Dogs understand as much as two-year-olds
Research carried out at the University of British Columbia has determined that dogs have the same intelligence capabilities as two-year-old humans. The remarkable findings of Professor Stanley Coren revealed that some dogs can understand hundreds of words, can solve simple arithmetic problems, and can recognize the numbers 1 through 5.
“The average dog is about as bright linguistically as a human two-year-old. Those in the top 20 per cent were able to understand as many as 250 words and signals, which is about the same as a two and a half year old. Obviously we are not going to be able to sit down and have a conversation with a dog, but like a two-year-old, they show that they can understand words and gestures,” said the professor.
The body of work was presented yesterday at a gathering of American Psychological Association. The professor worked with an extraordinary border collie throughout his study and was able to teach the dog about 250 words. He tested the dog by having it retrieve items on command.
The research went on to classify different breeds of dog by their intelligence. They were able to identify Border Collies, Poodles and German Shepherds as the most intelligent. Beagle, Mastiffs, and Basset Hounds were the dumbest.
Professor Coren attributes their intelligence to the fact that they have lived for centuries in companionship with humans.
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