I have noticed with amusement how one of the best compliments I can pay my clients is to tell them that their dog is smart. Not beautiful, funny or that the conformation is exactly per the dog’s breed. What they love to hear most is that their dog is smart!
It begs the question as to how do we define “smart” and how can we “test” for smartness? There are ample studies that have tackled these questions. The research of Dr. Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger comes to mind. In their book Dogs, they make the case (among other really interesting facts) that there is not “one” way to be intelligent. Just like with people, dogs have different aptitudes or was of what could be called “intelligence." For the authors, it is really about the conformation of the dog (its size, shape, etc.) plus their “breed-specific behavior conformations” – how their brain is “wired” that determines a breed’s aptitude for a certain “job” or specialization.
What's more it's not only the breed that will determine if a dog excels in an activity, but it goes down to the individual’s genetic predisposition and the environment (learning) that molds “smartness” in the dog.
It comes by no surprise that Brian Hare PhD & Vanessa Woods latest book: The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think, has created an enthusiastic curiosity amongst dog guardians and (some) pros in the field of behavior. However, the “conversation” between the two camps of cognitive scientists and behaviorists is not a new one, it spans back a few decades.
Now back to their book… a few years ago I heard Brian and Vanessa (a husband & wife team) speak at the National Association for Professional Dog Trainers Conference (APDT) so I bought and read the book as soon as it came out. From the very beginning the book reads like an engrossing story, with Brian’s narration as a blend of personal stories of discovery with his dog “Oreo” and his professional findings. Brian’s background is in evolutionary anthropology; a discipline that is very much in line with my interest (besides all doggie-things) so perhaps this is also why I enjoyed the book so much.
There is another aspect of the book/research that is worth mentioning. As part of their ongoing research, they have created what they called Dognition - a series of science-based games to help reveal how your dog sees the world. Taken from their website, Dognition is "about discovering which skills your own dog relies on to navigate the world — the ones your dog excels at as well as the challenges. Knowing your dog’s “cognitive style” can help shed light on where your best friend is coming from — and the new places your relationship can go.” www.dognition.com
I must admit that the idea of finding more about the difference in my own dog’s learning style interested me until I learned how long and tedious some of these games can be. I was also uneasy with the idea of having to pay a monthly subscription while at the same time contributing to their ongoing research. Shouldn't they be paying participants for helping them with their research?
However, when I got to Chapter 10: Teaching Genius, I almost drop the book from my lap by Brian’s comments in regards to the application of Skinnerian conditioning in the field of dog training & behavior. Granted that his “issues” with Skinner are ones that trainers and behaviorists employing his methods – (with success in the field not only in a “lab” setting) have heard before.
I give points to Dr. Hare for apologizing and clarifying the remarks made in his book in the May 2013 edition of the Whole Dog Journal where he states …"I actually do think trainers are using a cognitive approach … and it is not that operant and classical conditioning don’t work- of course they do... It’s perhaps a miscommunication about definitions." - P.g. 20
What I would like to say in closing is that as it stands today, trainers that subscribe to behaviorism are not denying the existence of the mind or emotions in their client’s dogs- as if the pet was an automaton. Instead, we are applying the methods of Pavlov and Skinner while working with our client’s dogs (or our own) as individual learners.
Should you invest your time and money in Dognition? I say why not as long as you keep in mind that what you might learn about your dog’s cognition is still not the last word!
It begs the question as to how do we define “smart” and how can we “test” for smartness? There are ample studies that have tackled these questions. The research of Dr. Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger comes to mind. In their book Dogs, they make the case (among other really interesting facts) that there is not “one” way to be intelligent. Just like with people, dogs have different aptitudes or was of what could be called “intelligence." For the authors, it is really about the conformation of the dog (its size, shape, etc.) plus their “breed-specific behavior conformations” – how their brain is “wired” that determines a breed’s aptitude for a certain “job” or specialization.
What's more it's not only the breed that will determine if a dog excels in an activity, but it goes down to the individual’s genetic predisposition and the environment (learning) that molds “smartness” in the dog.
It comes by no surprise that Brian Hare PhD & Vanessa Woods latest book: The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think, has created an enthusiastic curiosity amongst dog guardians and (some) pros in the field of behavior. However, the “conversation” between the two camps of cognitive scientists and behaviorists is not a new one, it spans back a few decades.
Rioja attempts to bring a bag of charcoal through the doggie door. Lucky for us the bag was too big to fit through the door!
Now back to their book… a few years ago I heard Brian and Vanessa (a husband & wife team) speak at the National Association for Professional Dog Trainers Conference (APDT) so I bought and read the book as soon as it came out. From the very beginning the book reads like an engrossing story, with Brian’s narration as a blend of personal stories of discovery with his dog “Oreo” and his professional findings. Brian’s background is in evolutionary anthropology; a discipline that is very much in line with my interest (besides all doggie-things) so perhaps this is also why I enjoyed the book so much.
There is another aspect of the book/research that is worth mentioning. As part of their ongoing research, they have created what they called Dognition - a series of science-based games to help reveal how your dog sees the world. Taken from their website, Dognition is "about discovering which skills your own dog relies on to navigate the world — the ones your dog excels at as well as the challenges. Knowing your dog’s “cognitive style” can help shed light on where your best friend is coming from — and the new places your relationship can go.” www.dognition.com
I must admit that the idea of finding more about the difference in my own dog’s learning style interested me until I learned how long and tedious some of these games can be. I was also uneasy with the idea of having to pay a monthly subscription while at the same time contributing to their ongoing research. Shouldn't they be paying participants for helping them with their research?
However, when I got to Chapter 10: Teaching Genius, I almost drop the book from my lap by Brian’s comments in regards to the application of Skinnerian conditioning in the field of dog training & behavior. Granted that his “issues” with Skinner are ones that trainers and behaviorists employing his methods – (with success in the field not only in a “lab” setting) have heard before.
I give points to Dr. Hare for apologizing and clarifying the remarks made in his book in the May 2013 edition of the Whole Dog Journal where he states …"I actually do think trainers are using a cognitive approach … and it is not that operant and classical conditioning don’t work- of course they do... It’s perhaps a miscommunication about definitions." - P.g. 20
What I would like to say in closing is that as it stands today, trainers that subscribe to behaviorism are not denying the existence of the mind or emotions in their client’s dogs- as if the pet was an automaton. Instead, we are applying the methods of Pavlov and Skinner while working with our client’s dogs (or our own) as individual learners.
Should you invest your time and money in Dognition? I say why not as long as you keep in mind that what you might learn about your dog’s cognition is still not the last word!
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