The 10 smartest animals

Wow, that’s an amazing story. I am glad that you overcame that obstacle of your life.

Thank God For Our Family....Dogs, They Are A Huge Part Of Our Lives.

Sara

I think dogs should rate higher on the intellingence scale. I have a Border Collie, Australian Shepard mix, and a Jack Russell Terrier. Both, without effort or special training understand English. They know exactly what you say to them and respond accordingly. I think all dogs have this capability...it is just a matter of spending bonding time with them.

I have a Border Collie too, and I agree with you! Border Collies are the best! My dog Buffie saved my life once. A guy came to my house once and demanded that we give him money. We told him no, but he was getting ready to pull out a gun, and Buffie tore out of my grip and through the screen door and scared him off! I probably wouldn't be here today if she hadn't done that. I thank God that I have such a loving companion.

We have a chihuahua - a 16 pounder... he's quite smart too, as he almost always has his head stuck thru the mini blinds when me and my daughter come home from her tae kwon do practice 3 times a week. My mother lives with us and said that he's at the window at least 3 minutes before we even turn down the road where he can see us. He does this also on the 2 days we don't go and come home directly from the bus stop. Either it's learned behavior or he knows the days of the week.

My daughter sometimes tries to hide from him when we come home from practice, and Milo knows she just has to be there and he looks everywhere and always finds her, then jumps all over her in pure joy.

I also have a disability, and when I'm in severe pain and/or quite depressed about the whole situation, Milo is always extra attentive. If he's in the way and we tell him to back up, he steps back at least 4 times to get out of the way. My daughter has had a blast training him to do little things, the only thing we can't get him to do is stop barking at anything outside, or when the doorbell rings. It's annoying, but it's his only fault - well, except for liking spots on the couch too...!

Had a chow/golden retriever mix too (she passed away), and during a break in at the house, she went thru the front window, head first, and scared off the crooks. The cops found the glass on the outside of the house, proving that it was her that went after them out the window. Thank God she had a hard head and wasn't hurt or cut. She was very protective and we loved her. Well trained too, just a little extra hairy tho from being part chow.

Speaking of intelligence, you really need to access your spell-check. It also wouldn't hurt to brush up on your syntax.

If you can find a good dog maybe you should breed it. Or even clone it? The only dogs i ever had were family dogs not mine. They just followed my dad around and ignored the rest of us. I didnt like them much and thought they were stupid. Someday i will have one of my own and hope i get a good one like yours.

I know that my dog knows my every emotion. Not to mention what shoes, clothes, or routine that I carry out. He also knows changes in the house, and outside in "his territory". He has a keen sense of smell as well. I would not trade anything for him- dogs are truly a man's best friend in my eyes, or at least this is my best friend ever. I have already told my husband that when he goes- I go for a while too.

elspeth dmysts, what an emotionally unintelligent response! and your tone! there are times and places to be anal about grammar. Surely this is not one of them. gingerine was sharing from her heart about her/his dog and that's all you could take from/add to it? I hope you are not a teacher in real life.

I agree with you ginerine about the Rottwiler.I have a seven year old rottie who is seven also. He is amazing. At times I would swear he knows what I am thinking. I have this connection with him that I haven't had with my ex-wife, friends or my girlfriend now. I had another rottie. However, he wasn't anything like this guy. He is truly my best friend.

why are humans at the top of this list? most of you are dumber than squirrels. also ben franklin- do not get a dog. you are much dumber than a dog so you will frustate the dog

The difference between humans and other animals in my humble opinion is:

Humans are conscious of their consciousness, which I think is the main differentiating factor that defines us as "more" intelligent. While many of these animals may be extremely smart, capable of memory recall and self realization, I don't think they are capable of being conscious of their consciousness. To be able to step outside your own thoughts and become an observer of those thoughts is something that is very unique and distinguishable in terms of human intelligence.

Speaking of intelligence, you really need to access your spell-check. It also wouldn't hurt to brush up on your syntax.

Elspeth D'Mysts that was uncalled for.

TAB~

Joelfirck,

On several occasions I have seen cats do double-takes, as if to say, "I didn't really just do that, did I?" I've seen animals repeatedly show a sense of humor. They were aware of the effect that they had and would do this to get a laugh. Now I don't know how many times something has to reverberate in ones mind before it is called consciousness of consciousness and of course I am not gifted enough to communicate completely with animals, but I believe they are aware of themselves and they may be aware of their consciousness. And until one of them is able to communicate this to us or we are able to understand that they have been trying to communicate this to us, we will just be batting this around in the darkness of ignorance.

Peace,

Marci

Sorry about my spelling and syntax, I am a dumb foreigner who lives in your beautiful country which I love very much.
In my native language I can read and write very well, so please forgive me if I have insulted you or hurt your feelings about language. Hope you speak other languages perfect(ly?

gingerine,

Welcome to our country! :) I love diversity and am happy to have you. Forgive the low-life, uneducated bigots who find every reason to denigrate anyone different from themselves. I LOVED your story about the dog. If anyone took real time to learn about some pets, they would see much more than meets the eye. :)

I do love you Americans, I had so many wonderful encounters with open minded people. I worked as a nurse and loved to hear people's stories. Everybody has a story you just need to listen and take the time.
And regarding the spelling, just laugh about yourself, it is easy and makes things pretty enjoyable.
As Saint Exupery said: one can only see with the heart.

