Dog intelligence: Difference between revisions

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Nancy Sculerati MD
 
imported>John Stephenson
(dead see also section)
 
(19 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:Dog_retrieving_stick.jpg|thumb|250px|Many dogs can easily be trained to retrieve.]]
{{subpages}}
'''Dog intelligence''' is the ability of a [[dog]] to learn, to think, and to solve problems.  [[Dog trainer]]s, owners, and researchers have as much (or more) difficulty agreeing on a method for testing canine intelligence as they do for human [[intelligence (trait)|intelligence]].


Certain [[dog breed|breeds]], such as [[Border Collie]]s and [[Golden Retriever]]s, are generally easier to [[obedience training|train]] than others, such as some [[hound]]s and [[sled dog]]s. It is worth noting that these descriptions are ''relative to other dogs'', not relative to the world at large. The ability to learn and obey commands, however, is not the only possible measurement of intelligence.
<!--[[Image:Dog_retrieving_stick.jpg|thumb|250px|Many dogs can easily be trained to retrieve.]]-->
'''Dog intelligence''' is the ability of a [[dog]] to learn and solve problems. It's one thing to state what the concept of canine intelligence is, and it's quite another to measure it in any way.  [[Dog trainer]]s, owners, and researchers have as much (or more) difficulty agreeing on how to evaluate canine intelligence as they do for human [[intelligence (trait)|intelligence]]. There are good reasons, though, for discussing the intelligence of dogs, and one of them is that it is a major factor in choosing a dog for canine work or human companionship.


==Inherited abilities==
So, when discussing the intelligence of dogs, it's best to make clear that this article treats the topic as viewed from a human perspective. There have been a number of rank order lists of dog breeds in which different criteria were used to assess intelligence, as will be more fully explained in a later section. The breeds at the top and bottom of these lists are often the same: [[Border collie]]s, [[poodle]]s and [[retriever]]s making the honor roll, and [[basset hound]]s, [[Afghan hound]]s, [[foxhound]]s and [[St. Bernard]]s labelled the "slow learners".  
Dogs are [[pack (canine)|pack]] animals, which means that by nature they understand social structure and obligations and are capable of quickly learning how to behave around other members of the pack, whether dog or human. Adult canines train their young by correcting them when they behave in an unacceptable manner (biting too hard, eating out of turn, and so on) and reward them for acceptable behavior (by playing with them, feeding them, cleaning them, and so on).


They are also [[Lair|den]] animals, so that by nature they can easily learn behavior related to keeping the den clean (such as [[housebreaking]]), relaxing in an enclosed area (such as a [[crate training|crate]] during travel or for training), and so on.
The ability to learn and obey commands, however, is far from the only possible measurement of intelligence.


Some breeds have been selectively bred for hundreds or thousands of years for the quality of learning quickly; in other breeds, that quality has been downplayed in favor of other characteristics, such as the ability to track or hunt game or to fight other animals. However, the capacity to learn basic obedience - and even complicated behaviour - is inherent in all dogs. Owners must simply be more patient with some breeds than with others.
[[livestock guardian dog|Livestock guardian]] breeds such as the [[Great Pyrenees]], [[Kuvasz]], and [[Anatolian Shepherd Dog]] are notorious for hesitating rather than instantly obeying commands. Fanciers of these breeds sometimes explain that a dog, such as the Anatolian Shepherd, that was bred to be left "on its own" for periods of time with the flock has been selected out to think independently, and that this characteristic makes it less likelt to obey reflexively. Several hounds rank in the bottom tier of "The Intelligence of Dogs" list (such as [[Beagle]]s, [[Bloodhound]]s, and [[Basset Hound]]s), and for these animals the fancier has a different explanation.  These dogs are bred to have more of a "pack" mentality with other dogs and less reliance on a master's direct commands. Such dogs might be "smart" and yet, disobedient, and their intelligence is liable to be underestimated if measured strictly by how well and how quickly they carry out precise orders given by a human master.
 
Nonetheless, inherited behavior is not necessarily an indicator of intelligence. For example, a sheep herding breed such as a Border Collie would be expected to learn how to herd sheep very quickly, or might even perform the job with little or no training, but would be a challenge to teach how to point and retrieve game. Conversely, a [[Pointer (dog)|Pointer]] often points to game instinctively and naturally retrieves game without damaging it, but most likely could not be taught to herd sheep.
 
