1 Tahrcountry Musings: Dogs are Smarter than We Thought

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Dogs are Smarter than We Thought

Leading canine researcher Dr Stanley Coren of the University of British Columbia has come up with some new surprising information about dogs. The researcher says dogs have the ability to solve complex problems and are more like humans and other higher primates than previously thought. They understand more than 150 words and have the ability to intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats. According to Dr Coren, dogs' mental abilities are close to a human child age 2 to 2.5 years.

Dr 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')." The average dog can easily learn 165 words, including signals. Dogs can also count up to four or five. Impressively dogs can learn the location of valued items (treats), better routes in the environment (the fastest way to a favorite chair), and how to operate mechanisms (such as latches and simple machines). Dr coran says dogs are as successful in deceiving humans as humans are in deceiving dogs.

Dr Coran gave the new insights when he spoke at the American Psychological Association's 117th Annual Convention

No comments: