Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/10/09/cat-lover-sets-out-to-prove-do.html
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Seems a bit catty.
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The exceptional aspect of canine cognition lies in being a really appealing subject for cognitive tests.
Sort of like how undergrads taking at least one psych course punch vastly above their weight when it comes to being included in studies of human psychology; except dogs are cuter.
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That dog won’t fly!
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Pffft.
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This is so totally trolling. Not biting, nuh uh.
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Shit, my Dog Person can do absolutely nothing, and that’s just fine with me.
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I think dogs have more intelligence than cats, but they waste 85% of it in obsequious demonstrations of their loyalty to their human masters.
If you cut through the canine groupthink and group dynamic bullshit, cats and dogs are equally intelligent.
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This sort of bullshit?
apologies for the low resolution, which in many ways misses the point of PE.
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“I have found throughout the years that my clients who are rocket scientists and neurosurgeons always have the most cats,” she said. “Thirteen to 15 cats usually.
Each?
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Yeah, cats can do anything that a dog can do. The secret is that cats only do it when you’re not looking.
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How the mighty have fallen.
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Do not underestimate the mathematical abilities of a horse.
I don’t mean the Clever Hans scam (which is still a grand example of reading non-verbal cues), I mean the ability to figure out exactly how low a branch needs to be to take off a rider, or how to use marks on the ground to judge a takeoff point in order to clear a wire fence he can’t properly see while running. Or exactly where to stand inside the wheelbarrow so she can get out of her stall without tipping it over and causing a disaster.
They, too, can learn (and sometimes follow) copious verbal and non-verbal instructions. They can pick up on cues a human doesn’t even know they’re sending.
And if you’re upset, they’ll comfort you. There’s a reason dogs and horses are the only officially recognised therapy animals.
And just like cats, they may be more than somewhat fickle in their loyalty.
Damn, I miss horses.
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Do not underestimate the mathematical abilities of a horse.
I was listening to an interview with a scientist on the radio a few weeks ago. She was located in … uh, Kenya, I think, doing research on spiders. She’d set up an experiment to demonstrate that these particular spiders could count. It was fairly low level (basically: 1, 2, 3, many), I forget the exact details but AIRI they - the spiders - used the information to figure out whether it was safe to go after a particular prey or not.
Key takeaway: motherfucking spiders can count.
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There are a million stories of “dog saves owner from” fire, assault, rattlesnake.
A cat will just smirk at your corpse.
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That was only to make the dog look bad.
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Compare dogs to – among other species – wolves, chimpanzees, and dolphins. Conclude (based on that comparison) that "“dog cognition does not look exceptional.” Is this a surprise?
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(You’ll no doubt have noticed there is no ceiling dog)
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