Wednesday, May 21, 2014

What does the dog know?





We often say, "This is a clever dog". Is this an appropriate statement? Can we speak of intelligence about dogs? Can we measure dog’s intelligence? Is it true they can have a vocabulary? If yes, how many words? Is it the word or the tone of the term that makes a command efficient? Can we define an English vocabulary for dogs? Does the breed affect the dog's knowledge?

These and other questions I will try to answer through a journey into the mind and behavior of our four-legged friend. My main sources will be a book entitled "What the Dog Knows'', my personal experience with my dogs, Google and YouTube.

Foreword:
What the Dog Knows by Cat Warren
What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs promises in the book cover “a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about four-legged working heroes.” What the book cover does not tell you is that the main character of the book – Solo, a beautiful German shepherd - is a cadaver dog.  I was quite disappointed with the specific task he was asked to perform – finding human remains - and a little disgusted with the details of the treats he was offered. 


To know more about cadaver dogs, click on this hyperlink: 

The writing style, together with the cadaver work, was also an obstacle. The author is a University Associate Professor of Science Journalism, and her style is sometimes too academic. However, once I overcame Solo’s peculiar task and the reading difficulties, I found the book very interesting. The book gave me many ideas and insights into a dog’s knowledge and intelligence. The main benefit I received from the book, I must admit, was the scientific approach; the author backed up every statement she made. Her rigorous style was very helpful to me, because I tend to have more the soul of an artist rather than the mind of a scientist.

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