http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8441974.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8441974.stm)
and it speaks German! oops understands German ;D
Possum and I watched the documentary this weekend and were fascinated by all the things dogs can do.
I've decided to try and teach ours a few words - Jumbone, rope and ball - but as we've recently started learning the "stop" command we'll have to wait a while. She's a rescue dog and has learned all her basic stuff like heel, sit, down, stay etc very quickly in class but doesn't think the same level of instant obedience is required when out for walkies. We live out in the country where pheasants, hares and roe deer can suddenly distract her and we get occasional cars zooming down the lanes, hence the need for stop.
Learning that vocabulary is an impressive feat, but the whole animal-inteligence thing is only surprising when you start from the position that humans are the only sentient, self-aware animal, whereas it's just a spectrum with different animals evolving different faculties according to their niche. But the human-dog relationship is a special one and I'm not surprised that dogs have evolved human characteristics.
Dogs (and cats for that matter) understand a hellova lot more than they are given credit for.
Getting them to be obedient to verbal instructions?
Quite a different matter.
the border collie recognised 340 words, and could find things if you showed it a picture of it :o. Don't think i'd like the responsibility of having a dog that bright.
I preferred the dopey puppy that thought when you pointed at something, it was supposed to lick the end of your finger, then lie on its back expecting to get tickled :D
The video didn't surprise me. A few years back we wrote down all the words that our dog understood and there were an awful lot. She seemed to know as much as a three year old child.
If they had the right voice box I am certain they would be able to speak to us. ;D
My old collie Benjy didn't need human vocabulary he was normally ahead of me and words!
They are incredibly intelligent in the NOW type of thing - worst part of this was when I had him put to sleep - the ketamine - which is supposed to completely tranquilize them before the lethal injection - didn't work or he was using his brain through it and this awful howling and wailing noise was coming from him. I am positive he knew what I was doing to him. Terrible time.
Old Bird.
???
My dog Vera understands everything I say to her.......but she chooses to ignore me.