The site was last updated on
24 Aug 2000
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What is really the meaning of "Dog Intelligence"?
Like in other subjects, the answer to this question looks simple
and obvious until you start thinking into the answer.
In our everyday language we use the word "intelligent"
and other words with the same meaning such as smart, wise, clever, bright, etc.
we also use the opposite terms such as stupid, idiot, dumb and other words - all
describes people and acts. Although, when asked what is the meaning of the word
"intelligent", most people won't know the exact meaning of this
concept. What are the limits of the intelligence? What’s it shape? How can we
recognize an act that was guided by intelligent thinking or to an act that
wasn't? This is the kind of questions there should be answers for. Most people
who are asked this question, after being forced to answer, would say "It's
hard to explain, but when you run into it, you recognize it", the kind of
answers that show the person had no idea what he was talking about and was
trying to say "I have no idea, leave me alone".
Some dogs who seems smart and able to learn almost anything such
as the hunting dogs as the Irish Setter and the English Pointer, can point to
the direction of the hunted animal almost without any training, with that they
can barely learn to herd sheep, even after hard work of training. On the other
hand, shepherds and sheepdogs, such as the Collie and Sheltie, seems to know how
to work with sheep since the day they were born, but can not learn how to point
a hunted animal. These low and high abilities show the differences between the
different skills.
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