Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Dogs Display Aspects Of Human Intelligence
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 11-29-2007 | Roger Highfield

Posted on 11/28/2007 7:54:46 PM PST by blam

Dogs display aspects of human intelligence

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 6:01pm GMT 28/11/2007

Dog lovers have long claimed that their pets are smarter than many of us realise.

New evidence to back that view comes from research published today which concludes that, like us, our canine friends are able to form abstract concepts.

Friederike Range and colleagues from the University of Vienna, Austria, show for the first time that dogs are able to learn how to classify complex colour photographs and place them into categories in the same way that humans do.

Training stimuli: Images of dogs and landscapes are used to test dogs' recognition of abstract concepts

"Dogs were for a long time considered to be just pets - so showing that they are able to also form abstract concepts maybe gives their cognitive abilities more credit," she said.

However, the abstract concept they were able to grasp in this pioneering experiment was rather familiar, that of "dog."

The team reports in the journal Animal Cognition a clever way to show that the dogs are not picking up subtle signals from their handlers: the dogs successfully demonstrate their learning through the use of computer touch-screens, eliminating potential human influences.

Four dogs were shown both landscape and dog photographs simultaneously and were rewarded with food if they selected the dog picture on the touch screen.

Then they were shown a new set of dog and landscape pictures. They continued to reliably select the dog photographs, demonstrating that they could transfer their knowledge gained in the training phase to a new circumstance, even though they had never seen those particular pictures before.

In a second test, the dogs were faced with a choice between a new dog pasted on a familiar landscape and a completely new landscape with no dog, In this case, they reliably selected the landscape with the dog.

"These results show that the dogs were able to form a concept, that is 'dog', although the experiment cannot tell us whether they recognized the dog pictures as actual dogs," said Dr Range.

"Using touch-screen computers with dogs opens up a whole world of possibilities on how to test the cognitive abilities of dogs."

The dogs that took part were a Border Collie (Maggie), one Border Collie mix (Lucy), one Australian Shepherd (Bertl), and one mongrel (Todor). Two dogs were male (Bertl, Todor), two were female (Maggie, Lucy).

In earlier work, the team showed striking similarities between humans and dogs in the way they imitate others, showing they do more than copy. They also interpet what they see.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: doggieping; dogs; intelligence; pets; smart
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 201-206 next last
To: Moonman62

They are such good natured dogs.

Mine puts presents in bed with my husband.Usually one of her many balls. She doesn’t want him to play...She wants him to have them. Won’t take them back.

She also puts her toys on his pillow..

Now when she wants to play ball.. She really wants to play ball.


61 posted on 11/28/2007 9:02:12 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (TAZ:Untamed, Unpredictable, Uninhibited.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: blam

“I’ve read that if your dog will eat poop...he’s not being proprely fed.”

Or it’s a beagle that will eat anything until it bursts. She is eating just right (food and quantity) according to the vet. She got into her 5 gallon bucket of food one day and ate until her belly was almost touching the floor. The dog could hardly move. I wish I had taken pictures but we were too worried about her at the time to think about it.


62 posted on 11/28/2007 9:03:29 PM PST by Proud2BeRight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Dysart
It’s sad to lose a pet that way... My boy, Nikee, was a bright but typically stubborn Miniature Pinscher. Very responsive and quick to do tricks when you bribed him with treats, but otherwise incorrigible. He always knew when you were about to try to go to work, and would lay ambush by the garage door. One day, the gardener forgot to put his baby gate back up. I believe, had I perhaps walked him more, he would have understood the danger of the street, or at least that he should stay out of it. He’d always had his run of the house, and the big back yard, so I’m sure it never even occured to him he couldn’t go wherever he wanted.
63 posted on 11/28/2007 9:07:18 PM PST by COgamer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: blam; All
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketPhoto Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
64 posted on 11/28/2007 9:13:14 PM PST by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
65 posted on 11/28/2007 9:15:03 PM PST by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62
They say the bathroom has less germs than the kitchen.

It does. But the germs it has are really, realy nasty.

66 posted on 11/28/2007 9:15:06 PM PST by reformed_democrat ("... it's a dishonor to leave your allies." President Traian Basescu, Romania)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: potlatch

They also stay 2 y.o. mentally - but ya gotta love ‘em. “Supper!!” “Breakfast!!” “Toy!!” “Wanna treat??”

Every day’s a great day for a dog in a loving home....


67 posted on 11/28/2007 9:17:30 PM PST by GnuHere
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: blam

Some groups of hominids score around 80 collectively or less on occasion in standardized IQ tests

some dogs can’t be far behind....if they could only speak English..lol


68 posted on 11/28/2007 9:17:53 PM PST by wardaddy (I'm praying for Fred......our only decent hope......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: badpacifist

Don’t go Berkowitz on us...


69 posted on 11/28/2007 9:18:23 PM PST by wardaddy (I'm praying for Fred......our only decent hope......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Cobra64

Lovely pic - I am partial to GSDs.


70 posted on 11/28/2007 9:19:22 PM PST by GnuHere
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: devolve; GnuHere

[Every day’s a great day for a dog in a loving home....]

For sure, especially when we spoil them like we all do!


71 posted on 11/28/2007 9:22:11 PM PST by potlatch ("Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: TASMANIANRED

In her younger days my Jack Russell terrier repeatedly tried to chase a neighbor’s lawn gnome. She was very disappointed when it didn’t run!


72 posted on 11/28/2007 9:23:12 PM PST by Slings and Arrows ("Bush is destroying the solar system:The ice caps on Mars are shrinking too." --Right_Wing_Madman)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Slings and Arrows

I can just see that...

My dogs delight in keeping the squirrels fit and well exercised.


73 posted on 11/28/2007 9:24:21 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (TAZ:Untamed, Unpredictable, Uninhibited.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: blam
Genius dog with adoring fan...


74 posted on 11/28/2007 9:25:36 PM PST by wardaddy (former shrew tamer who has given up and decided to be subservient)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cobra64

Jesus had an Alsatian?


75 posted on 11/28/2007 9:26:26 PM PST by wardaddy (former shrew tamer who has given up and decided to be subservient)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: blam

Very cool pack!


76 posted on 11/28/2007 9:27:00 PM PST by NYTexan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

What kind of a name is Bertl???

Who the heck would name a dog BERTL???

What is that? Russian for mertle?


77 posted on 11/28/2007 9:30:21 PM PST by mamelukesabre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TASMANIANRED

With the sole tree in my backyard being a walnut, my deck suffered from squirrels leaving broken walnuts and stains - that all changed when I got a dog. Now all I have to worry about is the 85# beast making me get the deck stairs replaced! Many, many trips up & down...


78 posted on 11/28/2007 9:31:23 PM PST by GnuHere
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: blam

My dog watches TV when there is a dog on. Even when the dog is not making a sound so long as it catches his attention.


79 posted on 11/28/2007 9:32:03 PM PST by DemEater
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Do the dogs watch American IDLE?


80 posted on 11/28/2007 9:33:46 PM PST by Swordfished
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 201-206 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson