Mon Cher Ami Pet Shop/FacebookA very smart, very good dog, always brings a leaf so he can ‘buy’ himself treats at a store.
Dogs are very fast learners, and one adorable black canine who lives on the campus of Colombia’s Diversified Technical Education Institute of Monterrey Casanare quickly picked up on the fact, in order to get your hands on some goods, you need to exchange something for them.
Of course, because life isn’t a Disney film, it’s difficult for dogs to go out and earn themselves a wage, but this particular pup didn’t let his lack of money stop him from trying to purchase treats.
According to The Dodo, the dog has resided on the campus for the last five years or so, keeping the students company as they go about their day, being cared for by the school’s faculty, who give him food, water, lots of love and attention, as well as a safe place to sleep.
While being taken care of is of course a luxury, the very good boy still wants to pay his way, and after paying close attention to the students, he’s learned just how to do so.
Not long after making the school his home, the pooch became aware of a small shop on campus, where people would go and buy things on their breaks.
If he was lucky, the pup would sometimes be treated to cookies by the students.
After studying their behaviour the dog decided to buy something of his own, so he grabbed a leaf to use as a form of payment and approached the counter to buy himself some cookies.
Speaking to The Dodo, teacher Angela Garcia Bernal explained:
He would go to the store and watch the children give money and receive something in exchange.
Then one day, spontaneous, he appeared with a leaf in his mouth, wagging his tail and letting it be known that he wanted a cookie. [sic]
Now, if a human attempted to buy cookies with a leaf, they probably wouldn’t have much luck, but thanks to his puppy dog eyes and wagging tail, the lovely boy was rewarded with his treat.
Thanks to dogs’ aforementioned ability to learn quickly, the pooch soon realised he’d struck gold. Well, green.
For him, money really does grow on trees, and as long as he always had a leaf to pay with, he’d have an endless supply of cookies.
Gladys Barreto, who’s worked at the store for a long time, described how the pup has become a regular customer:
He comes for cookies every day. He always pays with a leaf. It is his daily purchase.
The seasons must have a big affect on the doggo’s ability to shop. In autumn he could quite literally be rolling in cookies, but once winter comes along, he might be starved of his treats. I can just imagine him staring longingly at the trees, hoping for a leaf to fall.
While they always want to reward the dog’s clever actions, staff at the store make sure to only give him a couple of treats a day to keep his waistline in check – and the biscuits are always dog friendly.
Angela added:
When you first see it, you almost want to cry. He’s found a way to make himself understood. He’s very intelligent.
What a smart boy!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.