Recently, a study revealed that dogs aren’t overly intelligent. In fact, when compared to other animals – they were found to be just average. But do you believe the research?
Dogs can sniff out money, drugs, explosives, bed bugs and even cancer – they can lead the blind, comfort those with anxiety, ease the pain of people living with sickness or injury, track down bad guys and locate the missing. Despite these amazing feats (and so very much more), British psychologists Stephen Lea and Britta Osthaus have concluded that dogs’ intelligence is “unremarkable.”
As reported in the Scientific American, Lea and Osthaus even determined that dogs aren’t exceptional in their ability to take cues from humans – in fact, Bottlenose dolphins and grey seals have been found to follow human hand signals the best.
But do we care? Dogs make us happy – they improve our health (studies show that dogs can lower blood pressure and even improve sleep quality for people who choose to snuggle with them), keep us company and love us unconditionally.
Perhaps instead of letting the psychologists’ research diminish our perception of what dogs are capable of, we should realize just how smart all animals are and appreciate them for their considerable (and underappreciated) intelligence.
(Images via Pixabay)
More news, updates, funny videos and memes on the National Animal News Facebook page.
More: Dog found clinging to life after being shot and abandoned – the story here.
Yesterday: Red alert – senior dog is shelter’s longest resident and she needs out.
Sweetness
Don’t mind if I join you!
Only the STUPID believe dogs aren’t SMART!!!
They have evidently never dealt with a German Shepherd. I have had many and find them to be very intelligent and understanding of what I require of them. My last boy Barkley knew the names of all his toys and if was told to fetch one would come back with the toy asked for. He also would fetch his siblings if they wouldn’t come when called. I know he understood what I was saying to him and I often said I was dealing with a dog that was smarter than I was. I would say the ones conducting this study are the “unremarkable”.