Re: the intelligence of various animals

Imaoldhippie · ‎06-10-2015

Well lets put it this way, A dog can understand what we say to them but we cant understand what they say (barks).

BE THE PERSON YOUR DOG THINKS YOU ARE! (unknown)

silkyk · ‎03-03-2011

My Silky Terriers and my horse are far more intelligent than MOST of the people I meet nowdays. No contest.

geezerette · ‎03-16-2010

@PuppyLoverBob666 wrote:
@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.

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.

@PuppyLoverBob666

I watch Dr. Pol too, and I like him. But I have to say that every time he says that it irks me. I've raised Angus and they're no more dangerous than any other breed of beef cattle.

I think the better comparison is cattle raised for meat versus cattle used for milking. Milk cows are handled every day, whereas beef cows generally are not. Any animal that is basically left on it's own from babyhood will not be as domesticated as one that is handled every single day. The same could be said for dogs or cats.

Take a Holstein bull/steer or cow and put them out to pasture without human interaction, and they're just as liable to be as wild as any beef breed. It's not necessarily the breed.

eadu4 · ‎06-14-2011

People posting about cats and dogs, you are forgetting some very smart animals to include the octopus (look it up-they escape their aquariums, they can unscrew jars etc.. Also dolphins, gorillas, monkeys...there are plenty of animals that have shown intelligence and an ability to learn and retain that knowledge. Sure dogs and cats have levels of intelligence. But there are more out there that are quite capable of learning and retention of that knowledge. Also may I add rats and even mice have shown intelligence. Some of it basic, but none the less, they have the ability to learn and retain that knowledge.

phoenixbrd · ‎03-27-2010

@eadu4 i agree which is why I posted "Animals" instead of dogs and cats in my response. ( It also one of the reasons why I don't eat them.)

phoenixbrd

Honored Contributor

Posts: 10,064

Registered: ‎03-27-2010

‎06-22-2022 12:21 AM

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.

@eadu4 wrote:
People posting about cats and dogs, you are forgetting some very smart animals to include the octopus (look it up-they escape their aquariums, they can unscrew jars etc.. Also dolphins, gorillas, monkeys...there are plenty of animals that have shown intelligence and an ability to learn and retain that knowledge. Sure dogs and cats have levels of intelligence. But there are more out there that are quite capable of learning and retention of that knowledge. Also may I add rats and even mice have shown intelligence. Some of it basic, but none the less, they have the ability to learn and retain that knowledge.

PuppyLoverBob666 · ‎12-17-2021

@geezerette wrote:
@PuppyLoverBob666 wrote:
@RedTop wrote:

Take a Holstein bull/steer or cow and put them out to pasture without human interaction, and they're just as liable to be as wild as any beef breed. It's not necessarily the breed.
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Actually, that's pretty much what Dr. Pol has said--any cow that isn't handled by humans can be pretty wild. He's said, never turn your back on an Angus bull, but it also applies to most other cow breeds.

Eventually he's going to retire or drop dead while "in harness". Who do you think should take over the practice when he's gone? I vote for Dr. Brenda--I like her a lot. After she called a client to let them know their pet had died overnight, you could see the tears running down her face.

I like the two younger vets too--the giggly blonde and one other whose name I can't remember.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@PuppyLoverBob666 wrote:
I've been watching a lot of animal programs--Dr. Pol, Secrets of the Zoo, etc. and I would like to ask people who know about how smart some species are.

I'm sorry to say this but I get the impression that dogs are ... well ... stupid because they don't seem to learn from their mistakes. I've seen dogs that have gotten full of porcupine quills. It can take a lot of time and sometimes pain medication to get those things out. And then a short time later, the same dog gets into a scuffle with another porcupine and gets the same result. It must be hard on the dog, probably gives it a lot of pain and probably runs up a horrendous vet bill. And they keep doing the same thing. (Probably being out in farm country has something to do with it?)

What about cows? do they all have the same level on intelligence or are some species smarter or dumber than other kinds?

Are horses smart? And having had cats all my life, I know how smart they are but there are some that are dumb too.

Please don't be offended by what I said about dogs; I'm sure there are plenty of smart ones but of course, they aren't the ones that show up at the vet's office full of porcupine quills.

@PuppyLoverBob666

To my knowledge, there are no iQ tests that can accurately determine animal intelligence. Some breeds are smarter than others, but I think instinct is the primary determination.

Yes, a dog can seem stupid, but if their family or home is threatened, instinct kicks in to protect and defend their humans.

And, now that I think about it, Lassie seemed very smart.

PuppyLoverBob666 · ‎12-17-2021

And, now that I think about it, Lassie seemed very smart.

And Timmy wasn't so smart, since he kept falling down that well.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@silkyk wrote:
My Silky Terriers and my horse are far more intelligent than MOST of the people I meet nowdays. No contest.

@silkyk Horses are smarter that you would ever think, and a few are dastardly smart like really smart cats. They can outfox you before you know it! Horses also plan things, again like cats, watch you and strike when you let your guard down.

I miss living with horses every day of my life.

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

@PuppyLoverBob666 wrote:
I've been watching a lot of animal programs--Dr. Pol, Secrets of the Zoo, etc. and I would like to ask people who know about how smart some species are.

I'm sorry to say this but I get the impression that dogs are ... well ... stupid because they don't seem to learn from their mistakes. I've seen dogs that have gotten full of porcupine quills. It can take a lot of time and sometimes pain medication to get those things out. And then a short time later, the same dog gets into a scuffle with another porcupine and gets the same result. It must be hard on the dog, probably gives it a lot of pain and probably runs up a horrendous vet bill. And they keep doing the same thing. (Probably being out in farm country has something to do with it?)

What about cows? do they all have the same level on intelligence or are some species smarter or dumber than other kinds?

Are horses smart? And having had cats all my life, I know how smart they are but there are some that are dumb too.

Please don't be offended by what I said about dogs; I'm sure there are plenty of smart ones but of course, they aren't the ones that show up at the vet's office full of porcupine quills.

Have you ever had a dog? If not, you should go by what you see on tv.