Ben F2, at 2.6:

If you can find a good dog maybe you should breed it. ... I didnt like them much and thought they were stupid.

There's an old saying in the dog world -- train, don't complain. And there are way too many dogs bred for the wrong reasons. Which is why shelters are so full and so many dogs are put down because they can't find a worthy home. Humans are among the most selfish of species.

Someday i will have one of my own

Good plan, just get plenty of information about breed choices.

Yeah, I would've thought horses or bears (sorry Colbert) before squirrels. The article didn't really read like a Top 10 from the scientific community though...seemed more like the author's top 10...or a list of 10 smart animals.

I think that like so many, or maybe even all, other things...there is a continuum of intelligence...

Scientists say the definition of animal vs. human intelligence is merely a matter of degree.

I wonder if this means that the guy that lives down the street really is dumber than my Aussie. Whew! I feel bad for even thinking that! Bad 'cause I thought it...and bad for him 'cause its probably true.

the squirrels surprised me

Come on man, the Geico squirrel ad proves this.

come on man, its a GEICIO GECKO !

Wait! There is a geico squirrel!

I agree completely, do we, the human race, ever learn anything?

My Border collie is smarter than you honor roll student or so says the bumper sticker on my car.

I agree, the wolf is way smarter than a dog! When a dog is full grown, its mental capacity is that of a 3 or 4 year old, at best. Wolves are close to a 9 year old! So now tell me, ?????? why wasn't the wolf on the top 10 ?

if possible i wish to visit with you more about wolves. i wish someday to have one for a service animal. i am a person with a severe disability and some times could use "an extra paw or two" to assist me. why do i choose a wolf? because THEIR HIGH INTELLIGENCE. also their monogamy of family unit. they seem to be a one person type wolf to one person. also my late mother; when she was growing up had a half wolf and half dog for her pet.

Are you dumb dude? The wolf is a type of canine, the same as a dog. Same genus.

Not sure if you noticed NY Rich, a wolf is probably more intelligent all around, but we domesticated dogs (we didn't "down breed" them) in order to help protect our flocks and herds which the wolves were eating. Same genus, different species which equates with different levels of different intelligence. Personally, my dog is less likely to consume my cat while I run out to the store, and knows I'd have him out of the house in a moment if he tried. I'm saying that's intelligence.

A wolf is a canine NY Rich, which is pretty much what a dog is. Did you go to grade school with chimps? I think they may have ran a tight race for valedictorian in the New York school system. Maybe you could spend the next 30 years with humans.

Jazzfest, kryssy_az, and jmiowa,

Does it make you feel good to make the comments you made to NY Rich? Maybe you are just too dumb to get the point he is making. Maybe the three of you could learn a few things from chimps. How did that feel? Do you like being put-down? I didn't like doing it, but it might give you a different perspective.

While domesticated dogs and wolves are relatives, certain traits have been selected for in the domestication of dogs. We have selected the dog for being co-operative with the human pack. They probably still have the same abilities as wolves and might do reasonably well in the wild on their own, though perhaps not as well as wolves who learn a lot from their mothers and other pack members. The fact that the dog learns not to eat the cat and the consequences if it does does not make it more intelligent than the wolf. It just indicates that it understands the rules, most of the time. Within any pack there are rules and training and alpha individuals. Dogs have accepted, by and large, that the humans they live with are the alpha members, at least if the humans are intelligent enough to understand how this works. Otherwise, the dog and the humans have problems and both need to go for training.

Wolves are largely free of human influences in the wild. They have their own pack and their pack has the agenda of survival and self-propagation. They are already at home in their environment and ready to hit the trail running. Domestic dogs finding themselves in a similar situation are either on their own or need to form a pack to be effective. Dogs and coyotes seem to have a tendency to interact. Dogs that go wild do form packs and learn to work together like wolves and coyotes do (actually, I think coyotes are more solitary than wolves, but I don't feel like checking this out on-line).

The really strange thing about this whole discussion of intelligence is that, in some members of the human pack, it brings out the worst traits of our species. While competition has some value in terms of a learning curve, berating and bullying is disgusting and is more demeaning than what you see going on in any animal group from alpha members. In fact, in animal groups, like in the human group, I believe it is those lower down in the pack that misbehave like this. It usually comes from low self-esteem.

Retract your claws and play like nice little kitties and pups!

Peace,

Marci

That's a lie. Humans do not all have equal intelligence at all. Barring the outliers (like those with severe mental handicaps) the average IQ of a population of human beings ranges depending on geography, age, and a multitude of other factors.

Yes, the majority of humans (barring the outliers I mentioned) are on a different level of intelligence... but like the article said, it's still only a matter of degree, and that degree varies even amongst us. Yes, the variation in humans is generally less... but don't let that make you think it's not there.

Excuse me, but an outlier is: (autlaier) n (geol). a separate part of a rock formation detached from the principal part by erosion.

Do you even know what you're trying to say?

Dear D'Mysts:

Please chequea la gramatica por mi y por favor define en tu perfecto beyond perfecto english ....What is intelligence?

