This program, "Dog Genius," will show again on December 30 on
National Geographic Channel.

It described some of the intellectual feats of dogs, particularly
those involving paying attention to humans. It demoed a dog
choosing a treat hidden under one of two cups, using only the
direction of gaze of the researcher. Another dog would leave a
treat untouched - until the researcher closed her eyes, and then,
after several seconds, the dog ate the treat. [Hmmm - Oppie only
table surfs when we are not at home. I'll have to experiment
with the closed eyes.]

There were segments about Jennifer Arnold and her Canine
Assistants program, which looks like it uses a Superpuppy
training program from birth. Rico, the dog genius, can select
toys by name (out of 200, they claimed), and if presented with a
novel name, he will check out his toys until he finds one he
hasn't seen before and select that one. Donnie the Doberman
arranges his stuffed toys in triangles, parallel lines, and other
geometric patterns, sometimes in piles, often grouping them by
type (frogs, monkeys). What is he trying to do?

Fascinating show - I wish Diddy could see it! (I tried to tape
it but recorder was acting up - hopefully I'll capture it on the
30th.)

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

FurPaw spoke these words of wisdom in
:

This program, "Dog Genius," will show again on December 30 on
National Geographic Channel.

It described some of the intellectual feats of dogs, particularly
those involving paying attention to humans. It demoed a dog
choosing a treat hidden under one of two cups, using only the
direction of gaze of the researcher. Another dog would leave a
treat untouched - until the researcher closed her eyes, and then,
after several seconds, the dog ate the treat. [Hmmm - Oppie only
table surfs when we are not at home. I'll have to experiment
with the closed eyes.]

There were segments about Jennifer Arnold and her Canine
Assistants program, which looks like it uses a Superpuppy
training program from birth. Rico, the dog genius, can select
toys by name (out of 200, they claimed), and if presented with a
novel name, he will check out his toys until he finds one he
hasn't seen before and select that one. Donnie the Doberman
arranges his stuffed toys in triangles, parallel lines, and other
geometric patterns, sometimes in piles, often grouping them by
type (frogs, monkeys). What is he trying to do?

Fascinating show - I wish Diddy could see it! (I tried to tape
it but recorder was acting up - hopefully I'll capture it on the
30th.)

FurPaw


I was called and told that I must see it. I missed it, because I don't get
cable/satellite.

Tuck was doing the treat under the cup when he was weeks old. It's on his
puppy development website

diddy wrote:
FurPaw spoke these words of wisdom in
:

Fascinating show - I wish Diddy could see it! (I tried to tape
it but recorder was acting up - hopefully I'll capture it on the
30th.)

I was called and told that I must see it. I missed it, because I don't get
cable/satellite.

Tuck was doing the treat under the cup when he was weeks old. It's on his
puppy development website

I was thinking that Tuck should have been on the show. Him and
Skidboots.

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

FurPaw spoke these words of wisdom in
:

diddy wrote:
FurPaw spoke these words of wisdom in
:

Fascinating show - I wish Diddy could see it! (I tried to tape
it but recorder was acting up - hopefully I'll capture it on the
30th.)

I was called and told that I must see it. I missed it, because I don't
get cable/satellite.

Tuck was doing the treat under the cup when he was weeks old. It's on
his puppy development website

I was thinking that Tuck should have been on the show. Him and
Skidboots.

FurPaw


Skidboots died. Tuck is just beginning. You should have seen his father.
Tuck is promising. Danny would have blown you away.

diddy wrote:
FurPaw spoke these words of wisdom in
:

I was thinking that Tuck should have been on the show. Him and
Skidboots.

Skidboots died.

I know. But lots of video clips of him are available.

Tuck is just beginning. You should have seen his father.
Tuck is promising. Danny would have blown you away.

I believe that - well, when you see the program, you'll see where
Tuck would have fit in. I think they could have done more with
super puppy, beyond a brief mention of it, because the whole
focus was on how much more intelligent dogs are, or can be, than
most folks, including canine behavioral researchers, think. (I
found the problem with my DVR and will try to record the show
Dec. 30. If you haven't already received a copy from someone
else, I'll make one and send it to you.)

FurPaw


--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

Not sure if you got my email or not.

Look for it please?

Tuck and Skidboot are/were high functioning dogs. Certainly trainability is
high.

I (my personal observation and opinion) is not what a dog is trained to do
that determines genius, but what a dog will do as far as creative problem
solving when never previously having been presented the problem before.

Tuck has all the foundations in place to have a huge toolbox. He likes to
learn, in fact, is thirsty to learn, demanding to be trained.

If a dog doesn't creatively use their toolbox independently, then they are
a dog with a big toolbox, and very trainable.

If they find new ways to use their toolbox independently, THAT determines
genius.

The greater the toolbox that you offer them, the greater the potential
within the dog.

Fur Paw said in part.
This program "Dog Genius" will show again on December 30th on National
Geographic channel.
__________________________
Fur Paw,
I did see "Dog Genius" and I found it very interesting. I was
distracted by the phone, so I would like the opportunity to view it
again.
I was very impressed. I use my eyes to signal my dogs. I will not
move a muscle, and with the exception of Buck, they look at me, to see
where I am "pointing".
I think I can predict what will happen if I close my eyes, and there
is a treat on the ground Buck would have it, I know, but I am anxious
to try it on the other ones. I guess I am day dreaming, but I don't
think they would make a move. It is funny, but the dog that they used
for that test, looked older, which made me believe it was well behaved,
otherwise?
The German dog was incredible. Didn't they say he had 300 words in
his memory bank?
I missed the Dobe.
I have no way to copy the repeat showing, but I will be watching it.
I enjoyed what I saw. It was amazing.


