Yale Study: Canine Minds Far More Complex Than Originally Thought

[RandySF]

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Researchers at Yale are using cognitive interactive studies to learn more about how dogs’ minds work.

Laurie Santos, director of the Yale Canine Cognition Center, explains that hundreds of volunteer dogs are used as subjects of puppet shows and a series of other cognitive tests.

“Dogs are just fascinating,” Santos said. “We love them, they live in our homes. Anyone who hangs out with a dog is kind of wondering, ‘what are they thinking, do they love me’.”

In the puppet show exam, the dogs are shown one scene, where a rat puppet assists a hedgehog puppet up a hill. In a different scene, the rat puppet knocks the hedgehog puppet down.




http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/02/16/yale-study-canine-minds-far-more-complex-than-originally-thought/

[madokie]

1. There is no doubt in my mind that our border collie

is smarter than the average republiCON. No doubt whatsoever.

[shenmue]

2. The doggies are not just thinking, "Food"

They are thinking, "E=mc(squared)."

[Brickbat]

3. Volunteer dogs?

It seems to me this would actually be a self-selecting group of people who love their dogs very much and feel like their dogs are special, which, IMO, would skew the research somewhat.

[stone space]

4. Dogs are incredibly smart, and very good at reading the minds of humans.

Just look at how they've domesticated humans.

[LiberalElite]

6. Hey - my cats have trained me

and they didn't even use treats!

[KT2000]

7. Yep - me too.

it's been a grueling obstacle course but I finally hit on acceptable cat food. Yahoo!

[arcane1]

5. I wish I could be studying dogs via puppet shows tomorrow morning instead of my usual work.

Alas. This sounds both fascinating and fun!

[IDemo]

8. I know how dogs think:

http://www.artpal.com/buy/drawings/?i=15942-6

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. Me too...