Napoleon Dynamite Inspired Dog Names

Napoleon Dynamite doesn't actually have any dogs in it, however, there are some rather impressive pooches out there who share names with some of the film's main characters. Take Rico, for example, a Border Collie from Dortmund, Germany. Unlike Uncle Rico from the film, who is a washed-up has-been that still lives in his glory days of high school football, Rico the dog was one of the smartest pooches on record being the subject of multiple studies!

To prove his incredible intelligence, Rico could accurately fetch up to 200 toys and objects by name. Where things really got amazing was in Rico's ability to distinguish objects that he didn't already know by mentally eliminating the toys he was familiar with. This means when asked to retrieve something he'd never seen before, Rico could find the object by ruling out the things he did know. 

The ability to problem solve in this manner proves that dogs are far smarter than many throughout scientific history have guessed. In fact, puppers like Rico are estimated to have intelligence levels rivaling parrots, dolphins, and even apes! When it comes to anticipating what humans want from them, canines out-performed chimpanzees in research studies - especially those that offered food as the reward!

If you're still not quite sure just how clever our four-legged buddies really are, just look at Rex. In the film, Rex is a macho-man who offers fighting classes to the general public. In real life, Rex was a hero dog who served in the US military for many years as a bomb-sniffer. In addition to finding explosives before it was too late, Rex also was a fully-trained attack dog able to guard his human troops at all costs. Though he passed away some years ago, he was able to live out his last days with his long-time handler, Megan Leavey. The pair's life story was immortalized recently in a film named after Megan, so if you're wanting more about their adventures - be sure to check it out!

When we look at our furry pals, they really can be a source of inspiration. Dogs have incredible drive and unbreakable loyalty. If we compare that with many humans, our canine buddies set the standard by far! That is why it is extra heartbreaking when these intelligent beings end up in shelters across the nation. Each pup deserves the chance to prove just how amazing they are to humankind. We recommend heading to your local shelter to see just how impressive these pooches can be for yourself!