Don't be an idiot:

Outlier: A number in a set of data that is much larger or smaller than most of the other numbers in the set.

That word is used in statistics all the time

Seriously, Elspeth... do you just comb the posts looking for places where you can try and call someone on their stupidity? I can't think of a more hilarious point where someone's tried to do that. Anyone who's learned even the most basic stuff about statistics knows the term 'outlier.' Ease up, you're only going to make people start ignoring everything you say. And then, who knows, when you have something you genuinely wish to be heard about, it could just be that no one's going to listen. Nothing wrong with a little tolerance when it comes to other people. ;)

"all humans have equal intelligence." I'm honestly not so sure about that one, look at what goes on in parts of Africa and the middle east. For goodness sakes, look at television in the US! Also, are you saying that any human could have come up with E=mc2? Come on now, most people don't understand this equation EVEN when it's explained to them! No, I don't buy the we're all the same, there is no such thing as right or wrong, cats should sleep with dogs stuff, no.

Humans are animals.

If humans are not animals, how is it that we fit neatly into the characteristics of mammals?

Yes Matt and before I go to take my t-rex for a walk I'd like to leave you with this. Maybe if certain failed sectors of our school systems would stop teaching children that dinosaurs and humans existed simultaneously we may have better educated children.

We are evolved animals. Aside from your belief that God set us apart from them, what is it about people that you think separates us from the animal kingdom?

Also: your weirdly-placed attempt to mudsling at Obama would probably have more credence if his name were correctly spelled.

This comment sounds extremely ignorant to me. The philosophy that states that we are here to "rule over animals" came about long before much of any of the scientific knowledge we have today. It seems to me that once one has taken a 9th grade biology class, the rational thing to do would be to rule out believing in such an antiquated philosophy. I don't mean religion or Christianity in general, I just mean certain aspects of it that are contradicted by our present knowledge of biology, evolution, and the nature of the universe itself.

This comment reminded me of a friend of mine who, while arguing about vegetarianism, said that, "God put animals on the Earth for us to eat," which is simply absurd.

C #11.1, IAmEverydayPeople. Obviously you didn't click on the article, actually a slow-loading slide show. Humans were the first ones featured.

To IAmEverydayPeople: Each and every bone of human and chimpanzee is different, in spite of 98% common genes. Add intellect and bi-pedalling, and see what 2% can accomplish.
To Lake Lady: Would you agree that all whites, blacks, yellows, reds, Aborigines and any others have equal intelligence? They separated some 40,000 years ago but did not progress intellectually since that time. Some species may be smarter than others, but any average human may graduate from US high school.

Hey, Matt, to each their own. I'm glad that your religious views help you cope and give you a feeling of belonging, but that's a big leap from antipathy, either from a network or a presidential candidate. It was a clever attempt to work your issues into this forum, however.

Peace.

Wow, Alex, that comment to Lake Lady sounds awfully racist. Do you truly believe that one's race affects their intelligence? That's a pretty ignorant assumption. If you think this is so because of statistics, you should look at income levels or other factors besides race before you insult 'whites, blacks, yellows, or reds.'

Wow, did you read me? Your statement is exactly opposite my point: ALL humans are equal, but animals from the same family have different intelligence.

I believe you misspelled Barack.

Really? Humans were made to rule over all other creatures? THEN WHY HAVE WE DONE SUCH A TERRIBLE JOB OF IT! We are the only species on the planet that can't coexist in harmony with nature. We are more like an evolutionary mistake, rather than "God's" chosen creation. Try getting that through the thick skull of a religious fundamentalist, you'll have an easier time teaching your cat to use the toilet.

Newsvine having a seperate opinion from your own ≠ antipathy.

Matt, your comments prove that Christianity and intelligence do not always go hand in hand.

So if we must dominate over all "fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth" why are these organisms coming back to bite us in the behind? Every germ we've overcome has evolved and become "super". Sharks eat people because we're swimming in the sea they call home and look like fish, elephants stomp their abusive trainers, tigers eat zoo keepers and insolent characters who feel the need to taunt them after we've locked them up in pens. Tell me, are these animals acting out because they're unintelligent or because someone somewhere let the bible dictate every facet of their life instead of using common sense and learning from experience, either their own or from another? When you can answer that and prove these animals are of lesser importance and are our duty by god, or whomever you whine to, to wipe off of the face of the Earth and starve ourselves after we've removed every last GOOD organism except our greedy, self absorbed genetic pool, THEN, AND ONLY THEN, may you put your story book of a ruler's opinion of what may be passed on through written word of a dead language in my classroom and tell me that Darwin's Theory (theory, not proof, but supported by scientific evidence) of Evolution is less credible.

Matt,

Come out of your box and think for yourself, if you can!

Peace,

Marci

Hey Matt,

I think the big problem is to mislead children into thinking that we are in any way evolved from animals. In my opinion we are de-volved from the great apes.

Marci

Matt,

Let me guess, you are not university educated.

