Pet Lovers

[RedTop]

WV does not have porcupines, but we have skunks, and regardless of how many times a dog gets sprayed by one, a nose full of scent leads an unrestrained dog to trouble every time.   

Growing up on a farm with chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs, we never credited any of them for an abundance of intelligence.    

[PuppyLoverBob666]

This has been a really fascinating discussion and I'm glad I started this thread. If anyone else has anything else to add, I'd enjoy hearing it.

[PuppyLoverBob666]

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@RedTop wrote:

WV does not have porcupines, but we have skunks, and regardless of how many times a dog gets sprayed by one, a nose full of scent leads an unrestrained dog to trouble every time.   

Growing up on a farm with chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs, we never credited any of them for an abundance of intelligence.    

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Don't get mad at me for bringing up Dr. Pol, but would anyone agree with him that you should never turn your back on an Angus, whether a cow or a bull. He explianed that since their disteny to end up on a hamburger bun or a steak on your plate, they're generally left to themselves out in a pasture and aren't handled much so are pretty wild.

Make fun of me for watching and liking Dr. Pol () but I've learned a lot about animals. I never knew that farm animals were so varied and interesting and after watching his show for a while, I have begun to understand several species and appreciate how hard vets in general work.

I wonder what his bills for various services are because he's open pretty much 24/7 plus that's a huge business that needs heat, lights, etc.

[FancyPhillyshopper]

Well, I decided to pop in to this discussion because I have been a pet owner for decades, many diverse species, and certainly respect and love all my animal companions. I also like to read research, especially evidence-based and scientifically recognized studies. I rarely watch those animal programs.

Let's just say this whole conversation about animal intelligence is weak, because the focus is on animals and the interactions they do as interpreted by humans and compared to humans, and most people are not even experts on human behavior.

Is a dog that continues to go after a porcupine stupid?  No, dogs are territiorial, and will always investigate other species.  The hunting instinct in many dogs is still very strong.  I am sure that if a dog hunted porcupines every week, it would soon learn the best way to avoid the quills and kill the animal. Most dogs also hunt in packs in the wild, and learn from their mothers and each other.  Puppies are denied much of that learning when they are deposited with humans at a young age.

Dogs exist in a universe that is different from ours. They can smell thousands of things we cannot, and understand the environment in ways we never will. Their hearing is much more sensitive and can attune quickly to specific sounds (e.g., one of my dogs knew the sound of the motor of my car, versus my husband's car, vs. the UPS truck and could hear them on the street while inside the room and would react accordingly!). Over the millennia domesticated dogs have learned to respond and adapt their behavior to human actions.  

Cats also pass knowledge to each other.  Many of my cats have taught other cats in the family how to do something.  Cats have some of the best hearing of small high sounds, and they know where things are just by hearing them (flies buzzing), which we rarely can.

Yes, dogs and cats and other animals will definitely recognize and bond with family members and care for them and protect them in their own way.  Each animal is unique and has a different personality, and behavior can change as a pet ages. 

I have been very blessed to have many wonderful, loving animals as a part of my family almost my entire life.

[beach-mom]

@PuppyLoverBob666 - I've never heard of Dr. Poi, but DH is also a veterinarian AND he grew up milking cows on their dairy farm. 

I don't know much about farm animals, but obviously I've learned a lot about them. DH said some of the Angus he worked with were kind of crazy and he didn't trust them. The only ones I came into contact with were the calves in the barn. I learned never to walk behind any large animal, cow, horse, or something else.

DH was his parents' only son. He did not want to take over the farm, which is good because otherwise I never would have met him!  

[phoenixbrd]

I wish some humans had the intelligence, compassion, sense of humor, loyalty, and love  that my dog has shown. Animals are intelligent and sentient beings.

[gardenman]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

Some of the most stoopid animals on earth walk on two legs.

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I agree. A lot of intelligence is due to selective breeding. Some breeds of dogs are bred to be smart. My old German Shepherd had about a ninety-word vocabulary. You could have a conversation with him.  He knew the names of his toys and you could tell him which one to get and he'd trot off and bring it back. He was very smart.

[Magicrat]

I have 2 Border Collies that are smarter than most humans.

[CamilleP]

@gardenman  My first Scottie was like that, she knew the human names for all her toys.  My dogs used to love their Nylabones, but I was worried about them breaking or cracking teeth on the hard ones (this was long before Greenies were invented), so when Nylabone started making Gummabones, I bought them, including the sort of "football" shaped ones.  Maggie was a big Kong lover as well, so when I brought home the knobby oblong gummies the first time, I put one down next to the toy basket full of all the other chewies, and asked Maggie to find the "gummy kong".  She knew what Gummabones were, she knew what Kongs were, so she went, looked over the choices, and picked up the vaguely Kong-shaped Gummabone material toy, and brought it to me.  She understood the mash-up of two words to make a new name for a new toy.  Lordy I miss that dog, every single day of my life!

[RedTop]

@PuppyLoverBob666 

I can see you find a lot of entertainment in Dr. Pol's show, and are learning some interesting things about animals and farm life.

Living on a farm I learned many life lessons, including, never trust or turn your back on ANY farm animal!   My Grandpa raised Hereford cattle, not Angus, but no adult is going to fair well against any animal that weighs 1000-1800 lbs.  

Grandpa was a hands on farmer; he kept the cows sprayed and treated, to reduce flies and pinkeye, he poured burnt motor oil on the backs of the hogs to keep down lice, bugs, flies, but just because the animals allowed him near enough to do those things, he knew to be extremely careful.  When farm animals are on the move, you get out of their way; they do not follow your commands.