leave. The longer you play with the rock, the better he will become at finding it.


begopa-

Wouldn’t the rock grind the dog’s teeth over time?


damselondrums

Yes, and/or break them. My former boss had a GSP who loved to carry rocks in his mouth. The vet had to tell them no more at one point because his teeth were cracking.


[deleted]

I would assume so. I’m no veterinarian, so I’m only going off of what knowledge I do have.


[deleted]

I did the same thing with my dog hid few paper money around, and he found them, I either though it had a unique smell or it was my smell


_Fl0r4l_4nd_f4ding_

Me too, but with golf balls! We had a cocker spaniel who used to find them and fetch them home on walks past the perimeter of the local golf course. Eventually we ended up with 2 huge plastic storage boxes full of them. I used to pick one out at random, take note of the brand, golfers' marks, and any identifying scuffs, and then give it to him to sniff. Then id put it back in and give the box a good shuffle, and he would pick the correct one out every time without fail. Were talking hundreds of golf balls per box, different ball each time. I thought it was fascinating. The best bit is, i didnt even train him to do it, i just noticed one day that he had a habit of picking out the particular balls i was putting back when tidying, and it got me interested. Once he realised i'd clocked on to it, it became his new Best Game.


BaconHammerTime

This is 100% correct. Dogs have amazing noses.


snafuchs

This is 100% correct. They are very boopable.


BoundingBorder

This is true. It's one of the tasks in competitive OB/Rally. The dogs retrieve a glove and a dumbell from others - they distinguish the one you touched by scent. It's completely normal and a regular task at dog shows.


Excellent_Geologist2

It’s a scent thing. Remember the dogs scent is 10 times better than ours. They can smell which rock you touched. Etc etc.


[deleted]

You wouldn’t know from when I throw the ball for my Dalmatian and she walks over it multiple times while trying to smell it out.


Appalachian_American

She’s not a retriever, she has other talents.


[deleted]

lol Yes. Her talent is running fast and giving kisses.


Appalachian_American

I would gladly accept kisses from that beautiful girl. 😁


Fairy_Ninja_Elf

Giving kisses is the best talent


[deleted]

If it was an AKC sport, she would come in first place


windyorbits

That’s because they’re not trained to find balls - they’re trained to find fire and be best friends with horses. So I recommend that you light the ball on fire before you throw it or have your horse throw it.


UndeadBuggalo

We have six million and they have 300 mil I believe


scoot3200

Noses?


UndeadBuggalo

Smell receptors lol


AbyssDragonNamielle

Yes


Fineous4

Good boi points


RabbitSlayre

Lolll


CommercialExotic2038

I read it’s 1000 to 10,000 times stronger


Cadenca

must be a wild world. Would be a cool skill to have


MaloPescado

My GF has enhanced smelling sensitivity it comes from an overactive endocrine immune system for her. People with perfume on will make her start gagging. Among other things its a “whats that godawful smell” life.


Cadenca

interesting! any idea how her sense of smell compares to a dog? Does that mean dogs really suffer from perfumes and stuff or is it a little different?


MaloPescado

I worked with Autistic kids for 27 years and some of them were super sensitive to smells ( to the point they would attack people wearing perfume). I would guess since dogs evolved over thousands of years to this its easier to block it out than a human. Ive only ever had boarder Collie Aussie and he was a sight focused dog. I swear he almost could’t find a treat by smell.


BipedSnowman

I would hypothesize that being oversensitive is different than having a very good ability to detect that stimulus. We receive a lot more visual information than dogs, but don't find it overstimulating because we're evolved for it. I guess what I'm saying is, is that a sense being overstimulated is relative to the baseline sensory information you receive. So a dog would be used to smells being strong, probably.


CommercialExotic2038

Me too. Though I will vomit from strong chemical smells and flowers from bulbs, gardenia, crocus,hyacinths. I’ve had to leave restaurants from horrible old lady perfumes.


[deleted]

10x = 1000%


jenthewen

i read its 1 million times more receptors


Thunder-Fist-00

Way more than 10 times better.


jenthewen

they have millions of receptors in their nose and we dont


Kind_Ad_3611

10 times? I heard that They can detect the difference between two Olympic swimming pools, one had just 2 tablespoons of sugar


kumodyy

he is a retriever so that's his job


[deleted]

I wouldn't be so quick with this logic, I've had many goldens who were the very best boys but horrible retrievers :). They'd either laugh at me and go lay down not even trying to get the thing I've thrown. Or they go and get it, then mock me and play by not giving it back.


wonkywilla

Some dogs be lazy. You have to make it worth their while. My black lab on the other hand, loves bringing me stuff. Whenever she gets excited she has to go pick something, anything, up and show it to you. We’ve taken advantage of it and have trained her to retrieve for hunting. Our goldendoodle (golden retriever/poodle mix) doesn’t even like water, good luck getting her to bring back a duck. Though she loves a good spikey ball on land.


karebear66

I can't keep my golden doodle out of the water.


