Fido is a Baby Einstein
I know many of us know our dogs are veritable Einsteins, what with all the shenanigans they pull. I know my three are, with Mothball our cat scoring a mere Hawking on that scale.
A recent study performed on dog intelligence has proven what we already know – the average dog is on par with that of a two and a half year old . . . human.
The Telegraph has the details on the study along with the top ten brightest and dimmest breeds.
Researchers have found that dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five and can perform simple mathematical calculations.
Using tests originally designed to demonstrate the development of language, pre-language and basic arithmetic in human children, the researchers were able to show that the average dog is far more intelligent than they are given credit for.
“The average dog is about as bright linguistically as a human two-year-old,” said Professor Stanley Coren, a leading expert on canine intelligence at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver who has carried out the work.
“This means they can understand about 165 words, signs and signals. Those in the top 20 per cent were able to understand as many as 250 words and signals, which is about the same as a two and a half year old.
I know the first 15 words that Bo learned. Just insert any of the following into Bo wanna go for a —-? [ride, drive, excursion, expedition, hitch, jaunt, joyride, lift, outing, run, spin, tour, transportation, turn or whirl]
Of course there’s always R – I – D – E. I don’t know whether that counts for four words or just one. Let’s just say the average Dogster out there already knows their canines are brighter than a baby. This is true even if Fido likes to eat cat poop.
Any stories out there that shows how brilliant your pup is?
Pic is of smart Dogster member Maximillian the Trickster.
I had a German Shepard female, Princess, who after watching me and my parents go out of the storm door, the older stype with the button you push in to open, learned she could stand on her hind legs or jump and push the handle and go out. She even learned after we moved to a house that had one of those security wrought iron with glass storm door, she could push the handle down and go out. so any time I was out in the front yard working, my parents locked the older one and the wrought iron, I’d take the key outside with me and lock it from the out side. She was smart cookie. Then we had a Rotti, Jody, that after my father got sick and my mother had passed on. don’t know if my father lost counsciousness or he just felt Dad had been asleep too long compared to how long he ususlly dosed off, woke my father up lying on the couch, shortly before he had to go into long term care. We had gotten both Princess and Jody as pups when my mother was sick before her death, and they both just learned how to be good sitters. They out lived both my of my parents. both have since crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Jody died of heat exhastion in August 2006. And I had to put Princess to sleep after she had a stroke in November of 2007, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Josy was 12 and half years old and Princess was just 2 months and a few days shy of her 14th birthday. I have three wonderful dogs now, they ae smart, but not sure if they could mesure up to Princess and Jody’s smartness. Tipper is a GS mix male, Oreo is a BC mix male and Lady is an AM Staff female. Princess and Jody were two of a kind. Never dreamed they would live to the ages they did.
Nero and Homer are two very different dogs with different kinds of smarts. Nero, a very quiet guy, understands key words, in or out of context, and will make his move. Spelling words – no problem for smartiepants. Homer, loud and vocal, is more of a doer. Opened the gate in our yard and took himself and his brother for a late night walk. When I play “find the treat under the cups”, Nero will diligently sniff around each cup to find the hidden peanuts, whereas Homer just picks up one cup after another until he has what he wants. Kinda like people, eh?
Minster knows a lot…He knows when he is to watch the house and lots of other different things…I think he is too smart for his little behind..He knows when we bring in fast food and that there will be something there just for him and he also knows how to manipulate his Daddy real well..LOL
Isabella was running in a circle, as fast as she could go, in my front yard. We have holes about 6″ across & 3″ deep around each sprinkler. The first time around, she fell in one of the holes and kept going; the second time around, she jumped over the hole. She’s a 6 mo old chihuahua.
Now I think that was pretty smart!
She has been ‘fetching’ and ‘dropping’ since she was 3 mos old. She also sits, stays, comes and sits up.
She is now 7 mos old. Chi-Wow-WOW!