Who has more smarts: your dog or your toddler?

Does your toddler fall for the “fake throw” trick?  Maybe not, but research is showing that  even though your dog might take a few seconds to notice his favorite toy is actually still in your hand, they do posses  the mental abilities of about a two-year old child.  A recent study states that border collies are the smartest, followed by poodles.  The research interestingly notes that the average dog also seems to have the social skills of teenage humans.  They are interested in who is moving up in the pack and who is hanging out with who.

The findings are based on a language development test which reveals most dogs can learn 165 words including signals and gestures.   Dogs in the top 20 percent in intelligence can learn 250 words.  When it comes to math, Stanley Coren, a canine expert and professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia says dogs would trump a 3 – 4 year old in basic arithmetic.   It was also noted that dogs show emotions such as happiness, anger and disgust.  They show spatial problem-solving skills too.  They are quick to find their favorite treats and the shortest route to a favorite spot or activity and even figure out how to operate latches and simple machines.

Data was also collected from over 200 dog obedience judges and several modified tests normally used to measure skills in children.  For example, one dog gets a treat and the other does not.   The unrewarded dog will stop performing the trick and avoid eye contact with the trainer.  In one arithmetic test, dogs watch as one treat and then another are lowered down behind a screen.   When the screen is lifted,  the dogs expect to see two treats.  If, however, one of the treats is taken or another added so the end result is one or three…the dog recognizes that the equation is wrong.   They act very surprised, display upset, and stare for a long time the way a child would.

The breeds that do not do as well on these tests, tend to be the older breeds such as hounds who have the main job of finding something by sense of smell.  They are great at what they were bred to do.
Regardless, if you are worried that you do not have the “top dog”, fear not.   Sometimes a smart dog will figure out everything you want it to know as well as learning everything it can get away with,  Coren warns.

Does a baby understand a dog’s  bark?

According to Science Daily “infants as young as six months can make a match of the sounds of a mean snarl or a nice little yap to photos of dogs displaying those emotions.  Emotion is one of the first things babies pick up on in their social world,” said the lead author of the study,professor Ross Flom from the BYU psychology department.  A human baby may not yet understand English, but they may find meaning in a dog’s bark.  This holds even for babies who do not have previous exposure to canines

Sources:Neatorama, Strollerderby, LiveScience