==Evaluation of intelligence==
The meaning of "intelligence" in general, not simply in reference to dogs, is hard to quantify. Some tests measure problem-solving abilities; others test the ability to learn or what one has learned in comparison to others of the same age.  Defining it for dogs is just as difficult.  It is likely that dogs do not have the ability to premeditate an action to solve a problem, but some dogs might have more drive to keep trying various things until they accidentally reach a solution, and some might have a better ability to make the association between the "accident" and the result.
 
For example, the ability to learn quickly could be a sign of [[intelligence (trait)|intelligence]];  it could conversely be interpreted as a sign of blind subservience and desire to please.  In contrast, some dogs who do not learn very quickly may have other talents. For example, some breeds that are not particularly interested in pleasing their owners, such as [[Siberian Husky|Siberian Huskies]], are often fascinated with the myriad possibilities for escaping from yards or catching and killing small animals, often figuring out on their own numerous inventive and ingenious ways of doing both.
 
As another example, [[assistance dog]]s, are required to be obedient at all times. However, they must learn a tremendous number of commands, understand how to act in a large variety of situations, and recognize threats or dangers to their human companion, some of which they might never before have encountered.
 
Many long-time owners of [[livestock guardian dog|livestock guardian]] breed believe that working breeds such as the [[Great Pyrenees]] or the [[Kuvasz]] are not easily trained because their stubborn and independent nature prevents them from seeing the point of such commands as “sit” or “down”. [[Hounds]] may also suffer from this type of ranking; several rank in the bottom tier of "The Intelligence of Dogs" list (such as [[Beagle]]s, [[Bloodhound]]s, and [[Basset Hound]]s).  These dogs are bred to have more of a "pack" mentality with other dogs and less reliance on a master's direct commands. While they may not have the same kind of intelligence as a Border Collie, they were not bred to learn and obey commands quickly, but to think for themselves while trailing game.


==Testing and research==
==Testing and research==
Some tests for intelligence involve the dog's ability to recognize and respond to a large vocabulary; other tests involve their desire or ability to respond to different situations. If one puts a towel over a dog's head, is the intelligent dog the one who pulls it off or is the intelligent dog the one who sits and waits, as if figuring that humans do strange things from time to time and if they put the towel on the dog's head there must be a reason for it?  Just as with humans, there is a wide variety of interpretations as to what makes a dog "intelligent".  
Some tests for intelligence involve the dog's ability to recognize and respond to a large vocabulary; other tests involve their desire or ability to respond to different situations. If one puts a towel over a dog's head, is the intelligent dog the one who pulls it off or is the intelligent dog the one who sits and waits, as if figuring that humans do strange things from time to time and if they put the towel on the dog's head there must be a reason for it?  Just as with humans, there is a wide variety of interpretations as to what makes a dog "intelligent". Human intelligence tests have been ridiculed as [[Pseudoscience|pseudoscience]], and intelligence tests for dogs are nothing if not more suspect.  


Various studies have attempted to confirm the intelligence of dogs in a rigorous manner. A recent example is [[animal psychology|animal psychologist]] [[Juliane Kaminski]]'s paper in ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' that demonstrated that [[Rico (Border Collie)|Rico]], a [[Border Collie]], could learn over 200 [[word]]s. Rico could remember items' names for four weeks after last exposure (Kaminski eliminated the [[Clever Hans]] effect using strict protocols).
There have been serious attempts to evaluate canine intelligence,  [[Juliane Kaminski]]'s paper in ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' showed that a trained [[Border Collie]], could hear each of over 200 [[word]]s and appropriately respond to them. This border collie, Rico, demonstrated the ability to retain a long term memory (four weeks) for the names of objects.


Rico was also able to interpret phrases such as "fetch the sock" in terms of its component words (rather than considering the utterance to be a single word): he could give the sock to a specified person.
Rico was also apparently able to interpret phrases such as "fetch the sock" in terms of its component words (rather than considering the utterance to be a single word): he could give the sock to a specified person, which could be interpreted as evidence that the animal could understand [[syntax (linguistics)|syntax]]. This view is unsupported by research in [[linguistics]], the study of language.


Psychologist Kathy Coon ranked dog breeds by intelligence in her book [http://www.dogintelligencetest.com ''The Dog Intelligence Test''] based on a standardized intelligence test for dogs.
Psychologist Kathy Coon ranked dog breeds by intelligence in her book [http://www.dogintelligencetest.com ''The Dog Intelligence Test''] based on a standardized intelligence test for dogs.
Line 33: Line 21:
[[Stanley Coren]] ranked dog breeds by intelligence in his book ''[[The Intelligence of Dogs]]'' based on surveys of [[dog trainer]]s, the article for which contains a summary of the rankings obtained.
[[Stanley Coren]] ranked dog breeds by intelligence in his book ''[[The Intelligence of Dogs]]'' based on surveys of [[dog trainer]]s, the article for which contains a summary of the rankings obtained.


