World's Most Useful Dog

[YosemiteSam]

Really...cause stupid it not a word I've ever heard used to describe a Golden before.

You didn't catch the sarcasm in that statement? I thought the laughing and winking smiley was screaming sarcasm.

 

[Concord]

You didn't catch the sarcasm in that statement? I thought the laughing and winking smiley was screaming sarcasm.

I knew what you were saying.

You were saying he was stupid therefore his dogs were.

Or did I have it wrong?

I should have said exactly...not really.

 

[Doomsday101]

Big fan of the Golden I have owned 3

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Being trainable doesn't make them smart.

Then what does them being not trainable make them?

A dog's comprehension level and ability to achieve specific tasks, I think, make them smarter in terms of what we intended them for--and that's why we have most domesticated dogs. We bred them to train them.

No?

And yeah, terriers take a lot of attention and really they need to know commands and there are ways to teach them. But anyway, I think we'll agree to disagree. I really don't think there are specific dumb breeds, though. I think some are often underestimated...but with DNA and humans breeding dogs to behave to their specifics, instinctually, dogs are bred for various reasons like guard dogs, hunting, etc. So they tend to be geared towards certain tasks. But if an alaskan husky can pull your sleigh.....

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Big fan of the Golden I have owned 3

Very easily trained, well mannered and just fun dogs.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

How so? Cognitive vs emotional recognition? Elephants and Chimps are known to be cognitively self-aware (ie, know they are looking at their self in a mirror) while there are aren't any dogs that have displayed themselves to be self-aware.

Dogs are trained, but it is a learned behavior. Some dogs are considered (by some) to be smarter dogs. Golden's are one in that group, as well as German Shepards, Border Collies, etc but that is because they tend to be much more obedience than some other breeds. They tend to be more subservient and willing to please and therefore put more effort into learning a behavior to please their master.

That doesn't mean they have the cognitive intelligence to extrapolate answers complex problems. As far as I know, no dog has shown that type of intelligence similar to say Bottlenose Dolphins, Chimps, Elephants and obviously Humans.

Yeah, say if you put a wolf in a room with a steak inside of a cage, then wolf will get agitated and start banging the cage...even though a human is there and could probably help. The wolfe has instincts that don't reveal intelligence where he doesn't realize that he can not actually chew or growl his way into the cage...the border collie sees the steak..sniffs it, paws it..looks around and then sits and looks at the human, conceding it can't do this. Seemingly it says, "would you please use your thumb to kindly open the latch so I can get the steak?"

:laugh2:

I saw that on a dog documentary, but really the scientists speaking on the topic of "dog intelligence" were correct. Humans have manipulated dogs to great degrees. A lot of unique dogs out there... Golden's are great for a lot of things and do things for a lot of people, though.

 

[Doomsday101]

Very easily trained, well mannered and just fun dogs.

And it is this reason why so many Golden’s and Labs are used as assistant dogs for the disabled.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

And it is this reason why so many Golden’s and Labs are used as assistant dogs for the disabled.

They're amazing in that aspect. Truly helpful little animals. I love dogs....