Posted on 02/07/2013 8:02:45 PM PST by Altariel
Just about every dog owner is convinced their dog is a genius. For a long time, scientists did not take their pronouncements particularly seriously, but new research suggests that canines are indeed quite bright, and in some ways unique. Brian Hare, an associate professor in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University, is one of the leading figures in the quest to understand what dogs know. The founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Center, Hare has now written a book, “The Genius of Dogs,” with his wife, the journalist Vanessa Woods. Hare answered questions from Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook.
(Excerpt) Read more at scientificamerican.com ...
My dog is (well, was) smarter than YOURS Doggie Ping!
I have long believed in the wisdom of the noble Basset Hound. (as there is no such thing as in ignoble Basset Hound...)
When you step on your ears, your junk drags in the dirt and your every utterance looks like a painful experience, God must have given you a lot of smarts to compensate ;)
I have two dachshunds and they are not Mensa material.
We are rank with coyotes at present here. They are the toughest animal to trap or snare; more leery and better nose than even bobcats.
I have a friend who has mastered calling and has shot about 70 so far this year, of which about a dozen had good pelts.
They are the crazy bikers of the dog world...
Neither is this guy. (Dog and a stick and a door)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=TMQ3aj8rSqE&feature=fvwp
“crazy bikers of the dog world”
I never looked at it that way...but it’s the truth!!
Our Bichon Frise is a great dog EXCEPT you have to keep him out of the cat’s litter box. He thinks its a lunch wagon. Yuckkkkkk!!
Ya I think they do shots before they set out on an evening of fun...
My Shepherd is not the brightest bulb. Oh, she’s bright in a few things, but clueless about sounds, smells - things dogs should be paying attention to. Mostly she uses her eyes even with obvious sounds!
My last GS, though - THAT dog was brilliant. And everything else good a dog could be.
My sister in law wanted to adopt a cat from the local shelter. My wife and I tagged along. Long story short, the wife and I came home with a Lab-Doberman-Grayhound mongrel puppy, our 1st dog. We named him “Caesar”.
Piece of Cake. Learned his name by day 2. House trained by day 7. As the months went by, he learned our names, the names of specific toys, the names of the 2 cats and could process simple sentences, such as “Get the rope Toy and take it to Debbie.”
He understood gestures, such as pointing, to direct his attention.
Mind you, I never had a dog before, so I thought this was typical.
We loved that dog for 13 years, and after the passed, it took several year before I could consider
Having another dog.
24 months ago, my wife came home with two rescue dogs, pit-bull mix sisters.
They are as dumb as a box of rocks.
Smart dog w/coyote.
The trifecta.
The rest ranged from trainable to "do not leave out in rain".
All of them however were good natured dogs, even the two that we were told were "mean".
When Odin was 3 months old, he learned to sit, down, give paw/give other paw in 15 minutes including memorizing the hand signals for each, as well.
Don’t even need to give verbal commands.
The hand signals then morphed into such sutble, nearly invisible motions that it freaks people out because they think he’s reading my mind.
:)
“do not leave out in rain”.
LOL
Maybe they should join a new club I'm starting for my dachshund. I'm going to call it "Densa".
Absolutely a hat trick!!!
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