Archive for March, 2010

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but recently I’ve wondered about intelligence in dogs.

Curious, I decided to do research to uncover evidence of the top 10 breeds for dog intelligence. My guardians think I manage to score well in dog intelligence based on subjective evidence and informal tests, yet as a TerrierX (terrier plus mutt) how do I stack up when dogs are compared just by breed?

The brightest dogs by breed according to Stanley Coren, author of “The Intelligence of Dogs” are based on results from a survey of dog trainers.

Being one of the brightest dogs is defined as: Understanding new commands in less than 5 repetitions and then obey on first command 95% of the time, or better. Here’s the top 10 breeds for dog intelligence listed in order:

1) Border Collie, 2) Poodle, 3) German Shepherd, 4) Golden Retriever, 5) Doberman Pinscher, 6) Shetland Sheepdog, 7) Labrador Retriever, 8) Papillon, 9) Rottweiler, and 10) Australian Cattle Dog.

Reference: Dr. S. Coren, Neuropsychologist and Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia

The closest I can determine my rank is #40 out of 79 based on being a mutt and part Wheaten according to my vet who considered my physique and coloring. Actually over 100 dog breeds were ranked because some were tied including 3 terrier breeds at #40.

Keep in mind intelligence can be one of 3 types. Adaptive and instinctive intelligence are 2 and specific to the individual dog as measured by canine IQ tests. Adaptive intelligence relates to learning and problem solving ability. A third type is the breed dependent or working/obedience intelligence presented here.

I learn quickly for a mutt, so still think my overall ranking when you include adaptive intelligence belongs in the top 10. Follow the link to Dog Intelligence Rated by Breed to find your dog’s ranking if not already listed in the top 10 breeds for dog intelligence.

Earlier this week my email included a pawpal ecard sent to Corky as shown below. The St Patty’s Day card was from a special Twitter doggy pal who also lives in Florida. His name is Buddy and he tweets as @WhereIsBuddy. Follow him on Twitter to see what he’s doing!

The writing says “May the luck of the Irish be with you!” and the red arrow points to “Buddy (@WhereIsBuddy)”. The illustration shows me looking at the card and reading it to two very cute kittens.

Why cute kitties? BOL! People can’t resist cute little kittens so even MORE pals will look at my card. Haha.

Call me a mugger. I don’t care. Maybe you prefer thief or pickpocket? Here’s how to discourage this puppy from doing the Corky sneak snack attack maneuver.

You must start with “leave it” when you put absolutely tempting and delicious training treats within reach of any dog.

The photo here is me, Corky the shelter dog, emptying Dad’s clicker training treat bag with my snout buried to the bottom and gobbling up all the snacks like a horse in a feedbag. You can see the top of my head, both ears, and a little of the clicker training treat bag.

How did this happen? On walkies today Dad took some gorgeous closeup pix of mallard ducks near the canal. The photo shown above is us side by side on the tiny cement bench. He was distracted coaxing the ducks closer before he noticed me wolfing down all but the last Bil-Jac liver snack. Dad snapped the photo evidence as he stretched out his arm while aiming the camera towards us.

Dogs don’t get embarrassed and we don’t have to apologize. Humans set the rules, and it’s their fault if they forget to say “leave it”. I did the Corky sneak snack attack maneuver which is what any smart puppy would do. Guilty? Nope!

Did you ever attend a show at a zoo or animal theme park and see fantastic performances? I did, but at the dog park! Yesterday at Fleet Peeples Dog Park I met frisbee trainer Dasha the dog. She was nearly flawless running to chase down a frisbee and leaping at the right moment to catch it in midair as shown in the photo here. The really fantastic performance is what came next.

Dasha is 2-1/2 years old and learned frisbee catching from her guardian, but even more amazing is she now trains humans to play frisbee, too. Yes, Dasha is a dog and expert frisbee trainer. When her human tossed the frisbee she caught it then came to my Dad and dropped it at his feet. She backed up two steps, sat on her haunches, then waited for Dad to toss it next.

Humans are such slow learners. They’re lucky dogs have great patience. Dad was dumbfounded that Dasha brought the frisbee to him instead of Dasha’s guardian. Duh! “Pick it up, Dad!” I was thinking, but he still didn’t get it. Dasha stared at his face and finally barked twice. She barked twice again and the human trainee finally understood.

Dad picked up the frisbee and gave it a toss. Dasha caught it in midair, ran to return it at Dad’s feet, backed up, sat, and then patiently stared. No barking was required as he tossed it again. This was repeated several times until Dad was properly trained.

Dasha the dog, star and trainer, continued to select spectators from the crowd that had gathered. She then patiently trained each human in the fine art of dog park frisbee fun.

An explanation for avoiding blame for a hole in the lawn was first written here, so if you see this quote 100 years from now you will know it was originally written by Corky the Shelter Dog:

“An ounce of puppy cuteness can erase blame for a ton of mischief.” – Corky

The dirty face portrait of me, Corky the Shelter Dog, as shown here was the inspiration for the quote above. You can see comments about this photo and the number of views on Twitpic where a BIG version of this photo was first posted.

Here’s the original caption for the photo:

“Somebody digged a hole in our lawn? What hole? Where? …and WHY you asking me?”

Dogs do what dogs do by nature, and hiding evidence isn’t one. Yes, the photo definitely casts suspicion on yours truly for digging up the lawn, yet if asked and could talk I’d reply with a question to avoid admitting guilt. Who says dogs aren’t smart?

The photo here is me, Corky the shelter dog, exploring rocks and showing off my summer doggy haircut in winter.

Spring is ony a couple weeks away, yet because of a problem with matting the groomer needed to clip my fur down to 3mm (1/8th inch).

Attempts to leave the fur a little longer didn’t work because the clippers pulled and hurt (so I tried several times to b-i-t-e the groomer). They had to call my parents for permission to give me the buzz cut. At least they left some fur on my head and bushy tail.

Okay, so a summer doggy haircut in the spring may make sense, but in the winter? Thankfully, I live in Florida so a summer haircut should work year around.

This winter has been especially cold with temperatures staying 15-20 degrees below average, so here’s the good news! I got clothes! I have a blue fleece jacket with high collar, and a purple down hooded coat to keep me cozy when it’s really really cold.