I think dogs are capable of complex thoughts..... one example: The Kong... Sasha loves it, but she has learned that if she throws the Kong up in the air, sometimes a treat will fall out when it hits the floor... it's quite entertaining to watch. She will growl and grumble at the Kong if the treats don't fall out right away, so she will keep bouncing it around until she succeeds. After which she will be totally exhausted...