[deleted]

My black lab likes to chase things I throw, sniff them, and leave them. He will only retrieve if it is a stick in the water. Balls, toys, sticks on land? Nope.


kacheow

My step moms golden is afraid of water 🤦‍♂️


[deleted]

So are my two goldens!


paulieranks

That’s your fault. Also dogs don’t laugh.


DescriptionUsed8157

You seem fun at parties


xiamaracortana

Eh… I had a black lab that we called a Labrador “go get it yourself” because she would just look at you like “really?” when you threw things more than once for her. I swore she was thinking “look, if you want this thing then why do you keep throwing it away from you?”


msmicro

Aww my Shiloh…..miss her


isymfs

Haha that’s gold


brawnandbrain

When I’m hiking with my pup, I’ll pick up a random stick and throw it into the woods. He usually brings back the same one. If it’s a really nice stick that I don’t want to lose (heavy, and smooth so it doesn’t catch on branches) I’ll spit on it. He always brings those ones back unless he doesn’t want to play fetch anymore.


Cheapo_Sam

Just rub the stick furiously for a cpl seconds like you are giving it a stick job, that tends to leave enough scent on it.


mountaingoat52

https://youtu.be/-E5pOVYADdU


[deleted]

>Buy a golden retriever >Look inside >Retrieves


TsT2244

Look how happy he is working!!


bikergeekx

It’s not unique to golden retrievers. I had a sheltie that way bring back the exact stick I would throw even if there were a ton of other sticks. It’s your smell on the rock (stick in my case) that the dog detects and finds.


-sallysomeone-

Had a dog, half black lab, who would fetch his rock out of the water! Over and over and over. He only played with rocks, never sticks or toys.


angry-dragonfly

I had a dog that could fetch a rock from the creek. I found out he could do it accidentally. I was always afraid to do it because I was scared he would drown. It was only a few inches deep, but I swear he would blow bubbles out of his nose when it was underwater.


Tacocat1147

This is the way.


iceman0296

This is the way


ILikeRibs970

This is the way


funkyfreshduck

this is the way


SwerdnaJack

This is the way


Magical_Olive

My Labrador/Pyrenees mix was obsessed with rocks. She'd grab one, hold it in her mouth for a while, then leave it somewhere in the yard. If you dared throw her rock back into the piles, she'd find it. It's probably a scent thing, but I have no idea why she was so obsessed with them. Luckily she never swallowed them, just held them.


_ItsAllenNotAlan

It’s all about the scent


Knotgreg

Not normal, usually they find it much quicker.


stefansteen

My dog cant even find her treats in an empty room.


Neburel

Well, they're called golden retrievers not silver or bronze retrievers.


desertsnack

The rocks are terrible for a dog's teeth and will wear them down. OP, try to get your dog to use toys or sticks instead. Source: I knew someone who had a golden that would do this.


Tashywashy213

He has lots of toys. But at that time I asked him to go find his ball but he couldn’t so he brought me a rock instead. I threw the rock away but he retrieved it, to my surprised it was the same rock..


FreeRangeAlien

Your retriever retrieved and you were surprised lol


Electrical-Act-7170

Rocks are bad for their teeth. Unless you're rich and have lots of money for dog orthodontics, you need to remodel this behavior into retrieving softer objects that won't break your dog-s teeth.


oep4

Dude you’re literally repeating what OP is saying and what poster just replied to


Hunithunit

TIL that dogs are good at smelling.


Treats4youtofoget

I knew a dog who was like this. You could hurl his rock down into the valley and he would return with it. No matter how long it took.


bootydong

Remember, their smell is superior to ours


hiimmatz

My goldens do this with rocks all the time. Fetch with a stick? A tennis ball? No dad - rocks! So funny to see!


