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Like if it gets wrapped around a pole or tree, every dog I have walked with so far didn't understand the concept of going back to untangle the leash again and just keep moving forward instead. It seems like a pretty obvious thing to do, is it normal for dogs to not get it?
Dogs did not invent the leash. Nor did they chose to be on one. Why would you expect them to understand how a leash works and how to untangle one?
Now if a man or woman did not know how to untangle a leash; then I'd concede that they had a problem.
If they could figure out how to un-do that they might be able to figure out how to use a door knob or gate latch.
Why are you shocked that dogs lack the abstract reasoning power necessary to analyse the problem and figure out how to resolve it? Are you one of those daft people who believes dogs are four-legged humans in furry coats?
ALERT: we could have a confirmation bias problem here.
"The dogs that DO get it, never wind themselves up in the first place."
This is a tough hypothesis to disprove empirically. Perhaps these dogs simply wish to avoid the displeasure of tangled dogs they see on the street. However, the smartest breeds (German Shepherd, Border Collies) do seem to have limited abstract abilities. For example, they will look thru the crack between a door and the casing to see if the dead bolt latch is thrown.
I've never owned a dog, and don't expect much from them. But, humans that fail to look for contraindications and logical fallacies don't deserve much more than they give their dogs.
i walk in the woods with the dingo quite a bit on a 25 foot retract-o-leash
hes figured out how to make his way through the trees with me and unwind himself when he goes the wrong way around somethin
if hes out in the yard alone on a line he does seem to find any way possible to tangle himself up though
once he is tangled he just sits & waits for me though he dont freak out or make it worse