Well, my coonhound wasn't so darned smart: he left the fridge door open every time he raided it! ;) And when he stole the cans of cat food, he'd leave the chewed-on remnants all over the back yard. He also liked going to the vet, and couldn't drive the truck worth a darned. He switched the ignition off once while we were at a stoplight. (I actually think Kirby was brilliant.) 

A couple of my cats have been pretty good at figuring things out, like using paws to get that last bit of yummy from the bottom of the jar. They'd still rather have me do things for them, though. Just let the litterbox get too stinky, and you'll find out just how communicative a cat can get. LOL 

A good indication of the different focus cats and dogs have: point at something. A dog will look toward what you're pointing at. A cat will sniff your finger.