In a report that might make you cry “fake news,” researchers found that dogs just aren’t that smart. No, the researchers were not cats.
According to a shocking new CNN report, dogs do not possess any more intelligence than other carnivores like cats, chimpanzees, dolphins, wolves, pigs, or pigeons. The new study was conducted by researchers in Exeter and Canterbury University and published in the December issue of the journal Learning & Behavior . Psychologists, Professor Stephen Lea and Dr. Britta Osthaus, asked the question, “Are dogs really that special?” It turns out the correct answer, in general, is no in spite of how individual owners feel about their beloved best friends.
The study deduced, “we conclude that dog cognition is influenced by the membership of all three of these groups, and taking all three groups into account, dog cognition does not look exceptional.”
To arrive at such a conclusion, researchers explored dogs’ sensory cognition, physical cognition, spatial cognition, social cognition, and self-awareness. Additionally, they examined the animals as carnivores, social hunters, and domestic animals. Of course, in some areas the canines performed better than others. Pooches are average, or slightly above, in social cognition when interacting with humans, but they’re below average in physical cognition, which includes understanding and interacting with the objects in their environments. Sadly, though, dogs’ sense of smell is actually less than that of pigs, which may surprise many people.
Ultimately, according to the research, “when a broad-enough set of comparison species is considered, there is no current case for canine exceptionalism.”
In the past, research on dogs did not look at the aspects the most current researchers examined, according to a report from The Independent . Canines aren’t even better than other animals at responding to social cues when their owners train them. Plus, horses communicate with humans as effectively as pooches.
One Twitter user figured out the study’s intent almost instantly. Kara Elizabeth tweeted, “These scientists are biased by all the money they receive from the cat scientist lobbyists.”
Yet another user pointed out the obvious, “Dogs have managed to infiltrate the human home….sleep on our beds….eat our food…get kisses all day long from humans…get their poop cleaned by humans…THATS PRETTY FREAKING EXCEPTIONAL if you ask me.”
One Twitter user had this astute observation, “Sounds like someone needs a puppy…”
Ultimately, despite this new study, researchers at the University of Arizona developed a Canine Aptitude Test, according to a WPTV report. The test supposedly determines if a dog is a good fit to become a working canine. Perhaps this test can shed more light on this subject.
