They sure are. I always thought dogs weren't that smart, but after having my rott/beagle for 2 years I'm convinced they are smarter than a lot of humans I know. I'm still not a big dog fan, but I swear my rott/beagle can comunicate like Lassie. I think he's fascinating, the way he thinks and communicates with us. It's almost as skilled as a mute person. My bull dog is still a dumphy idiot, though.