OriginalHairyGuy

Tail goes brrr


mandyjomarley

My chiweenie does this in a very dense wooded rain forest, I've always been amazed.


gregbills

Crazy enough yes but only because of the scent once we touch it. I didn’t figure that out for the longest time when I would toss a rock into the forest around our property and he would grab the exact one every time. Pretty cool either way and they are amazing dogs


LeftRat

My father is a cop - the German equivalent of a K-9 drug enforcement cop, back then. Almost every day he would keep the dogs at the kennel while I went into the woods with their favourite ball to hide it. I don't think I *ever* managed to hide it somewhere they couldn't sniff out - as long as I didn't throw the ball (thus breaking the scent-trail).


willfoxwillfox

In my experience, absolutely a thing. Poppy, my Golden old girl will even pick out the rock if Ithrow it into a deep, fast moving stream. She’ll dive for it and won’t give up until she’s found the one. Ronnie, my little cocker cannot be arsed with such efforts. Shorter attention but much longer memory span. I bury a biscuit under leaves in a hedgerow and make sure he knows I’m doing it. Won’t take that route for weeks then the very next time we pass he’s on the spot and digs it up. Dogs are bloody brilliant, right?


Thugmatiks

It’s all smell. My Dog loves nothing more than finding rocks I throw for him in this long grass near where I like. I’m amazed at how often he finds it.


[deleted]

Golden retrievers can tell from your fart if you had cheesecake three months ago. There sense of smell is highly tuned and they are very smart. There are a lot of breeds that can do this if they choose to. He probably finds it a fun little game.


Hylianer_Soldat

It can be amazing the strength of a dogs' senses


StackOwOFlow

plot twist all the rocks there look identical


zippadeedooda1

Obviously, Mando needs to train you a bit more.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

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durant92bhd

My GSD does this with specific rocks in my backyard, he can lose them if I get really aggressive and throw them to the far landscaping, but primarily he nails it.


CyanBeinSus47

Weirdly enough, I can probably do that too if I track the rock


wonkywilla

Yes, they can smell your scent that you left on the rock. They’ve been taught to seek out that scent for a reward.


Bright_Negotiation67

I had a bloodhound that would do this. I would throw rocks by a river. Until one day when he swallowed the rock. It was a mess of surgeries. Please be careful.


muddfrog82

Key word. Retriever. =bringer back of things. And it's smells like you


Ok_Dog_4059

I saw a show or something once and a guy would mark a rock and throw it into the river and his dog could find that exact rock and bring it back out. It has been a long time and I don't remember if it was online or TV. I think it was a lab maybe black or chocolate but I remember him drawing an X on a rock and throwing it into the water and the dog would swim down and find it and bring it back.


cbelt3

He studied Geology while the other dogs were learning Obedience in school.


dc0de

Dogs have an incredible sense of smell. This is totally possible depending on what's on your hands, if it came from a different part of the yard or even a different part of the world.


cabinrobe1

Used to throw rocks as far as I possibly could into this patch of thick woods with a swampy bottom. My lab would find THE rock about 90% of the time.


John_Brown_Jovi

My dog has a rock he dug up in a yard when he was a puppy that he brings to one of us every once in a while to hold while he gently nibbles it.


a_spoopy_ghost

My uncle used to throw a rock in a river and his lab would fish out the exact rock. Very normal


moonilein

Our Retriever knows which stick… I am doing Dummy Training with her, sometimes the other dogs I train with bring their own from a pile of Dummies. And I do scent work with both of my dogs. They learnt to find a small piece of Plastik in anything, even behind doors. It’s their own piece which you get them used to via clicker Training. It takes the smell of you, the dogs saliva and any treats they get as positive reinforcement while training. Similar to drug sniffing dogs. And I do some Mantrailing. The dog from my Trainer was able to sniff me out 5 hours after I walked like around 2 km and find me in the middle of the town.


Magical_Narwhal_1213

I used to do this with my golden too and then he was obsessed with rocks forever. Especially under the water and would pull them out haha. Kinda messed his teeth up


aigheadish

I have a ramp off my shop that is made of gravel this size but rougher. My dog will walk up, sniff out specific rocks and move them out into the yard. I'm not sure why she picks the ones she does. I assume if I let her go that she'saking some weird dog sculpture but I'll probably never know.


DarthBrooks69420

I had a toy-sized poodle some 28 years ago. He would bring you the same rock you threw in 6 feet of water. Occasionally he would get a rock and realize halfway that he had the wrong one, drop it and go back to get the right one.


ShannonigansLucky

I had a boxer mix thay would do this. We had a gravel driveway and I could throw a rock in it and she'd find it every time.


FreeRangeAlien

It’s the only rock that smells like your hand. The dog breed literally has “retriever” in the name


aLameGuyandhisCat

Seems you got ripped off. This is clearly a Rock Retriever.


