Here I can barely remember the browser tab I was just working on.
Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
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Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#62I don't believe it. Dogs' brain matter is a different shade of gray, which only remembers for six weeks.
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#63It always bothers me how little intelligence we assume of and thus ascribe to the animal kingdom. Especially to our mammalian brethren, who have many of the same underlying neurological mechanisms (though in differing quantities). Dogs have co-evolved with humans for thousands of years. Remembering names seems like a useful albeit unsurprising skill, especially when it comes to recognizing/avoiding danger. “The bear/…
I agree, I think there is a lot of intelligence around us, perhaps even in ways we don't fully see or imagine. One of the largest organisms on Earth is a mycelium network in Oregon, it's nearly 4 square miles in size.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-...
Is it possible this mass of mycelium has some form of intelligence that is difficult for humans to measure? Maybe it "knows" things we can barely conceptualize. What about trees that stand in place for hundreds, or even thousands of years?
https://www.treehugger.com/the-worlds-oldest-living-trees-48...
Perhaps the trees experience time differently due to their slow growth, and they too have "witnessed" many different events in their environment over time, encapsulating them in the rings and structures within themselves.
We could write this off as non-sense as trees have no nervous system, but maybe a lack of such a system doesn't necessarily preclude some type of intelligence we just don't consider "intelligent".
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not all dogs are motivated by food. Our high energy, water-loving, labradoodle is only motivated by one thing: frisbee.
IME all are... Labradoodles are loopy, like most of the bred-for-instagram breeds. Got to expect the abnormal
Some generations of labradoodles are hypoallergenic from my understanding.
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#65It always bothers me how little intelligence we assume of and thus ascribe to the animal kingdom. Especially to our mammalian brethren, who have many of the same underlying neurological mechanisms (though in differing quantities). Dogs have co-evolved with humans for thousands of years. Remembering names seems like a useful albeit unsurprising skill, especially when it comes to recognizing/avoiding danger. “The bear/…
It's almost as if we have some type of coping mechanism. If we recognized more of ourselves in our animals, we would need to treat them more humane.
Just look at all the cases in human history where other people were reduced to primitive beings and could be treated more cruelly. If we can rationalize these actions towards fellow humans, I assume that the barrier for accepting animal emotions is even harder to break
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#66Orwell wrote two books which purported to sketch different societies from his own mid-century english one: In 1984 , the inner party sell the story of "english socialism", although closer inspection reveals a tripartite distinction in which they (nomenklatura) derive most of the benefit from a system administered by the outer party (apparatchiks, kept on a tight leash) and staffed by the proles (who have more freedom…
In the case of animal farm, it’s not so much that the dogs are more intelligent than the other animals as that Napoleon takes advantage of their disposition to unshakeable loyalty and need for a master. Likewise, unfortunately, in life.
If you have to rank the animals by intelligence, second (or first, even?) is certainly Benjamin the donkey.
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#67I've had my Labrador for 12 years, she was about 1 when we rescued her. In the first week I was walking her and passed a bus stop mainly used by school kids. There's a small wall behind it and she dashed around and emerged with half a sausage roll hanging out of her mouth. To this day, every time we pass that spot she enthusiastically pulls and goes round to inspect.
I've never understood people who say dogs are hard to train. They are SO motivated by food
Depends on the dog. I’ve trained two puppies this year.
The first one was stupid easy to train. Food motivated and could be refocused in every situation with food. Picked up commands quickly. Would do training basically any time of day.
Second dog just stares at me if she doesn’t want to be trained or feels the task is too hard. When she gets distracted, it doesn’t matter how high of a reward I give, she won’t take it if she doesn’t want it.
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not all dogs are motivated by food. Our high energy, water-loving, labradoodle is only motivated by one thing: frisbee.
IME all are... Labradoodles are loopy, like most of the bred-for-instagram breeds. Got to expect the abnormal
Pretty much every dog trainer in the world will tell you different dogs are motivated to different degrees by different things. Very weird point to argue on.
I have two purebred poodles (not bred for Instagram) and one is highly motivated by food, the other will decline treats pretty often, even treats we know he really loves. This is not super atypical of poodles.
And to put another layer of complication on your dismissal of other people's challenges training dogs: the not food-motivated one is way easier to train.
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's kind of fucked up. They're reinforcing the fact that he should be worried about his food. They're training him to be anxious. If he doesn't want to eat, there's no reason to make him. He'll eat when he's hungry.
I don't disagree, especially if they do that every day. There are some times when as humans, we have knowledge that the dog needs to eat now, because they won't have a chance later, for example if going on some trip with the dog where feeding later would be inconvenient. In those cases it's useful to have this trick available.
Or, you just skip a meal. Dog won’t die from being hungry.
Re: Dogs can remember names of toys years after not seeing them, study shows
#70I don't believe it. Dogs' brain matter is a different shade of gray, which only remembers for six weeks.
That’s a clearly absurd proposition. My family’s dogs remember me when i haven’t been around for 6 months, let alone 6 weeks.