Dogs: More Intelligent Than You Might Think

15/09/2014 - Blog

Dogs are amazing pets for numerous reasons, from their loving nature to their never-ending loyalty. Here we take a look at some surprising facts about canine intelligence that might just make you see your dog in a whole new light.

Language

According to an article in the Telegraph, animal behaviour researchers have found that not only are dogs able to perform simple calculations they are also able to understand up to 250 words and gestures. Indeed dogs display a pretty amazing degree of language ability and so far are the only animal species that have been found to learn words in a similar way to human children. Amazingly not only are dogs able to recognise a large number of words and objects, according to a recent article some dogs have even been found to be able to fetch the correct object when only shown a picture of it.

They can deceive

Whilst we would all like to believe our dogs always have the best of intentions, there is also some evidence to suggest that dogs are in fact capable of intentionally deceiving us as well as other dogs in order to obtain rewards. Not only that, but the researchers found they were almost as good at successfully deceiving as the human participants in the study.

They can feel jealousy

For most dog owners this is probably no surprise and dogs often express what could be interpreted as jealous behaviours. Yet for many years scientists claimed that jealousy was a complex cognitive behaviour unique to humans. However according to the BBC researchers have now demonstrated that like humans, dogs can in fact express jealousy. The study found that dogs exhibited more jealous behaviours when their owner showed affection to what appeared to be another dog (actually a stuffed toy) than when their owners paid attention to other objects such as a book. One of the study’s lead researchers stated that “Our study suggests not only that dogs do engage in what appear to be jealous behaviours but also that they were seeking to break up the connection between the owner and a seeming rival”.

They recognise our emotions

Many dog owners often comment that their dog can pick up on their emotions and new research has confirmed that this may indeed be the case. Researchers used brain imaging technology to compare brain function in both dogs and humans. Surprisingly the study found that the dogs brains reacted in the same way as humans did to sounds such as laughing and crying. Furthermore studies have also revealed that dogs are able to read human facial expressions and can tell if we are happy or sad from a mere glace, showing that dogs really are a man’s best friend.   Dogs are truly amazing animals and these are just a few examples of how intelligent our canine friends really are. If you’re looking for a dog behaviourist in Surrey then here at CK9 training we are experts in canine behaviour and dog training and can help your dog reach their potential. If you have any questions, or for more information about our range of services, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Top