Chaser, a six-year-old border collie, understands more than 1,000 words taught by her owner. Chaser doesn’t just know the words “sit,” “fetch,” and “roll over”; it exceeds more.
Chaser’s owner and a retired psychology professor, John Pilley, has spent many years training Chaser’s intellect. He used objects such as children’s toys to direct his dog, and all of those objects have unique names that Chaser unbelievably remembers.
After three years of intense training, they spend four to five hours daily. Chaser eventually learned 1,000 vocabulary words and understood almost everything her owner said. Chaser learns by elimination process – when she is uncertain about the answer, she will randomly guess and pick the toy.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, a PBS host, visited Chaser and John Pilley to witness the dog’s brilliant mind. He brought a new toy named “Darwin” and tested if he could identify it even if he hadn’t seen it before. And like any other person, he was amazed by Chaser’s capacity.
A dog’s training is similar to how children are taught at a fragile moment of their growth, said Brian Hare, an animal researcher. He believes that behind the dog’s learning is social intelligence. They wanted to cling and be around their human master.
Other researchers assume that dogs can learn just like humans, but they still need to prove it through conducting research. John Pilley created an article providing insights about his training tactics and Chaser’s ability to share them with others.
Some are just getting started, but Pilley and others hope that many dogs can learn new things as humans do. They will surely be teachable and have compassion in learning. The owners must also love and care for them as they will do the same.
Video credit: BBC Earth