Read on in Genesis. God also made a covenant with the animals. If they weren't intelligent, how could God make promises with them? God also values animals' lives a great deal. He decided to spare Nineveh from destruction because of a few righteous people and "much cattle." God is also aware if so much as a tiny sparrow falls. There are many, many references that shows that God values animals, finds them intelligent enough to covenants with and to protect and love. The fact that humans have a "stewardship" over animals does not mean that they are not intelligent, nor does it mean we are to subject them to cruelty or to value them less than God does. A stewardship implies careful managing and care-taking--not disrespect or wasteful use. Animals are intelligences placed on this earth by God, though, perhaps a different kind of intelligence than human beings. I am not so sure that human intelligence always reflects the epitome of intelligence. After all, I know many animals that know a whole lot more English than I know of their languages. My own dogs understand dozens of my words, but I don't understand nearly so many "words" in their language, and they DO have a language. IN addition, growing up on a farm, I have had experience with numerous animals that responded to many verbal commands from me and members of my family, but we really didn't bother to learn how they communicated. I have spent more than a half a century on this earth, and one thing I have finally learned is to have reverence for all life. We are finding out that there's a lot more to the creatures we consider to be our inferiors than we ever dreamed there was even a decade ago. I believe we will be held responsible for our actions towards ALL of God's creations--not just those in our own species. If we as humans are supposed to be good stewards and are supposed to be intelligent and humane, then we have a lot of learning to do and need to have open minds about our fellow inhabitants on this earth. In my experience, humans are the least "humane" animals I know. I have never seen cruelty from any other living thing that equals the intentional cruelty of humans. Like Gandhi said, the morality of a nation can be judged by how it treats its animals.

LC49 - BRAVO!!! At least one among the multitude shows the purer, gentler side of advanced intelligence... COMPASSION. Wow... I am am humbled by your clear and correct expression, along with pointed argument; they represent the words of a true philosopher. HEY EVERYBODY!!!! Read what LC49 has to say.

LC49 and Earthling-283698,

I want to thank you for bringing this discussion back into a more polite form. Even I got ticked-off with some of what I was hearing. I think it is because I see how far short our species falls from it's potential. One of the things I am beginning to understand with this whole discussion is that the kind of intelligence that humans tend to employ is a double-edged sword. We have our groups or packs or cultures and they narrow our thinking, oftentimes. Necessity may have been the mother of invention but, if our intelligence were sufficient, invention would not be employed one step beyond what is absolutely necessary.

When all is said and done, we do not have a clue as to what other species know, think or communicate beyond what we deduce from observation of their actions. And I believe it is a sign of their intelligence that they understand more of what we say and do than vice-versa. Time and again we have tested animals with our tests designed for our species and out of our culture and been amazed at how well they have done.

I am glad, LC49, that you have more knowledge of the bible than I do because, whereas I was aware of the stewardship aspect rather than the rule over aspect (if not from direct knowledge, then by intuition), I did not realize that it was spelled out. It's been a long time since I have had any direct dealings with Christianity, though it has influenced me in what I hope is a good way. One has to wonder why people pick and choose from a book that they claim to revere. One should not use a book, especially a holy book, to rationalize ones actions unless one is sure that one totally understands it. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

I only hope that someday, somewhere, some-when I will actually be able to directly communicate and share more deeply with all of the species on this planet and in the universe.

I have a friend who is a folksinger/street musician and I might say a deep thinker and philosopher. He wrote a song called Simple Things, which is elegantly poetic and deeply spiritual and also very romantic. It so points out how far we humans stray from what is real and important. His music is an outreach to humanity, but he has to retreat to nature, often, to regain his perspective and renew and refresh his spirit, because the human condition can be such a downer at times. He has a hard time blocking the negative human energy he comes into contact with and it drains him trying to find a way to reflect it back in a positive way.

I think that most of us learn at an early age to block out or ignore what we don't want to deal with, but I think this is part of the problem with our human condition. If we were more available and more vulnerable to the energy from others, would we actually be better and more at peace with our species and all species and the planet? Would there even be any negative energy? My friend does not experience any negative energy when he is out in the wilds. In fact, the energy he gets from the natural world is very positive and uplifting. I think that 80 - 90% of humanity is missing a lot.

Peace,

Marci

*Flings poo at Matt-282337* *jumps up and down with glee*

WAIT, DON'T GO!!.. before you jump on me for being insensitive and childish just let me point out that I'm trying to make a statement about this. As a grown man if I were to actually fling poo at someone I would at least get punched in the face, at worse sued or thrown in prison. But if a toddler were to do this we would only scold them and teach them that flinging poo is no way to behave as a civilized person. Our damned reptilian brain gets us in trouble all the time with stuff like this, and in general most of us outgrow it by the time we're 5, but to deny we have animalistic behaviours would be exceedingly naive. The Book of Genesis says we're the rulers/stewards of all the animal kingdom, that's great and all, but for me the reason we're the rulers/steward of all the animal kingdom is because... you know... we're smarter animals than them.

Come on people... read what you write BEFORE you post! It's disgusting how the ease of the computer has exposed the ineptitude of the supposed educated.

I am with you on the Golden Retriever intellect. My Goldens Retrievers (I have two) are extremely intelligent. They are both Therapy Dogs and very in tune with all people. We visit people of all ages and they instinctively know what they need. I am not saying that they are more intelligent than humans but they are very in tune with people.