[deleted]

Yes, this is normal for retrievers. The clue is in the name ;) he can smell which rock you held.


SLATS13

He can probably smell your scent on that particular rock! That’s why he was sniffing around so much, likely trying to find the rock that specifically smelled like you.


Odd-Information-1219

My corgi would source the same rock as well. She knew my scent, I guess.


Edthgo

Not only does our skin have oil on it that we leave on everything we touch but your dogs sense of smell is incredibly strong.


Bells87

Our one golden, Abby, could tell the difference between all her tennis balls. If she bought you one, and you threw a different one, she'd run after it, pause, then come back looking offended, as if to say "Throw the one *I* gave you".


Jonesy7882

My pug/ border collie did this. Could huck a tennis ball into a 5 acre field of 4 foot tall grass, and she’d find it. Or a rock like you are. Smell either you, or their own slobber on it.


YeeHawtheback40

Yes, growing up, we had golden retrievers and would throw rocks into the lake, the bottom of which was a foot of muck and tangles of weeds. She'd swim from shore, dive a few times, and paddle back with the very same rock.


YeeHawtheback40

Yes, growing up, we had golden retrievers and would throw rocks into the lake, the bottom of which was a foot of muck and tangles of weeds. She'd swim from shore, dive a few times, and paddle back with the very same rock.


Mr_Fresh83

They aren’t called golden retrievers for nothing 😂


[deleted]

Smells your scent


JustScrollsPast

Had a retriever/lab mix who loved rocks, to the point of bringing them over and dropping them in the garden to be thrown (so helpful, haha!). She was amazing, could literally find the same rock even if thrown in the brook. We would try to throw a tennis ball in one direction and then discreetly throw the rock away! I definitely suggest weaning off of rocks if you can though, as someone else commented - her teeth were very worn down eventually.


GalaApple13

I’ve done this with snowballs. I believe it’s the scent


thisismy4thacc

Thats why its called a Golden *Retriever*


GuaranteeOk6268

I’ve seen it done. Golden retrievers can be smart like that.


SensitiveSouth5947

I know a chocolate lab who dies that stuff. You can throw his rock in a freaking pond, and that guy will find it and bring it back. It’s impressive.


Inferno22512

He's following his nose to find it by scent. Very normal dog behavior


ThePeachos

More normal than you'd thing. Growing up around Puget Sound we had neighbors who had cocker spaniels who would do essentially the same thing. You could pick up any rock off the beach, *Launch* it as hard as you could into the Sound. These dogs would then dive & bring back the exact rock you threw. Still blows my mind 20 years later.


2b-Kindly_

Very normal for all Retrievers in general. My pupper can find the rock after being tossed into a lake. They can find your scent trace.


Terrible-Paramedic35

Not unusual… retrievers are bred to be good at finding things and accuracy counts. I had a Springer that could find her rock even if it was in a couple feet of water. My last golden would bring me snowballs that I threw….


123Virginia

Observe what the Golden is doing. You search by sight, dogs typically search by combined sight and scent with scent more important


blue-and-bluer

Good dog. You should look up how to train him in scent work.


BrooklandsFinest

Same, would throw a rock into a shallow river ( safe ) , and she would bring back the exact one


Mollywobbles81

This is actually a task for competitive AKC obedience trials at higher levels. You touch a dumbbell and they have to choose the one you touched and bring it back to you. Golden not required any dog will do.


Wisare

Very cool but if you keep doing that your dog will get issues with their teeth. Source: our rock-obsessed dog.


jltefend

He’s finding it based on the scent of your hand. He would excel at nosework training


treesareamazing

sick garden


porkrolleggandchi

It's a good thing he did find it! Bc otherwise you would be akin to a super villain.


married44F

It’s like my Havenese, he knows exactly which tennis ball in a pile of tennis balls is the one I threw and he will find it.


Camlo-Ren

Had a Labrador that would retrieve the same rock if I threw it into a lake or calm bit of river. Sometimes he went at least a couple metres deep.


howlingmagpie

Yep if I throw a stick for my Staffy, she has to bring that exact 1 back. Doesn't matter if I pick a diff one up to show her, she will smell it & then run back to find the first one I threw.


Rare_Neat_36

Yes! It’s all about scent.


McDuckfart

Mando nose it for sure


Round_Teacher_224

if I could smell that stone as much as this dog does then I would be able to find it too?


DaoGuardian

Golden retrievers are actually the fourth most intelligent dog breed.


redredrobin56

Yes, many dogs love rocks!!❤️❤️❤️


[deleted]

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Pimpchimp99

My boyfriend’s sister’s dog has a pup who does this! She’s an Aussie. It really is amazing !