Be Free.....Judy

"diddy" none wrote:

I (my personal observation and opinion) is not what a dog is trained to do
that determines genius, but what a dog will do as far as creative problem
solving when never previously having been presented the problem before.

snip


If they find new ways to use their toolbox independently, THAT determines
genius.


Took the words right out of my fingers! G
All of my dogs have been very intelligent and very trainable.
However, NOT all of them would pull a stunt like Brenin's
yank-the-covers-off-the-bed routine.
I've not told the story for awhile, so:
Chapter the first:
One morning, when Brenin was young, I decided to see what he'd do if I
didn't respond to his stare, under-the-breath whine, "roo", nose-jab,
"Roo!", nose-jab, "ROOROO!!" - in order of escalation, with dancing added at
the "roo" - "Hey you! Get up and let me out!" routine. He tried all his
usual stuff, getting more and more perturbed when I grunted and ignored him.
After several minutes, he ceased efforts, stood there with wrinkled brow,
and started looking around. He looked at my face, looked around the room,
looked at the bed, looked back at my face... then leaned forward, grabbed
the covers in his mouth and pulled them off the bed.

Second chapter of the story:
On the initial episode, my response to the cover yank was to burst out
laughing and get up. After which, every few mornings, I'd pull the same
stunt, adding a fake snore into the mix, and got the cover yank on cue to
the snore. The weather got warmer, and one morning when he yanked the
covers off, I said "Ha Ha Bren, I'm still warm, I'm going back to sleep!",
and snuggled my head down into the pillow.
"ROOOO!" quoth he, and proceeded to lean forward, grab the pillow, and yank
it out from under my head.

What makes both things stand out, to me, is that while other dogs I've had
might have come up with the same solutions, he's the only one who did both
on the spur of the moment - IOW, without trial and error/shaping.


The greater the toolbox that you offer them, the greater the potential
within the dog.

Hrm. I think I'd phrase that "the greater the toolbox, the most
opportunity for the dog to express the potential within".

Took the words right out of my fingers! G
All of my dogs have been very intelligent and very trainable.
However, NOT all of them would pull a stunt like Brenin's
yank-the-covers-off-the-bed routine.

snip of great 'Wake Ma up now' story, I remember when you first told us
about it! lol

Hrm. I think I'd phrase that "the greater the toolbox, the most
opportunity for the dog to express the potential within".

Well Sam is learning about his 'toolbox' and what is in ours or his.

He's been great on the 'leave it' or just a quiet 'don't touch Sam'. I
really didn't think he's been trained as much as we'd originally thought,
but who knows, a 9 month old Golden?

He DID pull a new one out on his own the other night, blew me away.
With him at his usual place right next to *me*, we went to the kitchen to
make tea, put the kettle on.
I had put the tea bags into the cup, folded the wrapping inside and went to
put the box back on counter top. I missed the counter, and the box wasn't
closed all the way. (Celestial Seasonings)
Sam barely noticed, (so I thought), the box fall down behind a few table
trays set up to hold extra holiday things. I very casually said, 'you can
get it if you feel like it, I'm not gonna bother right now', and we walked
in and out of the room, picking up his toys.

Went back to kitchen 2-3 times, checking on water.
I keep a running commentary going with Sam, (actually I talk to myself, or
whomever, all the time), and he listens like Rudy did, from puppyhood. Yeah,
there are body signals and such but he was GOOD!

Finally, 10 minutes or so later, with my tea, I walk to the living room, and
sit down. Turning all lights out on the way, (keeps him closer to me), I sat
down, with him at my feet for about 5 minutes or so. I look down and realize
he's not in the room, so I call out, "Sam?"

Here he enters the room with the tea box, lid open, in his VERY soft mouth,
offering me the tea bags! I didn't say a word, til I could pick my jaw off
the floor, and he brought it right to me, and set it on the coffee table
next to my cup!!!
I can't imagine them teaching THAT, but it sure reminded me just how much
they really pick up, out of all the words that come out of my mouth.

Think we got a GREAT trainable dog here, and my vet had tears in his eyes,
(same one who took care of Rudy from 8 weeks to sending him on, out of
pain), watching us as we were leaving Sam's first check up and rabies shot.
Said, "I didn't think I would ever see another great match as you and Rudy,
but you couldn't have done better."
He's in GREAT shape, and is such a lover.....Sam not my vet. BG

He already knows six of his toys' names, and retieves on command.
So yeah I agree.....

Mare and Da Smiff Den

"Mary Beth" wrote in message
...
snipped

Think we got a GREAT trainable dog here, and my vet had tears in his eyes,
(same one who took care of Rudy from 8 weeks to sending him on, out of
pain), watching us as we were leaving Sam's first check up and rabies
shot.
Said, "I didn't think I would ever see another great match as you and
Rudy,
but you couldn't have done better."
He's in GREAT shape, and is such a lover.....Sam not my vet. BG

He already knows six of his toys' names, and retieves on command.
So yeah I agree.....

Mare and Da Smiff Den


Great story! I too was *there* a couple years ago, thinking I"d never find
another. And then I did. So I can truly relate to your story. I wish you
and Sam very many happy healthy years ahead.

best,

td