Hey Golden Lady,

I wonder how your Golden Retrievers are when it comes to therapy for someone like Elspeth D'Mysts who apparently is stuck in a grammar and spelling box. Maybe a good dog could teach her that there is more to life than grammar and spelling and that neither grammar or spelling is much of an indicator of intelligence.

Peace,

Marci

Peace to you too Elspeth. Why do you limit yourself to comments on grammar and spelling? Don't you have any useful comments? Actually, a friend recently sent me a very funny email that was meant to prove that with almost total misspelling and very bad grammar the meaning of the written word could still be understood. If I can find that, I will copy it and send it to you privately. It may help to put things in perspective. P.S. Spell Check wanted to know if D'Mysts was a misspelling.

Elspeth, was D'Mysts in your eyes when you wrote the following?

"Come on people... read what you write BEFORE you post! It's disgusting how the ease of the computer has exposed the ineptitude of the supposed educated."

Now, should that be "supposed" or "supposedly?" You are the grammarian. What happened with that comment?

That's the problem when you put such effort into something that is belittling of others. Eventually you put your foot in your own mouth.

Peace,

Marci

Hear hear, Marci! I'm loving reading your comebacks. ;) Keep on truckin'.

Elspeth

Come on people... read what you write BEFORE you post! It's disgusting how the ease of the computer has exposed the ineptitude of the supposed educated.

Chillax!..we's just typing in here, sayin whats we like ya heard? y'all gramer nazis need to just calm down!! Bugging people because of gramer?...thats just sumthing I dont believe in. (oh crap, I ended a sentence with a prepostion!!!...don't burn me!!!)

Recall Animal Farm: the pigs were in charge. Four legs good, two legs bad!

I have worked with pigs and they are extremely intelligent and clean. They amazed me evey time I was around them.

Unclean = unintelligent... boy... am I in trouble then... my house is a PIT!!!! *GRIN* And I have heard MANY times how the intelligence of pigs in some ways outruns that of dogs... Rats are another of the underappreciated... They have been living off our garbage and such for millions of years... now... Who's the smart one... the one who is getting the free meal or the one wasting most of what He/She is consuming??

foolishgeorge -

I see you are a fan of Christine Kane. Good for you!

While I am a "gramer" stickler myself, I see no need in a forum on this subject to be a pain. Good grief!

I wonder, are we the most intelligent of all species on Earth? If so, is it because we can create ways to destroy ourselves and all other life on the planet?

Perhaps the members of the animal kingdom thought about it and have found no reason to develop abstract thought

I doubt they decided not to develop these things.

In a few thousand years these dophins, apes, and the rest that can use a couple of tools now might evolve to be able to use much more. They show some language skills as well. Maybe we'll actually be talking to them...not we, but our great-great-etc.-great-grandchildren.

Also, the fact that we can help them learn and that they can teach each other might shorten the time it takes for this kind of evolution.

Unfortunately, The way we ( humans ) are behaving, We will probably never see our great great great great grandchildren talk to animals, because we will have killed them all off by then, not to mention ourselves!

Hi Joseph,
I study psychology and it never ceases to amaze me about how little we know about the human "mind" as opposed to the biological organ, the brain. We are able to communicate abstract concepts, yet we still struggle to understand thoughts and emotions of the person next to us. I agree with others, that intelligence is on a continuum. However, I don't think your basic IQ test is adequate for measuring the smarts of most of the human population (biased toward Caucasian males), so how can we possibly think we are getting any accurate notion of the intelligence of another species? As "jcatom" stated, our decendents may actually be able to communicate with animals one day (through evolution, yes but more likely through technology) and I think on that day we will have to totally re-examine our current beliefs about animals in general.
J.D.

Joseph! I think I have seen evidence that even birds can utilize abstract thought....I was parked at a curb on a residential street, and the landowner had watered her lawn with a garden hose. There was a puddle left on the sidewalk, and I noticed there were two pieces of bread lying in the water. In a minute or two, here came a crow, with another piece of hard, stale bread in his beak. He put the bread in the water, then proceeded to eat the other two pieces which had been softened after soaking up the liquid. Tell me........did he reason this out for himself?

Of all the animals on earth, humans have been the most destructive. In fact, if the human race disappeared from the face of the earth, our world would thrive. I wonder just what our place is in the scheme of things.

Hey Joseph,

I agree with you that it is possible that the rest of the animal kingdom saw that nothing good would come of abstract thinking. And we humans are proof positive of that.

Now, I don't know if this would quite fall into the category of abstract thought, but I have observed several different animals do things that were indicative, perhaps, of abstract thought.

The first was Y'All, a sweet black cat. When he was about a year old, I would play a game with him where I put a string underneath a throw rug and pull it. The first two or three times he would dive under the rug to get at the string, without ever coming out the other side. Then, without any hesitation, he ran around to the other side of the rug and grabbed the string in the middle, between the rug and my hand, which was actually slightly above the floor. On another occasion, my family and I were watching "Circus of the Stars" on TV. Y'All was lying on my lap. An act with either a tiger or a panther came on. Y'All jumped down off of my lap and ran toward the TV. He pawed at the TV and then ran around to the back of the TV to see if he could figure out where the cat was. He didn't react to any of the other acts. He obviously recognized a distant relative in the circus cat. He realized that there was a real cat, but did not understand our ability to transmit images a long distance. But would a one to three year old child have any more of an understanding of this phenomenon?