==See also==
==References==
* ''[[The Intelligence of Dogs]]'' (Book by Stanley Coren)
* ''[[The Intelligence of Dogs]]'' (Book by Stanley Coren)
*[[Dog training]]
*[[Intelligence (trait)]]
==References==
*{{cite book|author=Cunliffe, Juliette |year=2004|title=The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds|publisher= [[Parragon Publishing]]|id=ISBN 0-75258-276-3}}
*{{cite book|author=Cunliffe, Juliette |year=2004|title=The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds|publisher= [[Parragon Publishing]]|id=ISBN 0-75258-276-3}}
*{{cite book|author=Fogle, Bruce |year=2000|title=The New Encyclopedia of the Dog|publisher= Doring Kindersley (DK)|id=ISBN 0-7894-6130-7}}
*{{cite book|author=Fogle, Bruce |year=2000|title=The New Encyclopedia of the Dog|publisher= Doring Kindersley (DK)|id=ISBN 0-7894-6130-7}}
[[Category:Dog training and behavior|Intelligence]]
[[Category:Animal intelligence]]

Latest revision as of 01:05, 23 November 2009

This article is developing and not approved.
 Main Article
 Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
https://en.citizendium.org/wiki/index.php?title=Dog_intelligence&printable=yes
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

Dog intelligence is the ability of a dog to learn and solve problems. It's one thing to state what the concept of canine intelligence is, and it's quite another to measure it in any way. Dog trainers, owners, and researchers have as much (or more) difficulty agreeing on how to evaluate canine intelligence as they do for human intelligence. There are good reasons, though, for discussing the intelligence of dogs, and one of them is that it is a major factor in choosing a dog for canine work or human companionship.

So, when discussing the intelligence of dogs, it's best to make clear that this article treats the topic as viewed from a human perspective. There have been a number of rank order lists of dog breeds in which different criteria were used to assess intelligence, as will be more fully explained in a later section. The breeds at the top and bottom of these lists are often the same: Border collies, poodles and retrievers making the honor roll, and basset hounds, Afghan hounds, foxhounds and St. Bernards labelled the "slow learners".

The ability to learn and obey commands, however, is far from the only possible measurement of intelligence.

Livestock guardian breeds such as the Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, and Anatolian Shepherd Dog are notorious for hesitating rather than instantly obeying commands. Fanciers of these breeds sometimes explain that a dog, such as the Anatolian Shepherd, that was bred to be left "on its own" for periods of time with the flock has been selected out to think independently, and that this characteristic makes it less likelt to obey reflexively. Several hounds rank in the bottom tier of "The Intelligence of Dogs" list (such as Beagles, Bloodhounds, and Basset Hounds), and for these animals the fancier has a different explanation. These dogs are bred to have more of a "pack" mentality with other dogs and less reliance on a master's direct commands. Such dogs might be "smart" and yet, disobedient, and their intelligence is liable to be underestimated if measured strictly by how well and how quickly they carry out precise orders given by a human master.

Testing and research

Some tests for intelligence involve the dog's ability to recognize and respond to a large vocabulary; other tests involve their desire or ability to respond to different situations. If one puts a towel over a dog's head, is the intelligent dog the one who pulls it off or is the intelligent dog the one who sits and waits, as if figuring that humans do strange things from time to time and if they put the towel on the dog's head there must be a reason for it? Just as with humans, there is a wide variety of interpretations as to what makes a dog "intelligent". Human intelligence tests have been ridiculed as pseudoscience, and intelligence tests for dogs are nothing if not more suspect.

There have been serious attempts to evaluate canine intelligence, Juliane Kaminski's paper in Science showed that a trained Border Collie, could hear each of over 200 words and appropriately respond to them. This border collie, Rico, demonstrated the ability to retain a long term memory (four weeks) for the names of objects.

Rico was also apparently able to interpret phrases such as "fetch the sock" in terms of its component words (rather than considering the utterance to be a single word): he could give the sock to a specified person, which could be interpreted as evidence that the animal could understand syntax. This view is unsupported by research in linguistics, the study of language.

Psychologist Kathy Coon ranked dog breeds by intelligence in her book The Dog Intelligence Test based on a standardized intelligence test for dogs.

Stanley Coren ranked dog breeds by intelligence in his book The Intelligence of Dogs based on surveys of dog trainers, the article for which contains a summary of the rankings obtained.

References

Retrieved from "https://citizendium.org/wiki/index.php?title=Dog_intelligence&oldid=6739"