The Daily Yap....News for Dogs....

ScienceDaily (Aug. 10, 2009) — Although you wouldn't want one to balance your checkbook, dogs can count.

They can also understand more than 150 words and intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats, according to psychologist and leading canine researcher Stanley Coren, PhD, of the University of British Columbia. He spoke Saturday on the topic "How Dogs Think" at the American Psychological Association's 117th Annual Convention.
Coren, author of more than a half-dozen popular books on dogs and dog behavior, has reviewed numerous studies to conclude that dogs have the ability to solve complex problems and are more like humans and other higher primates than previously thought.
"We all want insight into how our furry companions think, and we want to understand the silly, quirky and apparently irrational behaviors [that] Lassie or Rover demonstrate," Coren said in an interview. "Their stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity are reminders that they may not be Einsteins but are sure closer to humans than we thought."
According to several behavioral measures, Coren says dogs' mental abilities are close to a human child age 2 to 2.5 years.
The intelligence of various types of dogs does differ and the dog's breed determines some of these differences, Coren says. "There are three types of dog intelligence: instinctive (what the dog is bred to do), adaptive (how well the dog learns from its environment to solve problems) and working and obedience (the equivalent of 'school learning')."
Data from 208 dog obedience judges from the United States and Canada showed the differences in working and obedience intelligence of dog breeds, according to Coren. "Border collies are number one; poodles are second, followed by German shepherds. Fourth on the list is golden retrievers; fifth, dobermans; sixth, Shetland sheepdogs; and finally, Labrador retrievers," said Coren.
As for language, the average dog can learn 165 words, including signals, and the "super dogs" (those in the top 20 percent of dog intelligence) can learn 250 words, Coren says. "The upper limit of dogs' ability to learn language is partly based on a study of a border collie named Rico who showed knowledge of 200 spoken words and demonstrated 'fast-track learning,' which scientists believed to be found only in humans and language learning apes," Coren said.
Dogs can also count up to four or five, said Coren. And they have a basic understanding of arithmetic and will notice errors in simple computations, such as 1+1=1 or 1+1=3.
Four studies he examined looked how dogs solve spatial problems by modeling human or other dogs' behavior using a barrier type problem. Through observation, Coren said, dogs can learn the location of valued items (treats), better routes in the environment (the fastest way to a favorite chair), how to operate mechanisms (such as latches and simple machines) and the meaning of words and symbolic concepts (sometimes by simply listening to people speak and watching their actions).
During play, dogs are capable of deliberately trying to deceive other dogs and people in order to get rewards, said Coren. "And they are nearly as successful in deceiving humans as humans are in deceiving dogs."

Hmmm..how smart are the humans who need a scientist to work this out for them....come on guys....we are even smarter than your realise....

Friday, October 10, 2008

Bath Time....Blue Balls and weird grins

Bath time......I am not so sure about this...I like it luke warm and I like to have some distraction, like my liitle motorised ducky....it gives me practise at water patrolling.....but the drying part really irks me...wrapped up in a towel and then cosseted like some baby....the indiginity of it all....humans do it all the time....but thankfully not me...only once in a while..and that is definitely enough!!!

On the subject of things wet...Running boy had a wrestle with the Water monster today , I can't say I like this creature, it has lots of tendrils and flops about on the kitchen or bathroom floor like it owns the place...I have to work really hard to keep it from getting out of hand and runing boy seems to think it can hurt me so he tries to put me on the verandah away from it...I know if it can hurt me it can hurt him so I just stay vigilant....these monsters need to know whose boss...ME......

I am currently working on assserting my role around here....got to keep the humans in line...Old Girl was doing something with the big blue ball on the floor this morning...not that I object to her playing in her way....but this ball is my favourite exercise equipment...so I dashed up to her and gave her a little nip on the derriere...should have heard her scream...it could have been quite funny except it woke up the old grumpy guy with a start and he lunged into the lounge with a demented grin and hair all over the place...ostensibly to protect the old girl...honestly, like he doesn't know this is my job....and of course I have been awake for some time doing my job....I do not have hair everywhere ( I am sleek and well presented) and my grin really does mean business, not that his grin wasn't a tad scary in a weird sort of way.....

Anyway, he eventually retired back to bed and feeling sorry for him I went and lay down on the bed too....so he didn't feel so alone in it all.....and looking at him I think he needed a little protection too...its a vulnerable sight seeing the grumpy old guy in his sleep attire...
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2 comments:

Katie and Gizmo said...

Hi Sami (Flash)
I know the feeling. My Mummy takes my ball away from me cause she says I'm obsessed with it so I bark at her to give it back.

October 11, 2008 at 3:18 AM
DESERT PUPS said...

Woof Sami,

Just swinging by to say woof. Hope all is well.

Desert Pups

October 21, 2008 at 4:53 PM

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