Pancho, a Siberian Husky, used to play by himself in the backyard. He invented a game and we would watch him play this for a long time. He would take a log off of the wood pile and run and place it some distance away on the ground. Then he would run back and forth, much as one might in a game of cricket (can't remember whether there was more of a field to this such as you have in baseball). Then he would go and get another log and do the same thing. We had never played a game like this with him. It all came out of his own mind.

My late husband's cat, Layla, used to lie on her back with a fetching look and wait until we payed attention to her. Sometimes we would be in another room, and would give side-long glances to see if she was still doing it. Sometimes I would come down from upstairs and she would be lying there. My husband would be in the kitchen. She had figured out that eventually we would notice this and think it adorable, which we did. In many ways, I even think this was part of a sense of humor on her part. She could also follow very detailed instructions in both Greek and English. She had also figured out how much I loved my teddy bears and would go and sleep among the teddy bears on the sofa. I think she was hoping that I would come along and notice her and pet her along with the teddy bears.

We give animals too little credit for intelligence and we give ourselves too much.

Peace,

Marci

The African grey parrot that was a study subject for many years at Arizona State University could add and subtract better than most second graders. He could also formulate his own sentences and questions. In fact, he carried on original and intelligent conversations with his care-taker. I believe the parrot's name was Alex. If you can find information on him, it's fascinating. I believe he clearly demonstrated abstract thinking. What about KoKo the gorilla, who remembers being taken from her dead mother's arms and signed to her care-taker "KoKo cried"? The animal is self aware and demonstrates emotions daily.

"When you think about it mankind is very fascinating. It's basically made up of two words; mank and ind... which is what makes us such a mystery."

-Jack Handy

JoulesBeef,

Thanks for the Douglas Adams quotation.

For the benefit of everyone else, if you read Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you will find that even above the dolphins are the white mice who programmed the computer we know as Earth. (The computer gave them the answer: 42.)

I'm sure JoulesBeef did not include that tidbit only because mice were not included on the author's list.

JoulesBeef and QuakerChick,

I thank you very much for your comments and I am so there with you and with Douglas Adams.

Peace,

Marci

Pigs are actually some of the smartest animals on the planet, Ann... though people are definitely more inclined to think of horses as the most intelligent creature you'll find around a barn. The reason humans carry this perception is pretty simple: horses are our beautiful, beloved companions... and we eat pigs for dinner.

Horses can obviously be quite proficient at learning human commands and solving cognitive problems. (I'm assuming you're either a horse owner or a horse lover by the outrage of your comment!) But so can pigs. Pigs can be trained at about the same level a dog can, which is why you see all three animals in a lot of movies and performances. A common trick of both pigs and horses? Unlatching their own gates. The primary difference, however, is that pigs simply lack the size and mobility to get the job done on their own... so they recruit a partner. They've even been known to let out the *rest* of the pigs once they've figured out how the gates work.

And something the article didn't mention? The task with the squiggles? They moved the cursor with a modified joystick, meaning they had to process the idea that their moving the joystick with their snouts consequently caused the cursor to move on the monitor. That's a pretty high-level connection. And, as *was* mentioned, they completed the task as quickly as chimps, which has to say something.

Both horses and pigs are very intelligent, no doubt. But pigs do deserve a bit more credit than they're given!

I very much agree on your point! We act as the we are not even a part of the animal kingdom. We are all animals. We have more in common with the other animals on this planet than we'd like to admit.

I do agree with you on the ability of animals and people thinking in different ways. It is a good observation and the example you gave about the ants helps to put your thought into perspective. It is interesting to see how they are instilled with this knowledge of where to get their food and how to store it properly. Every living thing has a designer's mark on them. It had to have come from somewhere because, even as small is the ant is, it is so complex in just its everyday activities. Another thing to think about is really the ability to THINK. How would we know what such a thing is? Did it just happen? No. Just like the very computer I'm typing on, it did not just appear into existence. It was designed with a purpose in mind. =)

Greek origin, by way of Latin, which explains the -pi ending. While octopuses is correct, octopi is also acceptable by English standards.

Greek origin, by way of Latin, which explains the -pi ending. While octopuses is correct, octopi is acceptable by English standards.

what about squirrels? that surprised me.
They cant ever seem to decide which side of the street is closer, as you car comes barrelling down on them.

Dogs can be trained to fetch things by breeding, as in terriers, or by their owners, in a Pavlovian response system. Rats can be taught the exact same thing.

The fact that cats aren't interested in blindly and numbly repeating the same action over and over for the amusement of their owners, to me, suggests that they are more intelligent than dogs.

My cat and I can have full conversations. If I tell him I had a bad day, he jumps up onto my lap and purrs. If I tell him to go to his room, he does so. If I tell him that he has to wait for dinner because his bowl isn't clean, he stops meowing. He talks back to me, as well, and over the years I've come to understand much of what he's telling me. It's not like language, obviously, but there is communication occurring. I'm not saying dogs are not capable of this, though I've never heard of it -- just that playing "fetch" does not put dogs over cats on a list.

