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Sunday, August 9, 2009

Author: Dogs are smarter than we think

The Philadelphia-born researcher who first ranked dogs on the basis of intelligence, now concludes that our canine friends are smarter than we think.

Stanley Coren, a psychology professor at the University of the British Columbia, says dogs can count, understand more than 150 words (Is Tweeting far behind?), and intentionally deceive other dogs and people in their quest for treats.

In his presentation, "How Dogs Think," Coren reviewed a number of studies that found that dogs have the ability to solve complex problems.

Research shows dogs have similar intelligence to a 24- to 30-month old child, Coren said. [Cats are considered to have the intelligence of an 18-month-old. ]

He said tests suggest that dogs and apes both have some of the same basic emotions — fear, anger, disgust and pleasure — that toddlers experience, while both the animal groups are missing some of the more complex, learned emotions such as guilt, according to the Canadian Press.

“What we tend to be interpreting as guilt is really fear on the dog's part," Coren said. "They get the impression you're going to drop a piano on their head for something they've done wrong.”

What about fairness? In one experiment, Coren said, a researcher trained two dogs to shake a paw. After both learned the trick, the researcher started giving a treat to one of the dogs every time he got it right but not to the other.

The dog who didn't get a treat not only stopped performing, he wouldn't even look the researcher in the eye.

Coren, author of half-a-dozen popular books on dogs, gave his presentation at the American Psychological Association's 117th Annual Convention in Toronto.

In his most recent blog entry he considers why dogs roll around in garbarge, manure and other stinky stuff.

Coren, you may recall, famously ranked dogs on the basis of their intelligence. Top dog was the inimitable Border Collie. At the bottom of the class, with more beauty than brains: the Afghan. 

 

 
Posted by Amy Worden @ 10:11 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:28 PM, 08/10/2009
    Anyone who has a dog or two will be saying "tell us something we don't know"
    — MBFlyerfan


1 comments
About Amy Worden
Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here.
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