Skidboot.

(YouTube link)

When I came across this, I thought no way do I have time to watch an eight and a half minute segment. But I did, because its a great story about Skidboot, the dog who can understand English. Hit play or go to YouTube. -via Arbroath


Ohhh, that was so cute, what a good doogie. And I have a confession to make: that video left me -utterly- touched and all choked up.

I am cornball, hear me sniffle!
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"Um no, we aren’t all people. Skidboot is a dog. I’m a human. And you’re an idiot."

Wow, what a jerk. He's the idiot for assuming that humans aren't also animals.
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After I watched this I was almost crying (because honestly, the whole going-blind thing thrown in the middle completely threw me off) and my coonhound came over and put her paw on my leg...

Apparently more than one dog can understand people.
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Was nobody but me bothered by the fact that all of these "tricks" consisted of the dog doing something and THEN his owner said the command AFTER the dog started?

Well trained owner.
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Kyle, talk to Satan often?

toobdiks, maybe your computer screws up the audio in the video, giving it a delay.. Otherwise you just aren't watching close enough. The dog has been on national TV on more than one occasion. I don't think that something like that could slip by a national audiance. I don't think a guy like that would be improve the dogs movement as tricks that quickly... He doesn't seem like he's the brightest crayon in the box...
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An important thing to note is that this dog was considered to be a nuisance until one person figured him out. I had a foster dog last week who was a nightmare for me because I was not set up properly to deal with him. Our rescue found another foster volunteer to take him & he's doing very well with her.

No Bad Dogs!
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Geez. I couldn't find the interesting stuff; the rest was so cloying. Yes, the announcer sounds like Satan from South Park.

No, we are not all the same inside. If we were, we'd be transplanting dog organs into humans by now.

Dogs aren't people; dogs are dogs. It's great to have a pet, and to love your pet, but let's not anthropomorphize them into something they're not.

Yes, humans are a type of animal. But that doesn't automatically make animals people.
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Dog are dogs. People are people. Dogs are people. People are dogs. Get it? Animals don't even come into it.
What kind of stupid name is 'skidboot' anyway? Who would call a person that? It seems a shame that the only dog that can understand English is given such a stupid name. Poor little fella.
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I actually suffer from caninisitous which means that I am slowly becoming more and more like a dog. It is insensitive people like Daniel that make my life hell.

I am dogman hear me roar. I mean bark.
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What a nice story. I thought the guy was very good as well - I enjoyed his philosophizing - I thought it gave the whole piece an extra dimension that was very nice.
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I can't believe how insensitive some people can be. This story was a wonderful example of devotion and love. Animals are so smart, it is the human that is dumb. Dogs give love unconditionally, even when abused. We have a 20 year old Blue Point Siamese cat that is unbelievably smart and no, we didn't beat it to train it. The story touched our hearts and we all shed tears in our household.
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I loved the clip - when I get home from work I am going to give both my dogs a big squeeze!!! I guess it just goes to show that dogs have great potential, and we as dog owners should appreciate them and encourage them. They're more like kids than you think!!
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YAY for Skidboot !!!!!

BOOOO for all you hatin' bitches.

And 23. Jeff .... you're an idiot. I'm sure you'd learn some tricks if someone beat the shit out of you, you asswipe.
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Skidboot is a bright bright dog. And David is the kind of country Texan that you fall in love with the minute you meet him. Skidboot knows that too.
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I've once or twice dog-sat for people who had never bothered to talk to or try to train their dogs. Stupid people. I've never had a stupid dog, they've all behaved better than my children. My dog understands english perfectly well, Thank you.
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hey 'daniel' (oct 25 entry), DUH. a skidboot is a piece of equipment used on western show horses, whose fetlocks are vulnerable to burns if they stop too hard. (stopping hard is a Good thing.) skidboot is a darling and appropriate name for a dog who lives in texas, the heart of quarter horse country.
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Why are people so angry? I had the pleasure of meeting Skidboot and David, and it was a real treat to see them work together!! I agree with the other comment, David is a person you instantly like. His wife is lucky to have him. I also saw David on Pet Star with his trained horse and you know what, He and the horse were having fun that's what it is all about. Don't be jealous that Skidboot gets more action than you!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDNl3Z87ylg

We were not ready to start our blog just yet but this needed to be mentioned. Skidboot, an amazing dog, has left us. This was an outstanding example of the relationship between owner and dog that faced many an issue and overcame them through effort.
We have put together a brief tribute to Skidboot and David named “Skidboot Has Left Us” on YouTube along with a link to the Texas Country Reporter segment.

Skidboot was neither a Briard (a herding dog of French origin) nor a Gordon setter (a birddog) that we will be writing about in our blog. He and David are an excellent example of that wide and diverse world of partnerships between man and dog that we will also explore.

I first met Skidboot and David at the State Fair of Texas in the late 90’s. It was amazing even then to see the close partnership between them even then. I remember last fall when their story seemed to be everywhere on the internet as well as TV. One of the best segments was the Texas Country Reporter piece by Bob Phillips .They appeared with Leno, Letterman, Oprah and many others. Internet hits were over four million.

The segment points out how Skidboot was not an easy dog to handle in the beginning (a trait that can also be found in both Briards and Gordons). It took work on David’s part to bring out the best in Skidboot. The segment also pointed out that the dog was going blind and the future was uncertain. Monday (3/26/07) David was talking to one of the Dallas radio folks with his “bittersweet news” – Skidboot was dead but now he could see and frolic with the likes of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin.

David will not be alone in missing his partner, Skidboot - millions of others will also!

Tom
BriardsTexas
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