I tend to disagree with the thought that cat's are stupid. Mine fetchs, knows word commands and in general has a very obvious thought pattern.

Dogs do Search and Rescue work -- that takes way more than a Pavlovian training. S&R dogs are thinking on their feet, in some of the most dangerous conditions imaginable.

I imagine S&R dogs are, in fact, at the top of their species when it comes to intelligence. That said, the average dog's training does not demonstrate intelligence in the way that this article intends it, though I agree the article doesn't seem to be based on anything more than the rudiments of science and hearsay. Intelligence is comprised of three different mental faculties: learning, reasoning and understanding. Dogs can learn, certainly, no argument from me on that one. I'll even go so far as to stretch that they can understand (that is, not recognizing a command, but rather comprehending more fully what is happening in a situation). I would argue though that the majority of dogs, with notable exceptions of course (the rescue dogs you mentioned), fall short of the third marker. Reasoning is what prompts tool making, creativity, foresight and thinking ahead.

I would argue that cats, at least most of them, can do all three. Certainly there are dumb cats just as there are dumb dogs, but every cat I've ever owned and all but one of them that I've encountered have had uncanny grasps of reality and situational awareness that rivals that of some humans I know. Many dog-owners seem to believe that cats can't be taught tricks, and that this means they're less intelligent than dogs -- both points are untrue. Cats can and often are taught tricks, but mostly they choose not to perform them because they have independent willpower.

I would never make a blanket statement that dogs are stupid. It's my opinion that cats are smarter than dogs, but I'm not a scientist, and can only support my statement with circumstantial evidence, so it remains my opinion. Mostly, I strenuously object to the statement that dogs are so much more intelligence than cats, and that cats are "wack-jobs chasing shadows" and that all they do is "just eat, poop and sleep." It only proves that the writer of that comment has had little experience with cats.

Good lord. I'm going to refrain from commenting on the cat remark, because so many people have already leapt to the cats' defense, so I'm just going to make this simple statement: if you think the intelligence of a dog is on par with that of a dolphin, you clearly know very little about dolphins.

I would say many dogs can reason. I watched a dog once, who was stuck behind a fence with a large rock blocking a gap in it, dig a hole beside the rock and push it in so she had enough space to slip through. That must have required a pretty logical thought process.
I don't agree with the comment that said that cats are less intelligent than dogs because they don't learn commands as easilly. Dogs are more eager to please the people they live with, being pack animals, than cats, who are solitary. If they know they won't get something in return everytime they 'sit' or 'come,' I can understand why they wouldn't do it. Would you?

Go watch sheep herding trials, then we can talk about the relative smarts of dogs.

Nonsense. I have had cats all my life. It is not that they can't fetch and slobber over humans; they just have too much self-respect to act like servants to us. Like other animals, intelligence varies. I have two cats from the same litter. I called them Rene (after Descartes) and Jean Paul (after Sartre), because although I think they are both pretty bright, actually, their approach to life is totally different. When he noticed his reflection in the tv, Jean Paul battted at it, got bored with a lack of response, and left. Rene did the same thing, up until he got no response; then he went around behind the tv to see if the cat was inside. Jean Paul is the one who ended up in the dryer when I turned it on; Rene watched the dryer and decided that, even if it is warm inside, it is not a safe place to go. Jean Paul simply acts before he thinks; Rene never does. I guess what I am trying to say is that, like people, different animals respond differently to different stimuli, including "tests." Some animals are extremely patient; some are not. Some are greedy; some are not. When my daughter was growing up, we had a dog, cats, a rabbit, a guinea pig, birds, fish, a hamster, a bunch of mice, and a large snake. Some were more self-absorbed than others, but all of the ones who ran free in the house, including the flop-eared rabbit, interacted with one another and with those of us who lived there. The bunny would run to my mother, stand up on its hind legs, and beg for Cheetos. I have a strong feeling that those who prefer dogs might enjoy a bunny, too.

Nonsense ... they just have too much self-respect to act like servants to us.

How do you determine this? How do cats express their understanding of entirely human concepts like 'servitude' and 'self-respect'?

I have a strong feeling that those who prefer dogs might enjoy a bunny, too.

Maybe someday, when I see a team of handlers and bunnies going into a shattered building and locating live human beings. When I see a single bunny moving a group of unwilling sheep into a pen, with no more human instruction than a few whistles and words. When I see a bunny staring down a toddler that is about to wander off into the street -- potentially saving its life in the process.

I have no disrespect for anyone who prefers cats; it just seems to me that the measurement of 'smart,' as per the title of this article, varies for different species.

danielf:

There's a difference between understanding a command and carrying it out. If I commanded you to kill your neighbors right now, I assume you would not carry it out. Does that make you less intelligent than someone who would? For a less dramatic and possibly more apropos example, what if I threw a stick and then turned and ordered you to go run after it, pick it up in your mouth, and bring it back to me so that I could repeat the action? I assume you would not find this game endlessly amusing, and would eventually (if not right away) refuse to indulge me.

