Sunday, June 18, 2006

Max scored 5

How to tell if your canine is an intellectual: Keeping in mind that some breeds are generally smarter and more trainable (border collies, for instance) than others (bulldogs), memory is 'a good approximation' of how bright your dog is, writes Stanley Coren.
Here is an example of a quadrupedal IQ test for dogs that are one or older and have been living in the same place for at least 10 weeks:
Place your dog on a leash in the centre of the room. Show her a treat.
Then, 'with a great exaggerated show (but no sound), place the tidbit in a corner.'
Lead her out of the room, walk her in a small circle, and then bring her back to the centre of the room.
Remove the leash and start your stopwatch.
If she goes directly to the treat, score 5.
If she systematically sniffs around the edge of the room and finds the treat, score 4.
If she searches in a random fashion but finds the treat within 45 seconds, score 3.
If she tries but fails after 45 seconds, score 2.
If she makes no effort to find the treat, score 1.
If she trots over to the remote and turns on the World Cup, score 0.

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