Are there gifted, word-learning dogs?

Dear reader, I recently ran across a fascinating article in Psychology Today about genius dogs who were able to learn multiple words. After a worldwide search for dogs, scientists in Hungary were able to identify six pet Border Collies who have the rare gift of word learning.

These dogs were able to associate objects with words and had an average vocabulary of 26 words. Some of them have a vocabulary exceeding 100 terms. The conclusion is that having this ability was similar to humans having musical or mathematical giftedness.

Researchers testing this theory scattered familiar toys with random toys. The toys were then place in a room separated from the dog’s owner and the dogs were instructed to find a specific toy. Amazingly, the dogs were able to retrieve the toy and remember the association.

Purebred dogs like Border Collies have different skills and are an extremely intelligent breed. Bred for herding, they are excellent at making independent decisions and taking instructions from humans. It is not out of character for these dogs to recall verbal instructions, because they are working with and for humans.

Perhaps the most celebrated learner was Chaser, a Border Collie who learned 1,022 nouns.

Chaser understood that words have independent meaning and understood common nouns as well as proper nouns. She learned that one object could have many names and many names could apply to one object.

Dogs seem to have better human communication signals than other animals. This is possibly attributed to the domestication process where humans selected and bred dogs for their ability to understand. I suspect as we research the cognitive abilities of dogs, we will be astonished by how much our fur babies really understand.

Don’t forget our garage sale Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oasis Church, 1520 S. Maine St.

LOOKING FOR A HOME

Puppies, adorable Pit bull mix 13 weeks old. There are three girls and two boys. Each one is looking for a forever loving home.

Eleven fluffy kittens ages 15 to 20 weeks. There are eight boys and three girls in a rainbow of colors. All our babies need foster homes. Call 775-7500 for details.

Policy, however, prohibits adopting out puppies or kittens under the age of six months to a home with children under 5 years of age. This is to protect both the children and the animal.
 

IN NEED OF

Patrons for the garage sale.

Volunteers to walk our canine guests.

Fancy Feast kitten wet food.

Cat litter for our guests’ comfort.

Aluminum cans. We will pick up your cans; give us a call at 775-423-7500. You can also drop them off at CAPS.
SHOUT OUT TO
All the folks who stopped by to say hi and made a donation at the Cantaloupe Festival. Wags and kisses to you!
Pastor Caleb Lzymanski for allowing CAPS to use the Oasis Church for our garage sale. Kindness never fails!
OVER THE RAINBOW

RIP Jake Augello, the frisky Chocolate Labrador who loved chasing lizards. 07/27/19.

 
COME SEE US
CAPS is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We suggest appointments for adoptions and food pantry.

 

DON’T FORGET
August Holiday: Ginger Cat Appreciation Month
Raffle tickets are now available for an incredible handmade quilt. It will be raffled at the Murder Mystery Theater in October. You do not need to be present to win. Call 775-423-7500.
You can donate directly to CAPS on Facebook by just hitting the donate button. You are our guardian angels, and we need your help to keep our shelter running smoothly. We thank you for your support.
CAPS’ mailing address is P.O. Box 5128, Fallon, NV 89407. CAPS’ phone number is 775-423-7500. CAPS’ email address is caps@cccomm.net. Please visit the CAPS website (www.capsnevada.com) and Facebook page (Churchill Animal Protection Society). Be sure to “Like” CAPS on Facebook because we are likeable.
Kathleen Williams-Miller is a CAPS volunteer. Contact her at jkwmil@outlook.com.