I would argue that cats understand orders, but often choose not to carry them out. When I call my cat, he generally chooses to come to me. Sometimes, however, he's angry at me -- perhaps I'd gone away for a few days, and he missed me and was annoyed that I left him, or perhaps I'd had a big party the night before and he was letting me know he wasn't pleased -- and he won't come right away. He'll wait a few minutes, and then come sauntering out as if he was only happening to enter the room, not responding to my call at all. My cat knows what I mean when I say, "Alright, babe, it's treat time," and jumps up onto a specific chair and puts his front legs up on the back of it to make himself taller, so that I don't have to bend down to hand him treats.

To me, cats demonstrate free will. In my opinion that elevates them on the intelligence scale, because it takes understanding one step further -- they hear the command, they process it, then they make a decision about whether or not they'll follow it through. There is a very important distinction between a creature understanding an order and deciding it's not what they want to do, and a creature simply not understanding what's being asked.

Herding dogs are operating on their own much of the time. They have to decide how to approach the recalcitrant sheep -- angle of approach, speed of approach, stopping distance -- too close and they panic the sheep. Its a subtle dance, very pleasing to watch, often a visual work of art.

Sometimes, however, he's angry at me -- ... he missed me and was annoyed that I left him ... he was letting me know he wasn't pleased

Again, these are human emotions - does a cat have any clue about human emotional response?

My cat knows what I mean when I say, "Alright, babe, it's treat time," and jumps up onto a specific chair and puts his front legs up on the back of it to make himself taller, so that I don't have to bend down to hand him treats.

So the whole idea is operant conditioning: at one time, you give your cat treats until it associated action with reward. Persistence of the reward memory allows the removal of the treat with continuation of the behavior.

I'm not saying it isn't conditioned behavior. I'm objecting to the sentiment that it's not possible to teach cats tricks. I wouldn't cite the cat's desire for treats as a sign of intelligence, except for all the people who say that cats can't possibly be as smart as dogs because they can't learn voice commands.

I say angry/missed me/annoyed because it's a simpler way of describing it. Call it what you will (or don't) but he displays certain behavioral patterns that specifically follow certain behavioral patterns of mine. They happen every time, and the communication (which is well documented and accepted) he does present falls in with those cues.

Again, I'm not saying dogs are stupid. I am saying that neither are cats. You don't need to defend dogs to me, believe me.

I'm objecting to the sentiment that it's not possible to teach cats tricks.

I don't think I made that objection.

I'm not saying dogs are stupid. I am saying that neither are cats.

Yay, we agree at last!

Reading back -- yeah, you definitely weren't the guy saying cats were stupid. Originally it was said that dogs had to be smart because they could be taught to fetch, and that cats were stupid because you couldn't teach them tricks -- hence my thing about Pavlov, and your objection about Search & Rescue, which is hardly the same thing at all, you're right.

So, in short -- yes! You and I finally agree! :D

You are incorrect about cats. Pound for pound, cats are the most intelligent creatures on earth. They even have supernatural intelligence that we can't comprehend. They are so adaptable that they can afford the luxury of relaxing and giving themselves spa treatments 99% of the time. Or if need be, they can survive quite well on their own without us.

Mark,

Yeah, funny thing about that lack of objectivity. A lot of it is probably tied up with ego. It is like people trying to convert someone to their religion. I always feel that that is all about convincing themselves that they must be right. Might makes Right, Safety in Numbers(also a Crack the Sky song)?

I am not sure if people learn at an early age to intentionally block that finely-tuned sensitivity or not. I have a folksinger/street musician friend who claims to have a hard time blocking these energies. He wrote a beautiful song, "Simple Things", which shows how far we have strayed from what truly matters. His music is an outreach to humanity, but he finds it very draining interacting with humans when there is negative energy. He tries to take their negative energy and reflect it back in a positive way. He has to retreat to nature often in order to restore himself.

But I also wonder whether, if we were more open and vulnerable, there would be less negative energy. Then we might have an opportunity to truly experience intelligence.

Peace,

Marci

Actually, there's lots of these videos on the Internet.

I personally believe that elephants are more intelligent with greater emotions too, than any other animal on the planet barring man.

Actually, in the case of man - perhaps even MORE emotional and caring than many men.

Their paintings are VERY real and if you watch these videos you will me amazed.

Larry H 189743,

I saw that and I totally agree that that elephant has more artistic intelligence or skill than I do. And I do not consider myself to be stupid or have low self esteem. In fact, it is my opinion that humans with good self esteem are more likely to recognize and acknowledge the intelligence in any being.

Peace,

Marci

Dear just-passing-thru

I agree with you!!! just read all the comments of D'Mysts and the ego thing could not fit any better. If are so smart how come that as I read from other comment up there, we keep making the same mistakes, parents unable to educate children and therefore children unable to continuing the cycle intelligently, we don't even understand each other signal our communication could not be worse and on top of that no compassion at all for the others at least my small dog run to comfort me when I cry or just feel sick.

just-passin-thru,

You are and old soul and only an old soul can appreciate your comment to the nth degree. Good for you. I consider myself to be a reverse speciesist. (Back-off Elspeth!)

Peace,

Marci

just-passin-thru,

I forgot to agree with you on the ego thing. I think that that is the fly in the human ointment. I think and am hoping that other animals do not suffer this affliction.

Peace,

Marci