Horizon tonight - Secret lives of dogs

[minimu]

Maybe worth a look

You beat me to it - I was just looking up the title to post! Have been counting how many words our pup understands in preparation - think it is more than 20. Anyone for a spot of competitive puppy boasting?!

oooh love puppy boasting - can I cheat and use my older dog! Off to work it out now ok had a boring day stuck at home in snow

Thanks for heads up - watching now. Isn't it fascinating about oxytocin peaking in dogs and owners during a petting session?

Hmm... lots of old material - reminds me of that 'Dogs That Changed The World' documentary. Better than watching Taggart though

Had to stifle a giggle when that woman suggested attempting to raid the fridge was a trait peculiar to wolves...

I really enjoyed it. confirmed everything us batty dog owners already know. I liked the bark recognition at the beginning. and am wondering how many dog owners are going to be attempting to train theirs to do Betsy the collie's tricks. she was amazing.

the pointing thing was interesting too - when dd was a few months old she participated in some research at UCL re when babies start to understand pointing. of course dd was going to be the genius baby that would confounnd the research

Betsy was fab- esp correlating the 2D picture to the 3D diagram. DH was happily reading and got a big elbow in the ribs at that point

Loved the little snarly wolf pup too.

Not diagram - object! Durr!

I remember haring you need a vocab of 2000 words to read the Telegraph, but only 200 to read the Sun.

Betsy more intelligent than a Sun reader? Like Hatwoman said : confirms what we already knew

Ooooh I watched this too. It confirmed all of the reasons why I love my doggy to bits.

Hearing, not haring.

I Fecking hate my iPhone!

Loved it. Esp the pointing and bark recognition. We all know that dogs understand gestures.

dd (dog, that is) did some pointing practice last night...he got average, not top, marks. I put 2 balls on the floor and then told him to fetch, whilst pointing at one of the balls. on the whole he got it but was sometimes confused when I switched which one I was pointing at. or when he just wanted to go for his favourite. they were different though - I think that had they been identical he would have got it totally.

right, next mission is to get him to distinguish a cuddly duck from a cuddly cat.

Hmmm...just had to wrestle a roast chicken out of the jaws of puppy when I opened the fridge.

Wolf cub anyone?

It explains a lot about my last puppy - I think I am going to sue over trade description act labrador puppy my @@@se it is a wolf cub.

As usual the tv programs take a hour to explain points that could be discussed in 15 minutes and misses out vital studies. No mention of Coppinger at all.

Coppinger narrates a lot of the other documentary I was talking about. It's really good - has computer graphics showing how different breeds move in different ways. I sent off to the US for mine (one of my dogs has a relative appearing in it - not a wolf, though ), watched it avidly and was then gutted when it popped up on Discovery a week or so later I think they may have it in the APDT library too...

dh has been phsl at me today. he says I am hot-housing. I've moved on from pointing at balls and am trying to get him to "bring snake"* and "bring bone". A just keeps looking at me with his "wtf is this all about" face. which almost certainly proves that he's communicating with me, if nothing else.

*snake was once a children's toy that looks like a draught excluder

Bella I saw the documentary after wading through his book loved it too and much more indepth than last night.

Ok back onto the soap box hatwoman clicker training will get the the more normal dog brain to pick up named items pretty quickly.

My choco lab who is definately not in the gifted and talented group even managed a few (ok 2 named items!) bless her but she is great at giving the best warm hugs in this cold weather

Arf - I just knew Minimu would tell you how to do that with a clicker, Hatwoman

Lol at hothousing too - how many words are we up to now, girls?

Minimu - I nearly fell off my chair when I saw Coppinger in the docu - and James Serpell too! Twas all lost on dh though!

And yes, Coppinger's book is a bit of an opus but I love his humility - even after training countless sled dogs. That's what I like about dogs - just when you think you might understand them a little, they do something that pulls you up short and makes you realise how much you still need to learn...

I am not a dog person at all, but I found the programme absolutely fascinating.
I am allergic to dogs but if I wasnt I would want a 'Betsy'

Latest issue of Dogs Trust e magazine, including link to Youtube Doggy IQ Tests:

ewagmagazine

Let's not get over competitive, okay ladies?