Haha, your complaint might be timeless — but dogs acting "stupid" is nothing new. History's full of canine mischief!

Ancient Mesopotamia (c. 2000 BCE) – In the Instructions of Shuruppak, a Sumerian wisdom text, dogs are listed among the loud, unruly animals that disturb the household. Even back then, they were apparently barking at shadows and chasing invisible spirits.

Classical Greece (c. 5th century BCE) – Xenophon’s Cynegeticus (On Hunting) praises dogs, but even he warns of “the foolish ones” who lose the scent or bark at trees instead of game. Nature's derpy hunting partners.

Medieval Europe (12th century) – In The Book of the Hunt by Gaston Phébus, some hounds are dismissed as “useless and scatterbrained,” including those who chase butterflies instead of boars.

Victorian England (1851) – Queen Victoria’s diary describes her beloved spaniel Dash jumping into a fountain during a formal event. Not quite the royal etiquette expected.

Early 20th Century (1910s) – In Jack London's Call of the Wild, some sled dogs, especially the pampered ones, are depicted as completely unfit for survival — one even tries to eat the sled harness.

So maybe dogs aren’t getting dumber. They've just always had their goofy side. Maybe we're just noticing it more now that they’re not chasing wolves or pulling sleds.