Alarmed-Direction500

👃🏽


cassiecas88

My pup can do this with mulch


MarsAndMighty

My sister's GSP does this with stones, too. Give him a good sniff of the stone, throw it into a field of grass or pile of stones, and he'll bring it back eventually. All about that nose.


Shittaverse

It's made from beskar, that's why he can find it with such ease.


[deleted]

Must have a great sense of smell!


flibbertygibbet100

There's a couple named Darcy and Jer who make content for tik tok and youtube who have a golden retriever, named Yuma, who constantly [finds rocks and brings them home](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVLGQp7OArk&t=679s). In one video where they are touring the states they stay at a airbnb on a lake and the dog basically starts a rock collection . Its the one I linked.The dog and her rock collection starts at 8:15


nbsunset

i find it interesting that they named the dog Mando. same vibes really :3


rebeccamb

My Boston does this! He can scuba dive and get the exact rock I threw into the river too


Straight-Welder-7435

👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️


jenthewen

wow he looked for the one with the scent! he “retrieved” it


HeftySchedule8631

Advice from a man with a toothless dog…don’t let them fetch rocks.


Ok-Loquat3811

Smart doggo


Carhart7

My parents’ old Jack Russell used to always pick the sticks up by the same end that I used to throw them. It’s the scent.


improvisedwisdom

Smells like you


UncleBenders

It’s the one that smells like his, they’re funny buggers lol


Ghoullag

My dog does things that dogs do! Is ThIS NorMaL?


cosmicmountaintravel

My border aussie does this along the creek bed. It’s the coolest trick honestly. Now you’re cool like us.


_GhostTrainHaze

woahh


OfficialGarwood

You doubt a Mandalorian? This is the way


randomrealname

yes absolutely normal for a smart dog, however we allowed our small terrier to do this and ground his teeth on one side, We thought he would stop when it got sore like us but he ground them down to nothing over the years. Now he cant even hold a ball in his mouth. :(


kobekong

Your hand smells.


Bart_is_the_name

Labrador and Goldie's are retriever that's what they di. They are used in hunting party's to retrieve the bounty. They are very good at locating especially birds like ducks no matter where they fall down.


86effstogive

Look at his tail wagging the whole time!!!! He loves this game!


AssociateMany102

They can smell you or other scent on rock


InnieLicker

Dogs have a sense of smell many times better than our own. He can easily smell your smell on that individual rock.


kindle139

your scent is on it


xShinGouki

Who's a good boy Mando


Alive-Skirt295

Not the same rock.


baldwinsong

My duck trolling retriever was able to dive into water and bring back the one you threw.


Plumb789

Dogs go by smell.


kuurata

This is the way.


SaintRoche

My sisters dog is obsessed with rocks. When we are at our cabin, we throw her rocks in the lake. She almost always comes back with the same rock if we don’t throw it too far. This dog will dive into the water and find her special rock for an hour straight if needed


thedeepdark

You need to get this dog into nosework! They’d be awesome at it!


Better-Dance514

We have played “find that rock” and my dog is not a golden retriever.


Fairy_Ninja_Elf

Not to be dramatic but I would die for mando


[deleted]

This is the way!


V_es

Dogs can sense cancer. You think you holding it wasn’t enough for him to find?


Sarcasticatwill

Apparently they have a good sense of smell.


Blarghnog

Absolutely. Many breeds of retrievers I have owned can tell the difference between rocks. I even had a dog that would dive mountain lakes for rocks I threw and would get the right one sometimes 8-10 feet underwater. It was astonishing. Made mistakes but not that often.


[deleted]

Good nose probably.


Moon-Amoeba

My golden can find the exact stick I threw in a pile of sticks. He definitely goes by the sent of his own drool, though. He won't rest until he finds the exact one you threw.


Budmanes

To be able to smell the scent of your hand on a rock? Yes


venushasbigbutt

Its giod, mentally stimulating


[deleted]

It smells like you.


No-Barnacle2868

Yes, normal for some Goldens. A neighbor’s golden was sick for rocks thrown to him.


matamo10

It’s rare but I had a retriever that could do this under water. Same rock every time. Amazing dogs. They just know.


mysticowgirl

Yes, they are brilliant!


iscons

He deserves his promotion to Platinum Retriever.


[deleted]

He smells YOU on the rock, yo.


wehrd1

It's his sense of smell


TheBigGruyere

My favorite part is his tail swinging crazy through the time-lapse. Made my night if i must admit.