Chapter 129: Splendid Appearance

It must be said that the Xingrong residential community had gone to great lengths to "test" Zhang Congwen and his team. The first dog they arranged was truly a perplexing case.

When Zhang Congwen and his team arrived at the owner's home, the woman was trying to play with her mixed-breed dog, a cross between a local dog and a Spitz. However, no matter how she tried to entice it, the dog remained unresponsive, lying on the floor in a listless heap. It was only upon seeing Zhang Congwen and his group enter that the dog seemed to perk up, greeting them with unexpected enthusiasm.

Seeing them arrive, the owner immediately voiced her concerns, asking Zhang Congwen if her dog was suffering from depression.

Zhang Congwen denied it without a second thought. "No. Animals are much like humans; their symptoms when depressed are quite similar. For instance, depression often leads to emotional instability, mood swings, or even aggression. But your dog just lies there motionless, so it is unlikely to be depression."

He then listed the typical signs of depression in dogs:
First, a tendency to bite or chew on everything, showing aggression.
Second, a refusal to make eye contact with the owner, or even avoiding them entirely.
Third, displaying signs of separation anxiety when the owner leaves.
Fourth, frequent barking.
Fifth, a lack of appetite.
Sixth, a refusal to go for walks.
Seventh, lethargy.
Eighth, sluggish reactions.

"Which of these do you feel your dog exhibits?" Zhang asked.

The owner realized that her dog didn't really match any of the eight points. Only the second and seventh points seemed somewhat relevant, but even those didn't quite fit. While the dog usually ignored her, it never actively avoided eye contact. As for the lethargy, it was more that the dog enjoyed zoning out on the floor, not actual sleepiness.

Realizing this, the owner’s expression softened, and the weight on her heart lifted. Yet, she was immediately filled with more confusion. If it wasn't depression, why had her dog become like this?

While Zhang Congwen was pondering this, the dog suddenly stood up and looked out the window. With its front paws on the sill and its wet nose pressed against the glass, it left a small smudge.

Since the apartment was on the second floor, the view outside was clear. Zhang Congwen looked out and saw someone walking a dog. He had a sudden realization. He glanced at the pile of toys the owner had left on the floor earlier and said to Song Jiawei, "Fatty, go get the dog toys from our car. The puzzle ones."

"Got it!" Song Jiawei replied and dashed downstairs.

Moments later, he returned with several toys, the largest of which looked like a tray. It had many small compartments covered by sliding lids—a classic enrichment puzzle for pets.

Enrichment is a technical term that, as the name implies, means "enriching the content." Regardless of the species, life in captivity is often monotonous and lacks the stimulation required to meet an animal's physiological or psychological needs. Enrichment is designed to compensate for this, making the animal's life more varied and stimulating.

Zhang Congwen placed the tray-shaped toy on the floor and waited. At first, the dog looked at the toy with confusion, unsure of its purpose. It stood still, staring at the strange object without moving.

Seeing this, Zhang Congwen used a high-pitched, cutesy voice to call out, "Songsong, come see what this is!" He tapped the toy with his finger as he spoke.

Song Jiawei, standing nearby, shivered and muttered that it was disgusting. Zhang Congwen glared at him and ignored him. It must be said that not only do humans enjoy that cutesy tone, but animals do too.

Enticed by Zhang’s "disgusting" voice, the dog immediately trotted over to the toy and began sniffing it. As soon as its nose touched the tray, Zhang fed it a treat. The dog was remarkably clever; it understood the rules of the game after just one try. Without waiting for a prompt, it touched the toy again with its paw, and Zhang rewarded it with another treat.

The owner looked on in disbelief. "I’ve tried playing with toys with it before, and it never pays any attention. How did you do that? How did you get it to play?"

Zhang Congwen explained, "Every dog has its own personality, and they all have different preferences. It seems this dog doesn't like the toys you provided. Those might have been too simple or boring for it. It prefers games that require thought. For some dogs, playing is just about burning off energy, but for this one, it seems to enjoy the sense of accomplishment. This kind of game is much more interesting for it."

Before he could finish, the dog was already tapping Zhang’s hand with its front paw, clearly asking him to keep playing.

Zhang Congwen didn't refuse the invitation. This time, however, he increased the difficulty. He placed a treat into a groove and covered it with a sliding lid. The dog had to move the lid with its paw to reach the snack. The dog understood the mechanism instantly, nudging the lid aside to get the treat.

Seeing this, Zhang increased the difficulty further. He placed a treat in a groove but covered it with several sliding lids. To get the reward, the dog had to push aside the extra lids before it could open the one covering the treat. While simple for a human, it was a significant step up for a dog.

The dog thought for a few seconds and then went to work. In less than a minute, it had successfully navigated the puzzle and retrieved the treat.

"Good job, Songsong!" Zhang Congwen praised with a genuine smile.

The dog panted, its tail wagging. It was clear the dog was having a wonderful time; its eyes were bright with anticipation. The owner stood by, her mouth agape in surprise. Since she had brought the dog home, she had never seen it this happy or willing to interact with anyone.

Zhang Congwen seemed determined to challenge the dog. Seeing that the puzzle didn't stump it, he swapped it for another toy—a bell that, when pressed, would dispense a treat. The dog learned quickly, eating three treats in less than a minute. Zhang then upped the ante again, placing both the bell and the puzzle toy together, requiring the dog to interact with both before receiving a reward.